Preprint 1 Mention
On testing the simulation theory
Tom Campbell2017
Houman OwhadiJoe Sauvageau
Average · 50th percentile
12 citations · Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Open Access

Summary

1 Sample Definition And Size

The paper is theoretical and conceptual in nature; it does not involve empirical data collection or a sample size. Instead, it proposes conceptual wave/particle duality experiments to test the simulation theory.

2 Study Type

Conceptual/theoretical study proposing experimental designs (thought experiments) rather than empirical or observational research.

3 Conflicts Of Interest

No conflicts of interest are declared in the arXiv metadata or abstract. The paper acknowledges support from the Simons Foundation but does not indicate any competing interests or biases. ([arxiv.org](https://arxiv.org/abs/1703.00058))

4 Results Summary

As a conceptual paper, it does not report empirical results. It outlines the principle that a finite simulation system would render reality only when information becomes available to an observer, and describes conceptual experiments based on wave/particle duality aimed at testing this principle. No statistical findings, p-values, effect sizes, or confidence intervals are provided. ([arxiv.org](https://arxiv.org/abs/1703.00058))

Abstract

Can the theory that reality is a simulation be tested? We investigate this question based on the assumption that if the system performing the simulation is finite (i.e. has limited resources), then to achieve low computational complexity, such a system would, as in a video game, render content (reality) only at the moment that information becomes available for observation by a player and not at the moment of detection by a machine (that would be part of the simulation and whose detection would also be part of the internal computation performed by the Virtual Reality server before rendering content to the player). Guided by this principle we describe conceptual wave/particle duality experiments aimed at testing the simulation theory.

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