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1
00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:05,436
OUR UNIVERSE
CERTAINLY SEEMS REAL.
2
00:00:05,437 --> 00:00:08,239
BUT WHAT IF IT'S NOT?
3
00:00:08,240 --> 00:00:11,342
WE MAY BE NOTHING MORE
THAN VIDEO GAME CHARACTERS
4
00:00:11,343 --> 00:00:15,114
DESIGNED
FOR SOMEONE ELSE'S AMUSEMENT.
5
00:00:15,115 --> 00:00:19,817
BUT HOW COULD A COMPUTER JUGGLE
EVERY ASPECT OF THE COSMOS?
6
00:00:19,818 --> 00:00:22,488
MAYBE WHAT LOOKS RANDOM
7
00:00:22,489 --> 00:00:27,024
HAS ALREADY BEEN
PROGRAMMED TO HAPPEN.
8
00:00:27,025 --> 00:00:29,360
CAN WE DISCOVER
SOME HIDDEN GLITCH
9
00:00:29,361 --> 00:00:34,900
IN THE LAWS OF THE UNIVERSE
AND UNCOVER ITS HIDDEN CODE?
10
00:00:34,901 --> 00:00:37,170
DO WE LIVE IN THE MATRIX?
11
00:00:41,439 --> 00:00:46,012
SPACE, TIME, LIFE ITSELF.
12
00:00:48,381 --> 00:00:52,584
THE SECRETS OF THE COSMOS
LIE THROUGH THE WORMHOLE.
13
00:00:52,585 --> 00:00:55,587
Captions by VITAC
www.vitac.com
14
00:00:55,588 --> 00:00:58,625
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY
DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS
15
00:01:05,564 --> 00:01:08,134
PICK UP A ROSE.
16
00:01:08,135 --> 00:01:10,634
TAKE IN ITS SCENT.
17
00:01:10,635 --> 00:01:15,140
FEAST YOUR EYES
ON THE CRIMSON OF ITS PETALS.
18
00:01:15,141 --> 00:01:19,044
FEEL THE PRICK OF ITS THORN
ON YOUR FINGER.
19
00:01:19,045 --> 00:01:23,782
THESE SENSATIONS ARE
WHAT GROUND US IN REALITY.
20
00:01:23,783 --> 00:01:28,053
BUT WHAT IF THEY'RE JUST
FABRICATED?
21
00:01:28,054 --> 00:01:31,956
WHAT IF WE ARE MERELY PLAYERS
IN SOMEONE ELSE'S VIDEO GAME,
22
00:01:31,957 --> 00:01:33,491
THE BIG BANG JUST THE MOMENT
23
00:01:33,492 --> 00:01:38,497
SOMEONE FLIPPED THE SWITCH
AND TURNED ON OUR UNIVERSE?
24
00:01:38,498 --> 00:01:40,699
IN THE MOVIE "THE MATRIX,"
25
00:01:40,700 --> 00:01:44,537
THERE WAS ONE WAY TO SEE
THE TRUTH BEHIND A FAKE REALITY.
26
00:01:46,540 --> 00:01:49,607
TAKE THE RED PILL.
27
00:01:49,608 --> 00:01:51,378
ARE YOU READY FOR IT?
28
00:01:54,213 --> 00:01:58,283
JESSE SCHELL KNOWS A LOT
ABOUT VIDEO GAMES.
29
00:01:58,284 --> 00:02:01,487
HE TEACHES STUDENTS
AT CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY
30
00:02:01,488 --> 00:02:03,455
HOW TO DESIGN THEM.
31
00:02:03,456 --> 00:02:06,625
HE APPRECIATES THE ENORMOUS
EFFORT IT WOULD TAKE TO CREATE
32
00:02:06,626 --> 00:02:11,363
ALL THE DETAILS
OF OUR WORLD INSIDE A COMPUTER.
33
00:02:11,364 --> 00:02:13,965
THE MOST
SOPHISTICATED VIDEO GAMES
34
00:02:13,966 --> 00:02:17,235
ARE STILL PLAYED
ON TWO DIMENSIONAL SCREENS,
35
00:02:17,236 --> 00:02:19,438
LIKE THE ONE
YOU'RE WATCHING NOW.
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00:02:21,741 --> 00:02:24,844
Schell: CREATING THE ILLUSION OF
THREE DIMENSIONS ON FLAT SCREENS
37
00:02:24,845 --> 00:02:28,079
IS MUCH SIMPLER
THAN ACTUALLY CREATING
38
00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:31,984
REAL THREE DIMENSIONAL SPACE
THAT WE CAN MOVE AROUND IN.
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00:02:31,985 --> 00:02:34,919
SO PROGRAMMING 3D SPACE
AS WE KNOW IT
40
00:02:34,920 --> 00:02:37,222
WOULD BE MANY,
MANY ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE
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00:02:37,223 --> 00:02:40,992
MORE DIFFICULT THAN ANYTHING
WE KNOW HOW TO DO RIGHT NOW.
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00:02:40,993 --> 00:02:43,794
Freeman: JESSE AND OTHER VIDEO GAME
DESIGNERS ARE PRETTY GOOD
43
00:02:43,795 --> 00:02:48,032
AT SIMULATING THE WAY
OBJECTS MOVE THROUGH SPACE.
44
00:02:48,033 --> 00:02:51,336
THEY USE NEWTON'S LAWS
OF GRAVITY AND MOTION,
45
00:02:51,337 --> 00:02:54,506
JUST AS THE DESIGNERS
OF OUR WORLD WOULD.
46
00:02:54,507 --> 00:02:56,608
THE BALLS HAVE WEIGHT.
47
00:02:56,609 --> 00:02:58,210
AIR IS MOVING AROUND THEM.
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00:02:58,211 --> 00:02:59,644
ELECTRICAL CHARGES
49
00:02:59,645 --> 00:03:02,714
ARE INCREASING AND DECREASING
ON THE SURFACE OF EACH BALL.
50
00:03:02,715 --> 00:03:06,251
AND EVEN IF I'M
A LITTLE BIT OFF,
51
00:03:06,252 --> 00:03:09,020
THE LAWS OF PHYSICS
ARE STILL INTACT.
52
00:03:09,021 --> 00:03:11,690
BUT IF THE RULES
THEMSELVES ARE OFF,
53
00:03:11,691 --> 00:03:14,592
THEN WE'LL KNOW RIGHT AWAY
THAT SOMETHING'S WRONG,
54
00:03:14,593 --> 00:03:18,663
THAT IT'S NOT AN ACCURATE
SIMULATION OF OUR WORLD.
55
00:03:18,664 --> 00:03:20,999
Freeman:
MAKING A BELIEVABLE REALITY
56
00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:23,801
WOULD TAKE FAR MORE
THAN PERFECT PROGRAMMING
57
00:03:23,802 --> 00:03:26,771
OF THE WAY
OBJECTS LOOK AND MOVE.
58
00:03:26,772 --> 00:03:29,374
YOU'D HAVE TO PROGRAM
ALL THE OTHER SENSES, TOO...
59
00:03:29,375 --> 00:03:32,877
SOUND, SMELL, TASTE, AND TOUCH,
60
00:03:32,878 --> 00:03:34,746
AND ALL THE SUBTLE VARIATIONS.
61
00:03:34,747 --> 00:03:38,684
AND IF EVEN ONE SMALL THING
WAS OFF, LIKE, SAY THIS COFFEE
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00:03:38,685 --> 00:03:41,986
HAVING THE SAME TASTE
AND TEMPERATURE AS THIS CEREAL,
63
00:03:41,987 --> 00:03:47,026
YOU'D KNOW RIGHT AWAY THAT
SOMETHING WAS TERRIBLY WRONG.
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00:03:48,995 --> 00:03:52,097
Freeman:
HOW WOULD YOU COMPUTERIZE TASTE
65
00:03:52,098 --> 00:03:55,900
OR PROGRAM THE FEEL
OF SOFT GRASS UNDERFOOT?
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00:03:55,901 --> 00:03:57,401
EVEN THE AIR WE BREATHE
67
00:03:57,402 --> 00:04:00,172
IS FILLED WITH GASSES,
WATER MOLECULES,
68
00:04:00,173 --> 00:04:03,675
DUST PARTICLES AND POLLEN.
69
00:04:03,676 --> 00:04:07,045
AT CARNEGIE MELLON'S
ENTERTAINMENT TECHNOLOGY CENTER,
70
00:04:07,046 --> 00:04:09,381
JESSE IS TRYING TO MAKE
SIMULATIONS
71
00:04:09,382 --> 00:04:12,484
AS IMMERSIVE AS POSSIBLE.
72
00:04:12,485 --> 00:04:14,686
IN WHAT HE CALLS THE CAVE,
73
00:04:14,687 --> 00:04:19,290
A MOVING PLATFORM
ADDS TO THE VISUAL EXPERIENCE.
74
00:04:19,291 --> 00:04:22,693
BUT SOMETIMES THE SIMULATION
IS TOO MUCH FOR THE COMPUTER,
75
00:04:22,694 --> 00:04:25,864
AND WE GET GLITCHES,
JUST LIKE IN A VIDEO GAME.
76
00:04:25,865 --> 00:04:28,532
IT'S POSSIBLE THAT IF WE
WERE MAKING A SIMULATION
77
00:04:28,533 --> 00:04:31,503
OF THE REAL WORLD THAT
THE SAME THING COULD HAPPEN.
78
00:04:31,504 --> 00:04:33,972
Freeman: WHEN A COMPUTER CAN'T
KEEP UP WITH THE VISUALS
79
00:04:33,973 --> 00:04:35,539
IT NEEDS TO RENDER,
80
00:04:35,540 --> 00:04:39,943
YOU OFTEN SEE A DEFECT
CALLED SCREEN TEARING.
81
00:04:39,944 --> 00:04:42,414
WE'VE NEVER SEEN
THAT IN OUR WORLD,
82
00:04:42,415 --> 00:04:47,152
BUT NOT ALL GLITCHES WOULD BE
VISIBLE TO PEOPLE ON THE INSIDE.
83
00:04:47,153 --> 00:04:49,455
Schell:
IF THE SIMULATION FREEZES,
84
00:04:49,456 --> 00:04:52,756
THEN THE PEOPLE
WHO ARE IN IT MIGHT NOT KNOW
85
00:04:52,757 --> 00:04:55,359
BECAUSE IT COULD FREEZE
FOR A THOUSAND YEARS.
86
00:04:55,360 --> 00:04:57,196
AND ANYONE
WHO WAS PART OF THE SIMULATION
87
00:04:57,197 --> 00:05:00,431
WOULD ALSO BE FROZEN IN A STATE
OF SUSPENDED ANIMATION SO THAT,
88
00:05:00,432 --> 00:05:01,801
WHEN IT STARTED UP AGAIN,
89
00:05:01,802 --> 00:05:03,869
IT WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY SEAMLESS
TO THEM,
90
00:05:03,870 --> 00:05:06,173
AND THEY WOULD NEVER KNOW.
