Donald Hoffman:
life exists in a VR headset
Donald Hoffman, a cognitive scientist at the University of California, is often in the limelight for his view of reality as being analogous to life inside of a video game (or a simulation). Hoffman’s approach to the subject comes from a scientific angle, despite the apparent (to some) frivolous claims he makes.
This theory ties in neatly Rizwan Virk’s (Simulation Hypothesis) argument who uses the idea of quantum indeterminacy (QI) to illustrate his point. Hoffman claims the science is clear: consciousness itself is rendering the outside world (which is not physically ‘real’) much like in the way players interact in the Grand Theft Auto game world. Hoffman describes life as a ‘space-time simulator’. He believes we are all agents, through a medium like a VR headset, with different attributes and interests, free to explore the world around us (perhaps to gain experience and understanding).
This theory ties in neatly Rizwan Virk’s (Simulation Hypothesis) argument who uses the idea of quantum indeterminacy (QI) to illustrate his point. Hoffman claims the science is clear: consciousness itself is rendering the outside world (which is not physically ‘real’) much like in the way players interact in the Grand Theft Auto game world. Hoffman describes life as a ‘space-time simulator’. He believes we are all agents, through a medium like a VR headset, with different attributes and interests, free to explore the world around us (perhaps to gain experience and understanding).