However, I think that Poul Anderson's attempt to explain how the "emulations" (conscious simulations) work fails. See How To Create An Emulation?
The combox discussion for Reality And Virtuality covered the question whether it would be possible for inhabitants of an emulation to detect that their world is an illusion. In one of the emulated worlds, rockets aimed at the Moon always fail because the emulated Sun, Moon and planets are mere lights in the sky. Those scientists are on the verge of detecting the discrepancy between their world as it appears to them and as it really is.
See also False Or Real?
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
I remember that part of GENESIS about the far future scientists. These men KNEW their rockets should have reached the moon. Yes, they must have been on the verge of discovering they were only emulations within an emulated world. I can well see how soul shattering such a realization would have been for them and their people, emulations or not. The kindest thing Gaia could for them would be to switch off that emulation, before that happened.
Ad astra! Sean
Incidentally, there's a theory that -we- are living in an advanced simulation of that sort, and attempts to develop a testing procedure to see if we are. That might be dangerous... 8-).
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
I have sometimes had an uneasy feeling or suspicion like that! (Smiles)
Ad astra! Sean
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