91
00:05:07,973 --> 00:05:09,708
Freeman:
IF SOMEONE ELSE HAS CREATED US
92
00:05:09,709 --> 00:05:11,943
INSIDE THEIR COMPUTERS,
93
00:05:11,944 --> 00:05:14,280
THEN THEY MUST ALSO
HAVE BUILT PROGRAMS
94
00:05:14,281 --> 00:05:18,515
FOR ALL OF OUR MENTAL ABILITIES,
OUR IMAGINATIONS,
95
00:05:18,516 --> 00:05:21,520
OUR EMOTIONS AND THE THOUGHTS
RUNNING THROUGH OUR HEADS
96
00:05:21,521 --> 00:05:25,523
EVERY TIME
WE ENGAGE IN CONVERSATION.
97
00:05:25,524 --> 00:05:27,126
AS HUMANS,
WE GET SO MUCH INFORMATION
98
00:05:27,127 --> 00:05:31,063
FROM TALKING THAT AN ACCURATE
CONVERSATION PROGRAM IS CRUCIAL.
99
00:05:31,064 --> 00:05:33,498
WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE
WHEN YOU GREW UP?
100
00:05:33,499 --> 00:05:34,934
A FIREMAN.
101
00:05:34,935 --> 00:05:37,068
A FIREMAN? THAT'S NOBLE.
102
00:05:37,069 --> 00:05:39,938
SO EITHER, "A,"
YOU'VE GOT A DEATH WISH,
103
00:05:39,939 --> 00:05:42,540
OR, "B," YOU LIKE
TO STARE AT FIRE.
104
00:05:42,541 --> 00:05:45,075
AND IT ONLY TAKES US A SPLIT
SECOND TO NOTICE A PROBLEM
105
00:05:45,076 --> 00:05:46,244
WITH THE CONVERSATION.
106
00:05:46,245 --> 00:05:47,778
SO YOU CAN IMAGINE THE CHALLENGE
107
00:05:47,779 --> 00:05:53,852
OF SIMULATING 7 BILLION PEOPLE
ALL TALKING TOGETHER AT ONCE.
108
00:05:53,853 --> 00:05:57,621
Freeman:
JESSE THINKS OUR CREATORS
COULD BE USING A FEW SHORTCUTS
109
00:05:57,622 --> 00:05:59,458
TO HANDLE THIS HEAVY LOAD,
110
00:05:59,459 --> 00:06:04,229
CONCEPTS ALREADY USED
BY TODAY'S GAME PROGRAMMERS.
111
00:06:04,230 --> 00:06:06,866
YOU COULD MAKE JUST A FEW PEOPLE
BE ACTIVE PLAYERS
112
00:06:06,867 --> 00:06:08,667
AND THEN SURROUND THEM
WITH BILLIONS
113
00:06:08,668 --> 00:06:11,001
OF MUCH SIMPLER CHARACTERS.
114
00:06:11,002 --> 00:06:14,972
OR ANOTHER THING YOU COULD DO
IS ONLY PUT DETAILED SIMULATION
115
00:06:14,973 --> 00:06:17,042
WHERE I'M LOOKING
AT A GIVEN TIME.
116
00:06:17,043 --> 00:06:18,710
IF I'M LOOKING JUST
TO ONE PLACE,
117
00:06:18,711 --> 00:06:20,513
JUST PUT ALL THE FOCUS
OVER THERE
118
00:06:20,514 --> 00:06:24,883
AND MAKE EVERYTHING ELSE
AROUND ME JUST KIND OF A BLUR.
119
00:06:24,884 --> 00:06:28,787
Freeman: MAYBE YOU ARE THE ONLY
ACTIVE PLAYER IN THIS GAME
120
00:06:28,788 --> 00:06:30,655
YOU CALL YOUR LIFE.
121
00:06:30,656 --> 00:06:34,592
EVERYONE ELSE EXISTS ONLY
WHEN YOU ARE PAYING ATTENTION.
122
00:06:34,593 --> 00:06:38,196
YOUR PROGRAM WOULD BE THE
ONLY ONE RUNNING ALL THE TIME,
123
00:06:38,197 --> 00:06:40,465
EVEN WHEN YOU SLEEP.
124
00:06:40,466 --> 00:06:43,335
Schell: DREAMS ARE ALREADY
A KIND OF SIMULATED REALITY.
125
00:06:43,336 --> 00:06:46,770
SO TO PROGRAM DREAMS, YOU'D HAVE
TO CREATE A VIRTUAL REALITY
126
00:06:46,771 --> 00:06:49,773
WITHIN A VIRTUAL REALITY.
127
00:06:49,774 --> 00:06:55,479
Freeman:
IF OUR WORLD IS AN INCREDIBLY
COMPLEX COMPUTATIONAL CREATION,
128
00:06:55,480 --> 00:06:58,415
WHAT DOES THAT SAY
ABOUT ITS CREATORS?
129
00:06:58,416 --> 00:07:00,785
WHAT MUST THEIR REALITY BE LIKE
130
00:07:00,786 --> 00:07:06,991
IF SPAWNING AN ENTIRE UNIVERSE
IS JUST A GAME?
131
00:07:06,992 --> 00:07:10,328
AS DIFFICULT AS IT IS FOR US
TO IMAGINE CREATING A UNIVERSE
132
00:07:10,329 --> 00:07:11,929
AS COMPLEX AS OUR OWN,
133
00:07:11,930 --> 00:07:14,131
IT MIGHT NOT ACTUALLY
BE THAT HARD FOR SOMEONE
134
00:07:14,132 --> 00:07:16,734
LIVING IN A UNIVERSE
MORE ADVANCED THAN OURS.
135
00:07:16,735 --> 00:07:18,938
I THINK I'LL NEED
TO SLEEP ON THAT IDEA.
136
00:07:22,208 --> 00:07:25,910
IF WE ARE LIVING IN A SIMULATION
RIGHT NOW,
137
00:07:25,911 --> 00:07:28,412
WHO CREATED IT?
138
00:07:28,413 --> 00:07:30,215
GOD?
139
00:07:30,216 --> 00:07:32,383
MORE ADVANCED ALIEN LIFEFORMS
140
00:07:32,384 --> 00:07:35,921
THAT DREAMT US UP
TO BE THEIR AVATARS?
141
00:07:35,922 --> 00:07:41,094
OR COULD OUR CREATORS
BE FUTURE VERSIONS OF OURSELVES?
142
00:07:46,132 --> 00:07:47,631
NICK BOSTROM,
143
00:07:47,632 --> 00:07:52,003
A PROFESSOR OF PHILOSOPHY
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD,
144
00:07:52,004 --> 00:07:57,441
BELIEVES WE ARE ALMOST CERTAINLY
LIVING INSIDE THE COMPUTERS
145
00:07:57,442 --> 00:07:59,744
OF OUR DESCENDANTS.
146
00:07:59,745 --> 00:08:02,481
THE BUILDINGS HERE IN OXFORD
ARE REALLY OLD.
147
00:08:02,482 --> 00:08:05,518
I MEAN, THIS WALL
MIGHT BE 400 OR 500 YEARS OLD.
148
00:08:05,519 --> 00:08:07,119
AND THINK OF ALL THE TECHNOLOGY
149
00:08:07,120 --> 00:08:09,989
WE HAVE DEVELOPED
IN THESE SHORT CENTURIES.
150
00:08:09,990 --> 00:08:12,624
SO IF WE ZOOM FORWARD
A FEW CENTURIES,
151
00:08:12,625 --> 00:08:15,594
THEN PRESUMABLY
WE WILL THEN HAVE TECHNOLOGY
152
00:08:15,595 --> 00:08:18,196
THAT WOULD BE EQUALLY MAGICAL
TO US,
153
00:08:18,197 --> 00:08:19,463
AS TELEVISION
154
00:08:19,464 --> 00:08:22,299
WOULD BE TO OUR ANCESTORS
WHO BUILT THESE WALLS.
155
00:08:22,300 --> 00:08:24,602
Freeman: NICK BELIEVES
OVER THE NEXT FEW CENTURIES,
156
00:08:24,603 --> 00:08:29,506
WE'LL BE COMBINING TECHNOLOGY
WITH OUR OWN BIOLOGY.
157
00:08:29,507 --> 00:08:32,377
WE WILL EVOLVE INTO POSTHUMANS,
158
00:08:32,378 --> 00:08:37,617
HYBRIDS OF MAN AND MACHINE WITH
PHENOMENAL COMPUTATIONAL POWERS.
159
00:08:39,586 --> 00:08:41,253
JUST 20 YEARS AGO,
160
00:08:41,254 --> 00:08:45,056
A REALISTIC SIMULATION
OF A CITY WAS IMPOSSIBLE.
161
00:08:45,057 --> 00:08:49,393
NOW WE CAN MAKE THOSE FAKE
SCENES PRETTY CONVINCING.
162
00:08:49,394 --> 00:08:52,531
THE COMBINED PROCESSING POWER
OF POSTHUMANS
163
00:08:52,532 --> 00:08:56,133
WOULD HAVE NO TROUBLE
RENDERING AN ENTIRE WORLD
164
00:08:56,134 --> 00:08:58,603
AND ALL THE PEOPLE IN IT.
165
00:08:58,604 --> 00:09:01,040
WE CAN ESTIMATE THE AMOUNT
OF COMPUTING POWER
166
00:09:01,041 --> 00:09:04,609
IT WOULD TAKE
TO SIMULATE ONE HUMAN BRAIN.
167
00:09:04,610 --> 00:09:09,013
AND IT'S POSSIBLE TO CALCULATE
HOW MUCH COMPUTING POWER
168
00:09:09,014 --> 00:09:11,950
A TECHNOLOGICALLY MATURE
CIVILIZATION
169
00:09:11,951 --> 00:09:13,719
WOULD HAVE AT ITS DISPOSAL.
170
00:09:13,720 --> 00:09:15,186
A MATURE CIVILIZATION WOULD HAVE
171
00:09:15,187 --> 00:09:19,490
VASTLY MORE COMPUTATIONAL POWER
AVAILABLE THAN IT WOULD TAKE
172
00:09:19,491 --> 00:09:25,062
TO RUN A FULL SIMULATION
WITH ALL 7 BILLION PEOPLE IN IT.
173
00:09:25,063 --> 00:09:27,298
Freeman: CREATING A VIRTUAL
VERSION OF OUR WORLD
174
00:09:27,299 --> 00:09:30,902
WOULD BE AS EASY FOR POSTHUMANS
AS SNAPPING A FINGER.
175
00:09:30,903 --> 00:09:34,672
BUT WHY DOES NICK THINK
OUR DESCENDANTS
176
00:09:34,673 --> 00:09:35,875
HAVE ALREADY DONE IT?
177
00:09:39,013 --> 00:09:43,114
THIS PRICELESS, REAL HUMAN SKULL
178
00:09:43,115 --> 00:09:45,817
WAS USED
IN THE VERY FIRST PERFORMANCE
179
00:09:45,818 --> 00:09:49,388
OF SHAKESPEARE'S "HAMLET."
180
00:09:49,389 --> 00:09:51,090
HERE HUNG THOSE LIPS
181
00:09:51,091 --> 00:09:56,329
I HAVE KISSED
I KNOW NOT HOW OFT.
