If We're in a Simulation, Do This
The speakers discuss the simulation hypothesis and propose that if we're living in a multi-scale simulation where different areas have varying computational fidelity, the optimal strategy would be to spend time around interesting people who would be simulated at higher detail. They extend this to suggest that society-scale simulation could represent a novel form of governance Earth hasn't historically experienced.
Summary
The transcript presents a thought experiment about decision-making under the simulation hypothesis. The primary argument is that if reality is a multi-scale simulation—meaning different regions or subjects are simulated at different levels of computational fidelity—then rational actors should prioritize proximity to interesting people. The logic is that simulation designers would allocate more computational resources to simulate interesting subjects at higher fidelity, making it strategically advantageous to be near them. The speakers note this aligns with behaviors already practiced (like attending podcasts or gatherings with notable people), so the prescription isn't radical. They then pivot from pure simulation theory to a broader governance point: that managing society through large-scale simulation represents a historically unprecedented form of governance that Earth has not yet encountered. The tone suggests intellectual playfulness while making what they consider a serious observation about governance technology.
About this episode
If we're living in a simulation, here's the one thing you should actually do about it.
Key Insights
- If reality is a multi-scale simulation with varying fidelity levels, the rational strategy is to associate with interesting people because they would be simulated at higher computational resolution than less interesting subjects.
- Existing social behaviors—such as gathering around accomplished or interesting people for podcasts and conversations—already align with the optimal strategy one would follow if the simulation hypothesis were true.
- Governing a society through large-scale simulation represents a novel form of governance that has no historical precedent on Earth.
Topics
Transcript
[0:00] if you had a higher posterior confidence that you're living inside a simulation, then if you make I think quite a reasonable assumption that it's being that it's a multi-scale simulation, in other words, that different parts of the simulation are being simulated at varying levels of fidelity, then the smartest thing you could possibly do is hang out around interesting people because the interesting people will be simulated at higher fidelity. So, you're basically you're you're >> what we do already. I mean, that's why people >> Well, some of us, I mean, that's what we're doing with this podcast, right? [0:31] Like we're we're compute maxing just in case we're inside a simulation. So, so I mean,…
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