182
00:09:56,330 --> 00:10:00,166
ACTUALLY, IT'S ONLY
A CHEAP REPRODUCTION,
183
00:10:00,167 --> 00:10:03,170
ONE OF MANY THOUSANDS
USED IN THE COUNTLESS TIMES
184
00:10:03,171 --> 00:10:06,505
THE PLAY HAS BEEN PERFORMED.
185
00:10:06,506 --> 00:10:09,974
WHAT IF EACH OF US
IS LIKE THAT SKULL?
186
00:10:09,975 --> 00:10:13,513
THERE'S ONE ORIGINAL,
BIOLOGICAL VERSION
187
00:10:13,514 --> 00:10:17,484
AND THOUSANDS
OF FABRICATED COPIES.
188
00:10:17,485 --> 00:10:22,721
WHAT ARE THE CHANCES THAT I
AM THE ORIGINAL VERSION OF ME
189
00:10:22,722 --> 00:10:27,927
OR THAT YOU ARE
THE ORIGINAL VERSION OF YOU?
190
00:10:32,032 --> 00:10:34,867
UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD
PHILOSOPHER NICK BOSTROM
191
00:10:34,868 --> 00:10:37,835
IS TRYING TO GET HIMSELF
INTO THE MINDSET
192
00:10:37,836 --> 00:10:41,740
OF OUR SUPERINTELLIGENT
POSTHUMAN DESCENDANTS.
193
00:10:41,741 --> 00:10:44,744
HE THINKS
THEIR VAST COMPUTING POWER
194
00:10:44,745 --> 00:10:48,181
WILL ALLOW THEM
TO CREATE VIRTUAL REALITIES
195
00:10:48,182 --> 00:10:52,887
AND WATCH THEM AS EASILY
AS WE WATCH TV.
196
00:10:54,988 --> 00:10:57,824
IMAGINE THAT I'M ONE
OF THESE POSTHUMANS.
197
00:10:57,825 --> 00:11:00,459
I MAY DECIDE
TO RUN ELABORATE SIMULATIONS
198
00:11:00,460 --> 00:11:04,229
FOR SCIENTIFIC PURPOSES
OR MAYBE FOR ENTERTAINMENT.
199
00:11:04,230 --> 00:11:07,432
THINK OF THESE AS THE MOST
INCREDIBLE STAGE ADAPTATIONS
200
00:11:07,433 --> 00:11:09,202
EVER CREATED.
201
00:11:12,972 --> 00:11:14,540
DISCORDANCE.
202
00:11:14,541 --> 00:11:17,408
A FAMILY CLEFT
IN TWAIN, MY WIFE,
203
00:11:17,409 --> 00:11:20,546
THY SKULL WITHOUT A BRAIN. BOY!
204
00:11:20,547 --> 00:11:22,114
AY, FATHER. THOU CALLST ME?
205
00:11:22,115 --> 00:11:24,316
WHAT SAYEST THOU
UPON THE MATTER?
206
00:11:24,317 --> 00:11:28,620
Freeman:
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE SIMULATED
THE STORY OF A DANISH PRINCE
207
00:11:28,621 --> 00:11:32,423
NAMED HAMLET SOME 400 YEARS AGO.
208
00:11:32,424 --> 00:11:34,393
400 YEARS IN THE FUTURE,
209
00:11:34,394 --> 00:11:37,430
WHEN OUR DESCENDANTS
HAVE THE DRAMATIC URGE,
210
00:11:37,431 --> 00:11:40,499
THEY MAY MAKE SIMULATIONS OF US.
211
00:11:40,500 --> 00:11:44,103
WITH ALL OF THESE CAPABILITIES
THAT POSTHUMANS WOULD POSSESS,
212
00:11:44,104 --> 00:11:46,705
I COULD CONTINUALLY
REFINE THE SIMULATIONS
213
00:11:46,706 --> 00:11:49,975
UNTIL THEY MATCHED THE REALITY
OF MY ANCESTORS.
214
00:11:49,976 --> 00:11:51,377
ALL RIGHT. STOP.
215
00:11:51,378 --> 00:11:52,545
Freeman: SO, HOW LIKELY IS IT
216
00:11:52,546 --> 00:11:55,080
THAT WE ARE MERELY PATTERNS
OF DATA
217
00:11:55,081 --> 00:11:57,649
ON A POSTHUMAN HARD DRIVE?
218
00:11:57,650 --> 00:12:01,320
NICK AND A COLLEAGUE
HAVE MADE THE CALCULATIONS,
219
00:12:01,321 --> 00:12:04,322
AND THE RESULTS ARE UNSETTLING.
220
00:12:04,323 --> 00:12:08,826
IF MY POSTHUMAN CIVILIZATION
HAS THE ABILITY TO CREATE
221
00:12:08,827 --> 00:12:12,330
ONE INCREDIBLY ACCURATE
SIMULATION OF MY ANCESTORS,
222
00:12:12,331 --> 00:12:14,899
THEN WE'LL SOON HAVE
THE TECHNOLOGY
223
00:12:14,900 --> 00:12:18,070
TO CREATE THOUSANDS,
EVEN MILLIONS,
224
00:12:18,071 --> 00:12:19,973
OF VARIATIONS OF THE SIMULATION
225
00:12:19,974 --> 00:12:24,042
TO EXAMINE ALL POSSIBLE
VARIATIONS OF OUR PAST.
226
00:12:24,043 --> 00:12:26,311
Freeman:
ARE WE BIOLOGICAL BEINGS
227
00:12:26,312 --> 00:12:30,114
LIVING HERE AND NOW
IN THE 21st CENTURY,
228
00:12:30,115 --> 00:12:33,619
OR IS THIS ACTUALLY
THE 25th CENTURY,
229
00:12:33,620 --> 00:12:39,090
AND ARE WE ONE OF MANY SIMULATED
COPIES OF POSTHUMAN ANCESTORS?
230
00:12:39,091 --> 00:12:42,661
NICK SAYS THE ODDS AGAINST OUR
BEING BIOLOGICAL HUMANS
231
00:12:42,662 --> 00:12:45,663
ARE OVERWHELMING.
232
00:12:45,664 --> 00:12:48,234
Bostrom: IT'S LIKE THE ODDS
THAT I'M WATCHING THIS PLAY
233
00:12:48,235 --> 00:12:50,835
THE FIRST TIME
IT'S EVER BEEN PERFORMED.
234
00:12:50,836 --> 00:12:52,437
IT'S MUCH MORE LIKELY
THAT I'M WATCHING ONE
235
00:12:52,438 --> 00:12:54,005
OF THE MANY THOUSANDS OF TIMES
236
00:12:54,006 --> 00:12:56,307
IT'S BEEN PERFORMED
OVER HUNDREDS OF YEARS.
237
00:12:56,308 --> 00:12:57,576
CUT!
238
00:12:57,577 --> 00:12:59,010
NICELY DONE.
239
00:12:59,011 --> 00:13:00,713
Freeman: IF NICK IS RIGHT,
240
00:13:00,714 --> 00:13:02,681
WE'LL NEED TO GET USED
TO THE IDEA
241
00:13:02,682 --> 00:13:06,353
THAT OUR LIVES ARE
JUST COMPUTER FABRICATED DRAMAS.
242
00:13:07,854 --> 00:13:11,392
LET'S HOPE OUR CREATORS
ARE ENJOYING THE SHOW.
243
00:13:13,594 --> 00:13:16,763
COULD SOMETHING AS COMPLICATED
AS A HUMAN BEING
244
00:13:16,764 --> 00:13:19,665
EVER BE COMPUTER SIMULATED?
245
00:13:19,666 --> 00:13:22,268
THE CHARACTERS
WE PLAY WITH IN VIDEO GAMES
246
00:13:22,269 --> 00:13:24,737
HAVE COME A LONG WAY
OVER THE YEARS
247
00:13:24,738 --> 00:13:27,473
FROM BODIES MADE OF CRUDE,
PIXILATED BLOCKS
248
00:13:27,474 --> 00:13:32,112
TO INCREASINGLY
LIFELIKE VERSIONS OF OURSELVES.
249
00:13:38,717 --> 00:13:41,420
BUT EVEN THE MOST
REALISTIC AVATARS
250
00:13:41,421 --> 00:13:44,690
ONLY LOOK REAL ON THE OUTSIDE.
251
00:13:44,691 --> 00:13:50,128
COULD WE EVER BUILD A BODY
FROM THE INSIDE OUT,
252
00:13:50,129 --> 00:13:53,431
CELL BY CELL?
253
00:13:53,432 --> 00:13:56,468
AND COULD THAT SIMULATED PERSON
254
00:13:56,469 --> 00:14:00,274
BE AN EXACT COPY
OF A FLESH AND BLOOD HUMAN?
255
00:14:04,311 --> 00:14:05,777
STEVEN LARSON
256
00:14:05,778 --> 00:14:10,282
WANTS TO BUILD THE WORLD'S
FIRST FULLY DIGITAL ANIMAL,
257
00:14:10,283 --> 00:14:14,253
A PERFECT REPLICA
OF ITS BIOLOGICAL COUNTERPART.
258
00:14:14,254 --> 00:14:18,156
HE'S STARTING SMALL.
259
00:14:18,157 --> 00:14:19,325
ALL AROUND THE WORLD,
260
00:14:19,326 --> 00:14:22,393
YOU CAN FIND
A ONE MILLIMETER LONG WORM
261
00:14:22,394 --> 00:14:24,864
MUCH SMALLER
THAN A TYPICAL EARTHWORM.
262
00:14:24,865 --> 00:14:29,368
THIS BARELY VISIBLE WORM
IS KNOWN AS C. ELEGANS.
263
00:14:29,369 --> 00:14:30,969
NOW, IT MAY SEEM INSIGNIFICANT,
264
00:14:30,970 --> 00:14:33,037
BUT THIS LITTLE GUY
HAS THE DISTINCTION
265
00:14:33,038 --> 00:14:35,907
OF BEING ONE OF THE MOST
THOROUGHLY STUDIED ANIMALS
266
00:14:35,908 --> 00:14:40,112
IN ALL OF BIOLOGY
AND NEUROSCIENCE.
267
00:14:40,113 --> 00:14:41,580
Freeman:
STEVEN AND HIS COLLEAGUES
268
00:14:41,581 --> 00:14:45,185
ARE COMPILING DECADES
OF RESEARCH ABOUT THIS TINY WORM
269
00:14:45,186 --> 00:14:46,619
IN ORDER TO CREATE
270
00:14:46,620 --> 00:14:50,255
THE WORLD'S MOST REALISTIC
COMPUTER GENERATED CREATURE.
271
00:14:50,256 --> 00:14:53,792
IT ONLY HAS ABOUT 1,000 CELLS,
959 TO BE EXACT,
272
00:14:53,793 --> 00:14:58,930
AND ONLY 302 NEURONS,
ABOUT 95 BODY WALL MUSCLE CELLS.
273
00:14:58,931 --> 00:15:02,703
Freeman: THAT SOUNDS EASY ENOUGH
TO BUILD, BUT IT'S NOT.
274
00:15:02,704 --> 00:15:06,805
EACH CELL NEEDS TO RUN
ITS OWN SPECIFIC COMPUTER CODE.
275
00:15:06,806 --> 00:15:09,941
AND ALL THE PIECES OF CODE
MUST FUNCTION TOGETHER,
276
00:15:09,942 --> 00:15:12,478
JUST AS THE CONNECTED CELLS DO.
277
00:15:12,479 --> 00:15:15,781
WHEN FINISHED,
IT WON'T JUST LOOK REAL.
278
00:15:15,782 --> 00:15:18,551
IT WILL ACT REAL.
279
00:15:18,552 --> 00:15:22,388
IT WILL SEEK VIRTUAL FOOD,
PRODUCE VIRTUAL WASTE,
280
00:15:22,389 --> 00:15:25,426
AND CREATE VIRTUAL OFFSPRING.
281
00:15:28,428 --> 00:15:32,364
AND MAKING IT
WILL NOT BE CHILD'S PLAY.
282
00:15:32,365 --> 00:15:34,200
THIS LITTLE,
REMOTE CONTROLLED CAR
283
00:15:34,201 --> 00:15:38,570
ONLY HAS ABOUT ONE TENTH
AS MANY PARTS AS C. ELEGANS.
284
00:15:38,571 --> 00:15:40,138
NOW, HERE,
285
00:15:40,139 --> 00:15:43,041
WE HAVE A FULL SIZE CAR
MADE OF THOUSANDS OF PARTS
286
00:15:43,042 --> 00:15:45,045
INCLUDING COMPUTERS AND WIRING.
287
00:15:45,046 --> 00:15:47,178
IT DOES ALL SORTS
OF COMPLEX THINGS,
288
00:15:47,179 --> 00:15:49,181
LIKE NAVIGATION,
AIR CONDITIONING.
289
00:15:49,182 --> 00:15:51,316
IT HAS LIGHTS.
290
00:15:51,317 --> 00:15:52,951
Freeman: A WORM'S COMPONENTS
291
00:15:52,952 --> 00:15:57,855
ARE INTERCONNECTED,
JUST LIKE THOSE OF A CAR.
292
00:15:57,856 --> 00:16:00,426
Larson: IN A WORM, IN ADDITION
TO BUILDING MUSCLE CELLS
293
00:16:00,427 --> 00:16:01,960
AND NERVE CELLS,
294
00:16:01,961 --> 00:16:04,497
WE'RE ALSO CREATING MODELS OF
HOW MUSCLE CELLS WORK TOGETHER
295
00:16:04,498 --> 00:16:06,366
AND HOW THE NERVOUS SYSTEM
SHOULD WORK.
296
00:16:06,367 --> 00:16:09,903
THEN, WE CAN CONNECT THE MUSCLE
CELLS TO THE NERVOUS SYSTEM.
297
00:16:15,240 --> 00:16:17,744
NOW, WHEN WE DO THAT,
THIS MAY BE THE RESULT.
298
00:16:22,182 --> 00:16:23,581
NOTHING.
299
00:16:23,582 --> 00:16:25,349
BECAUSE OF ALL THE COMPLEX
INTERACTIONS.
300
00:16:25,350 --> 00:16:27,853
[ ENGINE TURNS OVER ]
301
00:16:27,854 --> 00:16:29,354
Freeman:
BUT IF STEVEN AND HIS COLLEAGUES
302
00:16:29,355 --> 00:16:32,657
PRECISELY SIMULATE EVERY CELL
OF C. ELEGANS
303
00:16:32,658 --> 00:16:36,628
AND GET ALL THOSE INDIVIDUAL
PROGRAMS WORKING TOGETHER,
304
00:16:36,629 --> 00:16:40,899
HIS COMPUTERIZED WORM
WILL DO SOMETHING NO CAR CAN.
305
00:16:40,900 --> 00:16:45,204
IT WILL LIVE AND ACT COMPLETELY
UNDER ITS OWN CONTROL.
306
00:16:47,073 --> 00:16:48,373
IT'S A MUCH BIGGER CHALLENGE
307
00:16:48,374 --> 00:16:50,542
THAN JUST PROGRAMMING
FLASHY VIDEO GAME CHARACTERS
308
00:16:50,543 --> 00:16:53,811
THAT LOOK LIKE REAL LIFE
APPROXIMATIONS OF CREATURES.
309
00:16:53,812 --> 00:16:56,648
IF WE WANTED TO, WE COULD
ALREADY PROGRAM A C. ELEGANS
310
00:16:56,649 --> 00:17:00,551
AND MAKE IT LOOK LIKE IT CAN DO
ALL SORTS OF AMAZING THINGS.
311
00:17:00,552 --> 00:17:03,287
Freeman: SO FAR,
STEVEN AND HIS COLLEAGUES
312
00:17:03,288 --> 00:17:06,057
HAVE WRITTEN PROGRAMS
FOR SOME OF THE WORM'S MUSCLE
313
00:17:06,058 --> 00:17:07,960
AND NERVE CELLS.
314
00:17:07,961 --> 00:17:10,429
BUT THEY'RE STILL
WORKING ON CODE TO SIMULATE
315
00:17:10,430 --> 00:17:13,431
THE COMPLEX ELECTRICAL
AND CHEMICAL INTERACTIONS
316
00:17:13,432 --> 00:17:15,768
BETWEEN THEM.
317
00:17:15,769 --> 00:17:18,136
Larson: SO WE STILL HAVE A LOT
OF WORK TO GET EVERYTHING BUILT,
318
00:17:18,137 --> 00:17:21,206
WIRED AND CONNECTED TOGETHER
SO THAT OUR VIRTUAL WORM
319
00:17:21,207 --> 00:17:24,209
WILL BEHAVE JUST AS A REAL,
BIOLOGICAL WORM.
320
00:17:24,210 --> 00:17:28,447
Freeman:
THEN THE STAGE WILL BE SET TO
WORK ON MORE COMPLEX CREATURES.
321
00:17:28,448 --> 00:17:31,549
A HUMAN IS MADE UP
OF TRILLIONS OF CELLS,
322
00:17:31,550 --> 00:17:34,419
SO CREATING
ONE BIOLOGICALLY ACCURATE,
323
00:17:34,420 --> 00:17:36,387
COMPUTER GENERATED PERSON
324
00:17:36,388 --> 00:17:39,825
WOULD BE LIKE WIRING TOGETHER
ALL THE PARTS
325
00:17:39,826 --> 00:17:43,027
IN MORE THAN 100 MILLION CARS.
326
00:17:43,028 --> 00:17:45,197
Larson: IT MAY TAKE MANY DECADES
OR EVEN CENTURIES,
327
00:17:45,198 --> 00:17:46,533
BUT I BELIEVE THAT, ONE DAY,
328
00:17:46,534 --> 00:17:48,534
WE SHOULD BE ABLE
TO BUILD VIRTUAL VERSIONS
329
00:17:48,535 --> 00:17:51,870
OF OURSELVES
THAT ARE LIKE US IN EVERY WAY.
330
00:17:51,871 --> 00:17:53,572
SO WE'LL HAVE TO GET USED
TO THE IDEA
331
00:17:53,573 --> 00:17:57,643
THAT VIRTUAL OR ARTIFICIAL
ENTITIES MAY SOMEDAY THINK
332
00:17:57,644 --> 00:18:00,511
AND ACT FOR THEMSELVES.
333
00:18:00,512 --> 00:18:03,214
HEY, WAIT!
334
00:18:03,215 --> 00:18:06,483
Freeman: IF WE'RE ALREADY LIVING
IN A VIRTUAL REALITY,
335
00:18:06,484 --> 00:18:10,622
THEN WE MUST BE THOSE LIFELIKE
ARTIFICIAL CREATURES.
336
00:18:10,623 --> 00:18:12,691
BUT HOW CAN WE PROVE IT?
337
00:18:12,692 --> 00:18:15,093
THIS PHYSICIST BELIEVES
HE'S FOUND A GLITCH
338
00:18:15,094 --> 00:18:17,197
IN THE WORKINGS OF OUR UNIVERSE
339
00:18:17,198 --> 00:18:20,900
THAT COULD SHOW US
THE MATRIX IS A REALITY.
340
00:18:24,997 --> 00:18:29,836
ARTIFICIAL ENVIRONMENTS
ARE BUILT ON A 3D GRID.
341
00:18:29,837 --> 00:18:33,239
IF SOMEONE BUILT OUR UNIVERSE
IN A COMPUTER,
342
00:18:33,240 --> 00:18:38,578
WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO FIND THIS
GRID UNDERPINNING EVERYTHING.
343
00:18:38,579 --> 00:18:41,880
WE'VE NEVER SEEN ANY SIGN OF IT,
344
00:18:41,881 --> 00:18:45,283
BUT ONE SCIENTIST
THINKS HE KNOWS HOW TO LOOK
345
00:18:45,284 --> 00:18:49,789
UNDER THE SURFACE OF THE COSMOS
346
00:18:49,790 --> 00:18:53,626
TO DETERMINE IF THERE IS
AN ARTIFICIAL WIRE FRAME
347
00:18:53,627 --> 00:18:56,163
HOLDING REALITY TOGETHER.
348
00:18:59,567 --> 00:19:01,099
SILAS BEANE,
349
00:19:01,100 --> 00:19:04,369
A NUCLEAR PHYSICIST
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON,
350
00:19:04,370 --> 00:19:08,506
THINKS ABOUT THE GRID
LIKE A FOOTBALL FIELD.
351
00:19:08,507 --> 00:19:11,143
Beane: A FOOTBALL FIELD
IS KNOWN AS A GRIDIRON
352
00:19:11,144 --> 00:19:13,345
BECAUSE OF ALL
THE YARDAGE MARKERS.
353
00:19:13,346 --> 00:19:15,582
NOW, IF YOU IMAGINE EXTENDING
THOSE YARDAGE MARKERS
354
00:19:15,583 --> 00:19:19,018
FROM SIDELINE TO SIDELINE
AND FROM END ZONE TO END ZONE,
355
00:19:19,019 --> 00:19:21,121
THEN FURTHER EXTEND
THOSE GRID LINES
356
00:19:21,122 --> 00:19:23,423
INTO THE THIRD DIMENSION
ABOVE THE FIELD,
357
00:19:23,424 --> 00:19:25,691
THEN YOU HAVE A GRID
OR LATTICE STRUCTURE,
358
00:19:25,692 --> 00:19:27,460
WHICH IS VERY SIMILAR
TO THE FOUNDATIONS
359
00:19:27,461 --> 00:19:31,030
OF THE ENVIRONMENT
OF A VIDEO GAME.
360
00:19:31,031 --> 00:19:33,366
Freeman: WE INSTINCTIVELY
THINK OF THE SPACE AROUND US
361
00:19:33,367 --> 00:19:36,335
AS CONTINUOUS AND INDIVISIBLE.
362
00:19:36,336 --> 00:19:39,137
SPACE DOESN'T APPEAR
TO COME IN CUBES.
363
00:19:39,138 --> 00:19:42,641
BUT IN A DIGITAL REALITY,
IT WOULD.
364
00:19:42,642 --> 00:19:45,778
OUR GRID WOULD HAVE TO BE
SMALLER THAN THE SMALLEST THING
365
00:19:45,779 --> 00:19:49,814
WE KNOW, A SUBATOMIC PARTICLE.
366
00:19:49,815 --> 00:19:51,684
Beane: THERE WOULD STILL BE
MINUTE DISTANCES
367
00:19:51,685 --> 00:19:52,918
BETWEEN THE POINTS ON THE GRID
368
00:19:52,919 --> 00:19:54,387
THAT ARE CONNECTED
TO EACH OTHER.
369
00:19:54,388 --> 00:19:55,553
IF WE'RE LIVING IN A SIMULATION,
370
00:19:55,554 --> 00:19:58,057
THEN THIS IS WHAT SPACETIME
COULD LOOK LIKE.
371
00:19:58,058 --> 00:20:03,029
SPACE WILL ALWAYS BE IN DISCRETE
PIECES RATHER THAN CONTINUOUS.
372
00:20:03,030 --> 00:20:05,397
Freeman:
SUCH A FINE GRAINED, 3D GRID
373
00:20:05,398 --> 00:20:08,967
WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE
TO NOTICE IN OUR DAILY LIVES.
374
00:20:08,968 --> 00:20:14,174
IT WOULD EVEN ELUDE ALMOST
ALL SCIENTIFIC EXPERIMENTS.
375
00:20:14,175 --> 00:20:15,941
BUT SILAS AND HIS COLLEAGUES
376
00:20:15,942 --> 00:20:20,781
HAVE DEVISED A PLAN
TO DETECT IT IF IT EXISTS.
377
00:20:22,048 --> 00:20:26,318
HE THINKS THE MOST
EXPLOSIVE EVENTS IN THE UNIVERSE
378
00:20:26,319 --> 00:20:28,855
MIGHT GIVE IT AWAY.
379
00:20:28,856 --> 00:20:31,256
SUPERNOVAS GENERATE STREAMS
380
00:20:31,257 --> 00:20:35,227
OF SUPER HIGH ENERGY
COSMIC RAY PARTICLES,
381
00:20:35,228 --> 00:20:38,797
BUT PHYSICISTS HAVE NOTICED
SOMETHING STRANGE ABOUT THEM.
382
00:20:38,798 --> 00:20:44,837
THE HIGHEST ENERGY COSMIC RAYS
THEY EXPECT TO SEE ARE MISSING.
383
00:20:44,838 --> 00:20:47,507
SILAS THINKS THE GRID
MIGHT BE THE CULPRIT.
384
00:20:47,508 --> 00:20:49,609
Beane: IF REALITY IS REAL,
385
00:20:49,610 --> 00:20:52,177
AND THERE'S NO ARTIFICIAL
STRUCTURE TO OUR UNIVERSE,
386
00:20:52,178 --> 00:20:54,480
THEN THERE IS NO UPPER LIMIT
ON THE ENERGY
387
00:20:54,481 --> 00:20:57,651
THAT A COSMIC RAY PARTICLE CAN
HAVE WHEN IT IS FIRST CREATED.
388
00:20:57,652 --> 00:20:59,785
BUT THERE DOES SEEM TO BE
A LIMIT,
389
00:20:59,786 --> 00:21:02,955
WHAT WE CALL THE COSMIC RAY
CUT OFF.
390
00:21:02,956 --> 00:21:07,260
Freeman:
IF COSMIC RAYS ARE RESTRICTED
TO MOVING ONLY ALONG GRID LINES,
391
00:21:07,261 --> 00:21:10,428
IT COULD ACT AS A BREAK
ON THEIR ENERGY.
392
00:21:10,429 --> 00:21:11,964
TO TEST THIS THEORY,
393
00:21:11,965 --> 00:21:15,333
SILAS AND HIS COLLEAGUES WANT
TO COMPARE THE ENERGY LEVELS
394
00:21:15,334 --> 00:21:18,637
OF COSMIC RAYS TRAVELING
IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS.
395
00:21:18,638 --> 00:21:21,541
[ PLAYS NOTE ON TUBA ]
396
00:21:21,542 --> 00:21:22,974
IMAGINE IF EACH
OF THESE BAND MEMBERS
397
00:21:22,975 --> 00:21:24,510
IS A COSMIC RAY PARTICLE.
398
00:21:24,511 --> 00:21:26,180
WE CAN LEARN A LOT
BY OBSERVING THEIR MOTION.
399
00:21:26,181 --> 00:21:29,447
[ DRUM BEATING ]
400
00:21:29,448 --> 00:21:31,552
[ BAND PLAYING
"STAR SPANGLED BANNER" ]
401
00:21:35,421 --> 00:21:37,689
IN A UNIVERSE WITHOUT
AN UNDERLYING GRID STRUCTURE,
402
00:21:37,690 --> 00:21:40,259
PARTICLES MOVE IN THE SAME WAY
IN ALL DIRECTIONS.
403
00:21:40,260 --> 00:21:41,661
NOW LET'S SEE WHAT HAPPENS
404
00:21:41,662 --> 00:21:44,030
IF WE ASSUME THAT THERE IS
AN UNDERLYING GRID STRUCTURE.
405
00:21:48,836 --> 00:21:51,637
Freeman: MOVING STRAIGHT
ALONG A GRID AXIS IS SIMPLE,
406
00:21:51,638 --> 00:21:55,441
LIKE THE PATH OF BAND MEMBERS
IN THE BLUE UNIFORMS.
407
00:21:55,442 --> 00:21:58,977
MOVING DIAGONALLY,
LIKE THOSE IN WHITE UNIFORMS,
408
00:21:58,978 --> 00:22:02,749
REQUIRES A SERIES
OF ZIG ZAG STEPS.
409
00:22:02,750 --> 00:22:05,451
THAT MEANS THEY WOULD HAVE
TO EXPEND MORE ENERGY
410
00:22:05,452 --> 00:22:07,586
GETTING FROM POINT "A"
TO POINT "B"
411
00:22:07,587 --> 00:22:10,491
COMPARED WITH COSMIC RAYS
MOVING ALONG AN AXIS.
412
00:22:12,725 --> 00:22:14,327
Beane: ANOTHER WAY OF SAYING
THAT IS THE PARTICLES
413
00:22:14,328 --> 00:22:16,730
MOVING IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS
ON THE GRID
414
00:22:16,731 --> 00:22:20,198
WOULD HAVE ENERGIES
THAT DEPEND ON THE ANGLE.
415
00:22:20,199 --> 00:22:22,501
Freeman:
SILAS BELIEVES IF WE MEASURE
416
00:22:22,502 --> 00:22:24,904
COSMIC RAYS
ZIPPING THROUGH SPACE
417
00:22:24,905 --> 00:22:27,473
AND FIND THAT THOSE TRAVELING
AT ONE ANGLE
418
00:22:27,474 --> 00:22:29,241
HAVE CONSISTENTLY
DIFFERENT ENERGIES
419
00:22:29,242 --> 00:22:31,609
FROM THOSE TRAVELING
AT ANOTHER ANGLE,
420
00:22:31,610 --> 00:22:35,580
THEN WE'LL KNOW THERE'S A GRID
STRUCTURE TO OUR UNIVERSE.
421
00:22:35,581 --> 00:22:38,716
Beane:
IT'S A GLITCH IN THE SYSTEM,
AN INDICATION THAT OUR UNIVERSE
422
00:22:38,717 --> 00:22:41,920
MAY BE OPERATING IN A SIMULATED,
ARTIFICIAL MANNER.
423
00:22:41,921 --> 00:22:44,823
I THINK IT WOULD CAUSE EVERYONE
TO THINK ABOUT THE UNIVERSE
424
00:22:44,824 --> 00:22:48,427
DIFFERENTLY AND TO REALLY SEARCH
FOR AN EXPLANATION FOR WHY
425
00:22:48,428 --> 00:22:51,397
THERE IS THIS GRID STRUCTURE,
WHETHER IT BE A NATURAL ONE
426
00:22:51,398 --> 00:22:56,335
OR WHETHER IT BE DUE TO THE FACT
THAT WE ARE BEING SIMULATED.
427
00:22:56,336 --> 00:22:58,537
Freeman: IF WE'RE LIVING
IN A VIRTUAL REALITY
428
00:22:58,538 --> 00:23:01,640
INSIDE A COMPUTER,
SOME KIND OF MASS CODE
429
00:23:01,641 --> 00:23:05,511
MUST RUN ALL THE PROGRAMS
THAT MAKE UP OUR UNIVERSE.
430
00:23:05,512 --> 00:23:10,049
YOU WOULD THINK THAT CODE WOULD
HAVE TO BE IMPOSSIBLY COMPLEX.
431
00:23:10,050 --> 00:23:14,253
BUT THIS COMPUTER SCIENTIST
CLAIMS HE CAN RUN THE UNIVERSE
432
00:23:14,254 --> 00:23:17,858
FROM THE LINES OF CODE
ON A SINGLE NOTE CARD.
433
00:23:21,500 --> 00:23:26,303
IMAGINE THAT SOME ENTITY,
FAR MORE ADVANCED THAN US,
434
00:23:26,304 --> 00:23:29,438
COULD INVENT COMPUTER PROGRAMS
FOR EVERY ASPECT
435
00:23:29,439 --> 00:23:33,877
OF OUR UNIVERSE...
THE BEHAVIOR OF ATOMS,
436
00:23:33,878 --> 00:23:37,548
THE LAWS OF GRAVITY,
THE HUMAN GENOME.
437
00:23:37,549 --> 00:23:40,384
TO MANAGE ALL
OF THOSE INDIVIDUAL PROGRAMS,
438
00:23:40,385 --> 00:23:43,619
THE CREATOR
WOULD NEED SOME MASTER PROGRAM,
439
00:23:43,620 --> 00:23:46,089
LIKE A COSMIC OPERATING SYSTEM.
440
00:23:46,090 --> 00:23:53,696
THE SOFTWARE WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLY
LONG AND COMPLEX, RIGHT?
441
00:23:53,697 --> 00:23:55,366
MAYBE NOT.
442
00:23:55,367 --> 00:23:57,400
ONE GERMAN COMPUTER SCIENTIST
443
00:23:57,401 --> 00:24:01,504
CLAIMS THAT THESE FEW LINES
OF CODE
444
00:24:01,505 --> 00:24:05,610
ARE ALL SOMEONE
WOULD NEED TO RUN OUR UNIVERSE.
445
00:24:08,213 --> 00:24:09,879
JUERGEN SCHMIDHUBER
446
00:24:09,880 --> 00:24:13,250
IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE SWISS
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE LAB
447
00:24:13,251 --> 00:24:16,020
IN LUGANO, SWITZERLAND.
448
00:24:16,021 --> 00:24:20,258
HE BELIEVES OUR UNIVERSE
COULD WELL BE COMPUTER GENERATED
449
00:24:20,259 --> 00:24:24,127
AND THINKS HE KNOWS
HOW TO WRITE ITS CODE.
450
00:24:24,128 --> 00:24:26,597
Schmidhuber:
I BELIEVE IT'S QUITE POSSIBLE
451
00:24:26,598 --> 00:24:29,700
THAT OUR UNIVERSE IS COMPUTABLE,
452
00:24:29,701 --> 00:24:34,637
MEANING EVERYTHING IS PART
OF A COMPUTER SIMULATION.
453
00:24:34,638 --> 00:24:35,938
NOW, YOU MAY SAY,
454
00:24:35,939 --> 00:24:38,943
"HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY
PROGRAM THE WHOLE UNIVERSE
455
00:24:38,944 --> 00:24:41,945
WITHIN FEWER THAN 10 LINES
OF CODE?"
456
00:24:41,946 --> 00:24:43,047
WELL, THERE ARE MANY THINGS
457
00:24:43,048 --> 00:24:46,117
ABOUT OUR WORLD
THAT SEEM VERY COMPLEX
458
00:24:46,118 --> 00:24:48,784
BUT REALLY AREN'T.
459
00:24:48,785 --> 00:24:49,986
Freeman: JUERGEN BELIEVES
460
00:24:49,987 --> 00:24:54,692
IT ALL BOILS DOWN
TO A SINGLE CORE PRINCIPLE...
461
00:24:54,693 --> 00:24:57,194
DATA COMPRESSION.
462
00:24:57,195 --> 00:25:01,331
FOR EXAMPLE, THIS IS
AN INCREDIBLY LONG NUMBER,
463
00:25:01,332 --> 00:25:04,367
LONG ENOUGH TO WRAP
AROUND THE WORLD
464
00:25:04,368 --> 00:25:08,704
AND COME BACK AGAIN
OVER AND OVER FOREVER.
465
00:25:08,705 --> 00:25:11,008
THERE'S A VERY SIMPLE CONCEPT
BEHIND IT,
466
00:25:11,009 --> 00:25:13,109
WHICH IS THE RATIO
467
00:25:13,110 --> 00:25:15,312
BETWEEN THE CIRCUMFERENCE
OF A CIRCLE
468
00:25:15,313 --> 00:25:19,348
AND ITS DIAMETER, CALLED PI.
469
00:25:19,349 --> 00:25:21,652
THERE IS A VERY SHORT CODE,
A SHORT PROGRAM,
470
00:25:21,653 --> 00:25:25,455
THAT COMPUTES THIS ENTIRE,
LONG SEQUENCE.
471
00:25:25,456 --> 00:25:27,624
Freeman: COMPRESSING
A GIANT NUMBER LIKE PI
472
00:25:27,625 --> 00:25:31,761
INTO A FEW CHARACTERS
OF CODE IS SIMPLE.
473
00:25:31,762 --> 00:25:35,866
SIMILAR DATA COMPRESSION COULD
BE TAKING PLACE ALL AROUND US.
474
00:25:35,867 --> 00:25:39,104
CLOUDS IN THE SKY MIGHT BE
RENDERED BY SIMPLE EQUATIONS
475
00:25:39,105 --> 00:25:42,572
THAT GENERATE COMPLEX SHAPES
AND MOVEMENTS.
476
00:25:42,573 --> 00:25:46,275
THE SAME GOES
FOR OUR ENTIRE LANDSCAPE.
477
00:25:46,276 --> 00:25:48,979
COMPUTER GENERATED
FRACTAL LANDSCAPE PROGRAMS
478
00:25:48,980 --> 00:25:52,450
TAKE SMALL TRIANGLES, STACK THEM
ON TOP OF EACH OTHER
479
00:25:52,451 --> 00:25:56,287
WHILE ALSO ROTATING AND CRUSHING
EACH OTHER ON VARIOUS SIDES,
480
00:25:56,288 --> 00:25:59,255
TO MAKE VERY REALISTIC VERSIONS
OF NATURE.
481
00:25:59,256 --> 00:26:01,425
AND IN A VIRTUAL REALITY,
482
00:26:01,426 --> 00:26:03,327
THIS MOUNTAIN
OR SIMILAR MOUNTAINS
483
00:26:03,328 --> 00:26:07,830
CAN BE CREATED
WITH JUST A FEW LINES OF CODE.
484
00:26:07,831 --> 00:26:09,399
Freeman:
A SIMPLE REPEATING PROGRAM
485
00:26:09,400 --> 00:26:12,602
MAY WORK FINE
FOR BUILDING A VIRTUAL MOUNTAIN,
486
00:26:12,603 --> 00:26:15,405
BUT WHAT ABOUT LIVING CREATURES?
487
00:26:15,406 --> 00:26:19,509
HOW ABOUT THE COMPLEXITY
OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR?
488
00:26:19,510 --> 00:26:22,445
CAN ALL OF OUR MOVEMENTS
AND DECISIONS
489
00:26:22,446 --> 00:26:25,882
BE COMPRESSED
INTO SIMPLE BITS OF CODE?
490
00:26:25,883 --> 00:26:27,451
ACCORDING TO JUERGEN,
491
00:26:27,452 --> 00:26:31,387
WHAT WE CALL LEARNING
IS REALLY DATA COMPRESSION.
492
00:26:31,388 --> 00:26:33,624
ANYONE WHO'S TRIED
TO FIND A NEW ADDRESS
493
00:26:33,625 --> 00:26:37,328
IN AN UNFAMILIAR CITY KNOWS
HOW COMPLICATED THAT CAN BE.
494
00:26:37,329 --> 00:26:42,198
BUT ONCE THE ROUTE HAS BEEN
LEARNED, THE NEXT TRIP IS EASY.
495
00:26:42,199 --> 00:26:44,300
Schmidhuber:
HUMANS ARE PROBLEM SOLVERS.
496
00:26:44,301 --> 00:26:46,569
AND ANY EFFICIENT PROBLEM SOLVER
497
00:26:46,570 --> 00:26:51,008
IS GOING TO TRY TO FIND
A SOLUTION TO THE GIVEN PROBLEM
498
00:26:51,009 --> 00:26:54,912
THAT IS BOTH SIMPLE AND FAST.
499
00:26:54,913 --> 00:26:58,516
Freeman:
IF JUERGEN DECIDES TO GO
TO THE TOP OF A NEARBY MOUNTAIN,
500
00:26:58,517 --> 00:27:02,086
HE'LL USE A SERIES
OF SIMPLE PROGRAMS TO GET THERE.
501
00:27:02,087 --> 00:27:05,756
EACH PROGRAM THAT GOES INTO
ACCOMPLISHING THE LARGER TASK
502
00:27:05,757 --> 00:27:09,326
IS KNOWN AS A SUBPROGRAM.
503
00:27:09,327 --> 00:27:13,096
THE FIRST IDEA THAT COMES
TO MIND IS TO REUSE A SUBPROGRAM
504
00:27:13,097 --> 00:27:15,199
THAT I LEARNED A LONG TIME AGO,
505
00:27:15,200 --> 00:27:17,967
WHICH INVOLVES SENDING
ELECTRICAL SIGNALS
506
00:27:17,968 --> 00:27:19,270
TO MY LEG MUSCLES
507
00:27:19,271 --> 00:27:20,837
AND MAKE THEM MOVE
IN A CERTAIN WAY.
508
00:27:20,838 --> 00:27:23,175
THAT'S CALLED WALKING.
509
00:27:26,042 --> 00:27:28,477
Freeman: THE COORDINATED ACTION
OF BILLIONS OF NERVE
510
00:27:28,478 --> 00:27:32,183
AND MUSCLE CELLS
IS NOW A SIMPLE SUBPROGRAM.
511
00:27:33,951 --> 00:27:36,854
THE SAME GOES FOR A MORE COMPLEX
INTERACTION
512
00:27:36,855 --> 00:27:40,257
BETWEEN MAN AND MACHINE.
513
00:27:40,258 --> 00:27:42,593
Schmidhuber: IT INVOLVES
A LITTLE PIECE OF MACHINERY
514
00:27:42,594 --> 00:27:45,463
WITH TWO WHEELS AND, AGAIN,
ANOTHER SUBPROGRAM
515
00:27:45,464 --> 00:27:47,597
THAT INVOKES MY LEG MUSCLES
IN A CERTAIN WAY.
516
00:27:47,598 --> 00:27:50,367
AND THAT'S CALLED BIKING.
517
00:27:50,368 --> 00:27:53,037
Freeman: BUT ARE THERE SOME
ASPECTS OF OUR UNIVERSE
518
00:27:53,038 --> 00:27:56,473
THAT CAN'T BE COMPRESSED
INTO SIMPLE PROGRAMS?
519
00:27:56,474 --> 00:28:00,543
SURELY, WE CAN'T COMPRESS
EVERYTHING IN OUR LIVES.
520
00:28:00,544 --> 00:28:03,312
WHAT IF HE LOSES HIS TICKET?
521
00:28:03,313 --> 00:28:05,581
WHAT IF THE TRAM BREAKS DOWN?
522
00:28:05,582 --> 00:28:09,419
CAN TRULY RANDOM EVENTS
BE PROGRAMMED?
523
00:28:09,420 --> 00:28:10,654
JUERGEN BELIEVES
524
00:28:10,655 --> 00:28:14,223
THAT WHAT WE SEE AS RANDOM
OR ACCIDENTAL EVENTS
525
00:28:14,224 --> 00:28:17,528
ONLY HAVE THE APPEARANCE
OF RANDOMNESS.
526
00:28:17,529 --> 00:28:22,132
THEY ARE WHAT HE CALLS
PSEUDORANDOM.
527
00:28:22,133 --> 00:28:25,702
SO IF THIS UNIVERSE CAN BE
COMPUTED BY A SHORT PROGRAM,
528
00:28:25,703 --> 00:28:29,473
THAN BY DEFINITION
IT CANNOT BE RANDOM.
529
00:28:29,474 --> 00:28:32,710
IT MUST BE PSEUDORANDOM,
JUST LIKE PI,
530
00:28:32,711 --> 00:28:36,647
BECAUSE TRULY RANDOM DATA
IS NOT COMPRESSIBLE.
531
00:28:38,081 --> 00:28:41,217
Freeman: IF JUERGEN IS RIGHT,
THEN THERE IS NO LUCK,
532
00:28:41,218 --> 00:28:44,088
NO CHANCE, NO FREE WILL.
533
00:28:44,089 --> 00:28:46,757
EVERYTHING WE'VE EVER DONE
AND WILL DO
534
00:28:46,758 --> 00:28:50,461
HAS ALREADY BEEN PROGRAMMED.
535
00:28:50,462 --> 00:28:52,695
SO MAYBE ALL ASPECTS
OF OUR UNIVERSE
536
00:28:52,696 --> 00:28:56,465
CAN BE BROKEN DOWN
INTO SIMPLE SUBPROGRAMS.
537
00:28:56,466 --> 00:29:01,171
BUT HOW COULD A SHORT MASTER
PROGRAM CONTROL ALL OF THEM?
538
00:29:01,172 --> 00:29:04,974
JUERGEN BELIEVES IT ONLY
TAKES ONE FINAL ACT
539
00:29:04,975 --> 00:29:07,409
OF DATA COMPRESSION.
540
00:29:07,410 --> 00:29:09,613
Schmidhuber: WE JUST WRITE
A VERY SHORT PROGRAM
541
00:29:09,614 --> 00:29:13,283
WHICH LISTS
ALL OUR POSSIBLE PROGRAMS,
542
00:29:13,284 --> 00:29:15,184
STARTING WITH THE SHORTEST.
543
00:29:15,185 --> 00:29:17,887
AND THE ENTIRE LIST OF PROGRAMS
IS VERY EASY TO GENERATE.
544
00:29:17,888 --> 00:29:20,557
AND THEN,
THIS MASSIVE PROGRAM ALLOCATES
545
00:29:20,558 --> 00:29:22,826
RUN TIME TO EACH OF THESE
546
00:29:22,827 --> 00:29:25,864
SUCH THAT ALL OF THEM GET
A SHARE OF THE TOTAL RUN TIME.
547
00:29:27,865 --> 00:29:29,934
Freeman: IT'S HARD
NOT TO FEEL INSIGNIFICANT
548
00:29:29,935 --> 00:29:32,569
IF WE'RE ALL JUST BITS
OF COMPUTER CODE,
549
00:29:32,570 --> 00:29:34,137
BUT JUERGEN BELIEVES IT ACTUALLY
550
00:29:34,138 --> 00:29:38,107
MAKES EACH OF US MORE IMPORTANT
THAN EVER.
551
00:29:38,108 --> 00:29:41,377
Schmidhuber: IF YOU CHANGE A BIT
OF THIS PROGRAM,
552
00:29:41,378 --> 00:29:44,580
MAYBE ALL OF THIS
WOULD COMPLETELY DISAPPEAR.
553
00:29:44,581 --> 00:29:46,550
AND THE WHOLE UNIVERSE
WILL BE VERY DIFFERENT.
554
00:29:46,551 --> 00:29:49,185
IN THAT SENSE,
YOU CAN VIEW YOURSELF
555
00:29:49,186 --> 00:29:53,089
AS AN ESSENTIAL INGREDIENT
OF THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE.
556
00:29:53,090 --> 00:29:56,659
IT WILL BE VERY DIFFICULT
TO EDIT YOU OUT OF IT
557
00:29:56,660 --> 00:29:58,662
BECAUSE THE ONLY WAY
OF GETTING RID OF YOU
558
00:29:58,663 --> 00:30:01,898
IS TO MAKE THE WHOLE THING
MORE COMPLEX.
559
00:30:01,899 --> 00:30:05,601
Freeman:
IF EVERYTHING IN OUR UNIVERSE
IS MADE FROM COMPUTER CODE,
560
00:30:05,602 --> 00:30:08,672
THEN THE FUNDAMENTAL BUILDING
BLOCKS OF OUR EXISTENCE
561
00:30:08,673 --> 00:30:12,375
ARE INFORMATION
INSTEAD OF MATTER.
562
00:30:12,376 --> 00:30:16,680
IF SO, CAN WE FIND THOSE BITS
AND BYTES OF REALITY?
563
00:30:16,681 --> 00:30:20,085
ONE PHYSICIST CLAIMS
TO HAVE DONE JUST THAT.
564
00:30:24,589 --> 00:30:28,125
WHAT FORMS THE FOUNDATION
OF OUR REALITY?
565
00:30:28,126 --> 00:30:31,194
IF YOU COULD LOOK
DEEP INSIDE EVERY ATOM
566
00:30:31,195 --> 00:30:33,696
AND EVERY RAY OF SUNSHINE,
567
00:30:33,697 --> 00:30:36,300
YOU'D FIND
FUNDAMENTAL PARTICLES,
568
00:30:36,301 --> 00:30:40,502
THE BUILDING BLOCKS
OF MATTER AND ENERGY.
569
00:30:40,503 --> 00:30:43,473
BUT WHAT ARE THEY MADE OF?
570
00:30:43,474 --> 00:30:45,142
COULD THE BUILDING BLOCKS
OF REALITY
571
00:30:45,143 --> 00:30:49,548
BE SIMPLY BITS OF INFORMATION?
572
00:30:54,085 --> 00:30:57,822
THEORETICAL PHYSICIST JIM GATES
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND
573
00:30:57,823 --> 00:31:00,022
INVESTIGATES THE PHYSICS
AND MATHEMATICS
574
00:31:00,023 --> 00:31:03,726
OF THE FUNDAMENTAL PARTICLES
IN OUR UNIVERSE.
575
00:31:03,727 --> 00:31:05,561
Gates:
WELL, YOU SEE, WE PHYSICISTS,
576
00:31:05,562 --> 00:31:08,364
YOU COULD CALL US A COMPANY
CALLED EQUATIONS "R" US
577
00:31:08,365 --> 00:31:09,767
BECAUSE WHAT WE REALLY DO
578
00:31:09,768 --> 00:31:12,001
IS WRITE EQUATIONS
THAT DESCRIBE NATURE,
579
00:31:12,002 --> 00:31:13,970
AND THEN USE THOSE TO MAKE
PREDICTIONS ABOUT THINGS
580
00:31:13,971 --> 00:31:15,405
THAT NO ONE HAS EVER FOUND
581
00:31:15,406 --> 00:31:18,441
OR SEEN
OR EVEN DREAMED OF BEFORE.
582
00:31:18,442 --> 00:31:20,844
Freeman: JIM INVESTIGATES
HOW THE FUNDAMENTAL PARTICLES
583
00:31:20,845 --> 00:31:23,581
OF THE UNIVERSE INTERACT
WITH EACH OTHER.
584
00:31:23,582 --> 00:31:26,549
BECAUSE HE IS A PROPONENT
OF THE CONTROVERSIAL CONCEPT
585
00:31:26,550 --> 00:31:28,886
CALLED STRING THEORY,
586
00:31:28,887 --> 00:31:33,557
JIM OFTEN FINDS HIMSELF
SELLING HIS IDEAS TO SKEPTICS.
587
00:31:33,558 --> 00:31:37,295
STRING THEORY INCLUDES
AT LEAST 10 DIMENSIONS OF SPACE
588
00:31:37,296 --> 00:31:40,496
AND MANY PARTICLES THAT HAVE
NOT YET BEEN DISCOVERED.
589
00:31:40,497 --> 00:31:44,634
IT'S ALL BASED
ON SOME VERY COMPLICATED MATH.
590
00:31:44,635 --> 00:31:46,938
I FOUND SOME
VERY PUZZLING SIGNS THAT,
591
00:31:46,939 --> 00:31:49,205
BURIED IN THE EQUATIONS
THAT I WAS STUDYING,
592
00:31:49,206 --> 00:31:51,008
THERE WAS ANOTHER SET
OF EQUATIONS.
593
00:31:51,009 --> 00:31:53,178
WE DISCUSSED THIS
WITH SOME MATHEMATICIANS,
594
00:31:53,179 --> 00:31:56,847
AND TO OUR GREAT DISAPPOINTMENT,
THE REACTION OF MATHEMATICIANS
595
00:31:56,848 --> 00:32:00,685
WERE, "WHAT IN THE WORLD
ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?"
596
00:32:03,253 --> 00:32:06,522
Freeman: TO MAKE THE EQUATIONS
EASIER TO UNDERSTAND,
597
00:32:06,523 --> 00:32:09,425
JIM TURNED THEM INTO GEOMETRY.
598
00:32:09,426 --> 00:32:12,861
HE REPRESENTED THE INTERACTIONS
BETWEEN SUBATOMIC PARTICLES
599
00:32:12,862 --> 00:32:16,265
AS SPECIFIC,
THREE DIMENSIONAL SHAPES.
600
00:32:16,266 --> 00:32:19,235
HE CALLED THE STRUCTURES
ADINKRAS.
601
00:32:19,236 --> 00:32:20,771
THE NAME IS DERIVED
602
00:32:20,772 --> 00:32:25,540
FROM A WEST AFRICAN SYMBOL USED
TO REPRESENT ABSTRACT CONCEPTS.
603
00:32:25,541 --> 00:32:27,377
I COULD HAVE MY EQUATIONS
604
00:32:27,378 --> 00:32:29,011
THAT I UNDERSTAND IN THE WAY
THAT I DO,
605
00:32:29,012 --> 00:32:31,380
BUT I CAN PUT IT IN FRONT
OF A MATHEMATICIAN AND ASK,
606
00:32:31,381 --> 00:32:33,015
"WHAT IS IT THAT YOU SEE HERE?"
607
00:32:33,016 --> 00:32:35,184
THEY WILL BEGIN
TO TELL ME A DIFFERENT STORY,
608
00:32:35,185 --> 00:32:36,886
AND THAT'S THE POWER
OF COLLABORATION.
609
00:32:36,887 --> 00:32:39,356
AND THAT'S
WHAT STARTED HAPPENING WITH US.
610
00:32:39,357 --> 00:32:42,125
Freeman: JIM COLLABORATED WITH
PHYSICISTS AND MATHEMATICIANS
611
00:32:42,126 --> 00:32:44,862
TO EXAMINE HOW THE PARTS
OF AN ADINKRA STRUCTURE
612
00:32:44,863 --> 00:32:46,663
RELATE TO EACH OTHER.
613
00:32:46,664 --> 00:32:49,532
BURIED WITHIN THE CONVOLUTED
CALCULATIONS,
614
00:32:49,533 --> 00:32:52,769
JIM FOUND SOMETHING
THAT LOOKED FAMILIAR.
615
00:32:52,770 --> 00:32:56,406
IT LOOKED LIKE COMPUTER CODE.
616
00:32:56,407 --> 00:32:59,876
IT TURNS OUT THAT EXPRESSING
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THEM
617
00:32:59,877 --> 00:33:03,012
IS EASIEST IF YOU USE ONES
AND ZEROES.
618
00:33:03,013 --> 00:33:05,382
THESE ARE CALLED BITS
IN COMPUTER SCIENCE.
619
00:33:05,383 --> 00:33:08,552
I KNOW OF NO OTHER EXAMPLE
IN THE KINDS OF EQUATIONS
620
00:33:08,553 --> 00:33:10,720
THAT DESCRIBE
FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE
621
00:33:10,721 --> 00:33:11,988
WHERE BITS HAVE OCCURRED.
622
00:33:11,989 --> 00:33:13,556
AND EVEN MORE REMARKABLY,
623
00:33:13,557 --> 00:33:15,459
WE HAVE FOUND THAT THE BITS
IN OUR EQUATIONS
624
00:33:15,460 --> 00:33:19,663
ARRANGED THEMSELVES
INTO ERROR CORRECTING CODES,
625
00:33:19,664 --> 00:33:22,166
SOMETHING THAT MAKES
YOUR BROWSER WORK EVERY DAY.
626
00:33:24,368 --> 00:33:26,002
Freeman: WHEN YOU SURF THE WEB
627
00:33:26,003 --> 00:33:29,271
OR USE ANY FORM
OF DIGITAL COMMUNICATION,
628
00:33:29,272 --> 00:33:31,674
CRUCIAL ONES OR ZEROES
629
00:33:31,675 --> 00:33:35,579
ARE INEVITABLY LOST
IN THE TRANSMISSION.
630
00:33:35,580 --> 00:33:38,915
ERROR CORRECTING CODES
FILL IN THE DROPPED BITS.
631
00:33:38,916 --> 00:33:40,951
THEY PROTECT DATA
FROM CORRUPTION
632
00:33:40,952 --> 00:33:44,820
AND PREVENT COMPUTER PROGRAMS
FROM CRASHING.
633
00:33:44,821 --> 00:33:47,357
JIM BELIEVES
THE ERROR CORRECTING CODES
634
00:33:47,358 --> 00:33:49,926
HE DISCOVERED WORK
IN THE SAME WAY,
635
00:33:49,927 --> 00:33:55,397
TO MAINTAIN THE STABILITY
OF SUBATOMIC INTERACTIONS.
636
00:33:55,398 --> 00:33:57,033
WITHOUT THIS ERROR CORRECTION,
637
00:33:57,034 --> 00:34:00,403
THE WAY FUNDAMENTAL PARTICLES
INTERACT COULD BE CORRUPTED,
638
00:34:00,404 --> 00:34:03,641
LIKE A COMPUTER CRASH
ON A UNIVERSAL SCALE.
639
00:34:05,543 --> 00:34:07,278
Gates:
THEN YOU CAN ASK, "WELL, GEE.
640
00:34:07,279 --> 00:34:09,946
DOES THAT MEAN
THAT SOMEHOW OUR UNIVERSE
641
00:34:09,947 --> 00:34:13,015
IS LIKE A BIG COMPUTER
SIMULATION?"
642
00:34:13,016 --> 00:34:14,450
Freeman: THE IDEA THAT NATURE
643
00:34:14,451 --> 00:34:18,521
MIGHT USE ERROR CORRECTION CODES
AT FIRST SEEMED WRONG TO JIM,
644
00:34:18,522 --> 00:34:21,624
BUT HE SOON
FOUND ANOTHER EXAMPLE.
645
00:34:21,625 --> 00:34:23,628
Gates: IT TURNS OUT THERE'S ONE
PIECE OF NATURAL SCIENCE
646
00:34:23,629 --> 00:34:26,897
IN WHICH THIS DISCUSSION
HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR DECADES.
647
00:34:26,898 --> 00:34:28,600
IT'S GENETICS.
648
00:34:32,837 --> 00:34:34,370
Freeman: IN THE HUMAN BODY,
649
00:34:34,371 --> 00:34:38,374
ERROR CORRECTING CODES ALLOW US
TO STAY HEALTHY AND STRONG.
650
00:34:38,375 --> 00:34:42,678
THE CODES ACT TO STABILIZE
THE GENOME.
651
00:34:42,679 --> 00:34:44,680
Freeman:
GENETIC ERROR CORRECTING CODES
652
00:34:44,681 --> 00:34:48,051
ENSURE THAT CELLS
COPY THEMSELVES ACCURATELY
653
00:34:48,052 --> 00:34:50,854
THROUGHOUT
AN ORGANISM'S LIFETIME.
654
00:34:50,855 --> 00:34:54,990
THINK OF THE DNA REPLICATING
ITSELF WHILE A CELL DIVIDES
655
00:34:54,991 --> 00:34:58,528
AS BEING LIKE A FIGHTER
TRYING TO STAY STRONG AND STABLE
656
00:34:58,529 --> 00:35:00,763
DURING A ROUND IN THE RING.
657
00:35:00,764 --> 00:35:02,464
Gates: WE CAN IMAGINE THAT,
658
00:35:02,465 --> 00:35:05,301
IF OUR FIGHTER DOESN'T HAVE
ERROR CORRECTING CODES,
659
00:35:05,302 --> 00:35:08,740
THE FIRST THING THAT HAPPENS IS
ONE OF HIS ARMS STOPS WORKING.
660
00:35:12,110 --> 00:35:15,380
NEXT, HIS LEGS STOP WORKING.
661
00:35:17,848 --> 00:35:20,716
THEN HIS EYES FAIL.
662
00:35:20,717 --> 00:35:23,185
WITHOUT ERROR CORRECTING CODES,
663
00:35:23,186 --> 00:35:27,022
HE IS QUICKLY DETERIORATING,
STRUGGLING TO SURVIVE.
664
00:35:27,023 --> 00:35:28,758
THERE IS NO STABILITY,
665
00:35:28,759 --> 00:35:31,261
AND HE COULD COLLAPSE
AT ANY MOMENT.
666
00:35:37,166 --> 00:35:40,970
NOW, A FIGHTER EQUIPPED
WITH ERROR CORRECTING CODES
667
00:35:40,971 --> 00:35:44,240
WILL EVENTUALLY ALSO
DETERIORATE.
668
00:35:44,241 --> 00:35:48,444
HOWEVER, THE ERROR CORRECTING
CODES ACT TO SUSTAIN VIGOR
669
00:35:48,445 --> 00:35:50,946
FOR A MUCH LONGER TIME.
670
00:35:50,947 --> 00:35:53,450
Freeman: WHEN BAD COPIES
OF GENES GET MADE,
671
00:35:53,451 --> 00:35:58,521
THE RESULTS CAN BE CELL DEATH
OR MALFUNCTIONS LIKE CANCER.
672
00:35:58,522 --> 00:36:02,725
GENETIC ERROR CORRECTION
REDUCES THE COPY FAILURE RATE
673
00:36:02,726 --> 00:36:05,060
TO LESS THAN ONE IN A BILLION.
674
00:36:05,061 --> 00:36:07,497
AND THIS IS AN ANALOGY
FOR THE ROLE
675
00:36:07,498 --> 00:36:09,999
THAT ERROR CORRECTING CODES
COULD PLAY IN THE STRUCTURE
676
00:36:10,000 --> 00:36:12,169
OF SOMETHING LIKE OUR UNIVERSE.
677
00:36:12,170 --> 00:36:14,305
Freeman: OUR UNIVERSE HAS BEEN
RUNNING SMOOTHLY
678
00:36:14,306 --> 00:36:17,506
FOR ALMOST 14 BILLION YEARS.
679
00:36:17,507 --> 00:36:19,910
MAYBE IT HAS LASTED THAT LONG
680
00:36:19,911 --> 00:36:21,845
THANKS
TO ERROR CORRECTING CODES,
681
00:36:21,846 --> 00:36:24,379
CODES THAT MAKE SURE
THE FUNDAMENTAL PARTICLES
682
00:36:24,380 --> 00:36:27,484
IN OUR COSMOS DON'T GO HAYWIRE.
683
00:36:31,689 --> 00:36:33,456
BUT NOTHING LASTS FOREVER.
684
00:36:33,457 --> 00:36:36,426
EVENTUALLY, OUR UNIVERSE
WILL BEGIN TO AGE.
685
00:36:36,427 --> 00:36:38,927
ERRORS WILL CREEP IN,
AND IT WILL DIE.
686
00:36:38,928 --> 00:36:41,163
OR WHAT IF THE CODES
JIM DISCOVERED
687
00:36:41,164 --> 00:36:43,400
REALLY ARE COMPUTER GENERATED?
688
00:36:43,401 --> 00:36:45,835
WHOEVER PROGRAMMED THE COSMOS
689
00:36:45,836 --> 00:36:48,839
COULD DECIDE TO PULL THE PLUG
AT ANY MOMENT.
690
00:36:48,840 --> 00:36:52,410
MAYBE IT'S TIME
TO CREATE OUR OWN UNIVERSE.
691
00:36:55,600 --> 00:37:00,505
IS OUR UNIVERSE
A NATURAL ONE OR ARTIFICIAL?
692
00:37:00,506 --> 00:37:03,474
EITHER WAY,
IT CAN'T LAST FOREVER.
693
00:37:03,475 --> 00:37:08,979
SO, IS THERE ANYTHING
WE CAN DO TO SAVE OURSELVES?
694
00:37:08,980 --> 00:37:13,718
PERHAPS WE NEED TO DESIGN
OUR OWN NEW UNIVERSE
695
00:37:13,719 --> 00:37:15,488
AND MOVE THERE.
696
00:37:18,323 --> 00:37:22,994
PHILOSOPHER CLEMENT VIDAL OF
THE FREE UNIVERSITY IN BRUSSELS
697
00:37:22,995 --> 00:37:27,932
BELIEVES WE NEED TO TAKE CONTROL
OF OUR COSMIC DESTINY.
698
00:37:27,933 --> 00:37:31,202
Vidal: IT'S ALMOST CERTAIN
THAT OUR UNIVERSE WILL END.
699
00:37:31,203 --> 00:37:34,072
SO, SHOULD WE ACCEPT THIS
AS A BLUNT FACT?
700
00:37:34,073 --> 00:37:35,941
I DON'T BELIEVE SO.
701
00:37:35,942 --> 00:37:37,842
I THINK WE SHOULD DO SOMETHING
ABOUT IT.
702
00:37:37,843 --> 00:37:41,177
AND IF WE TAKE INSPIRATION
FROM BIOLOGY,
703
00:37:41,178 --> 00:37:42,747
WHICH IS TO REPRODUCE,
704
00:37:42,748 --> 00:37:46,284
SO MAYBE WE
SHOULD REPRODUCE THE UNIVERSE.
705
00:37:46,285 --> 00:37:47,952
Freeman:
WE ALL WANT A BETTER LIFE,
706
00:37:47,953 --> 00:37:50,153
A BETTER HOME FOR OUR KIDS.
707
00:37:50,154 --> 00:37:53,557
AND CLEMENT BELIEVES
WE MAY ONE DAY
708
00:37:53,558 --> 00:37:57,462
BE ABLE TO GIVE OUR DESCENDANTS
A BETTER UNIVERSE AS WELL.
709
00:38:00,466 --> 00:38:04,269
IT'S A BIG PROJECT,
TO SAY THE LEAST.
710
00:38:04,270 --> 00:38:07,539
ACCORDING TO CLEMENT,
WE'LL HAVE TO PRACTICE FIRST
711
00:38:07,540 --> 00:38:12,110
BY BUILDING VIRTUAL,
COMPUTER SIMULATED UNIVERSES.
712
00:38:12,111 --> 00:38:13,912
Vidal:
IN ANY ENGINEERING PROJECT,
713
00:38:13,913 --> 00:38:17,883
YOU START BY MAKING A SIMULATION
OF WHAT YOU WANT TO BUILD.
714
00:38:17,884 --> 00:38:19,150
SO I IMAGINE THAT,
715
00:38:19,151 --> 00:38:21,619
IN THE FAR FUTURE,
AN ADVANCED CIVILIZATION
716
00:38:21,620 --> 00:38:26,090
WOULD WANT TO EXPLORE THE SPACE
OF POSSIBLE UNIVERSES
717
00:38:26,091 --> 00:38:29,360
AND THEN SELECT THE UNIVERSE
THEY WANT TO BUILD.
718
00:38:29,361 --> 00:38:31,528
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS
WE NEED TO LEARN
719
00:38:31,529 --> 00:38:35,700
IS HOW OUR UNIVERSE
CAME TO BE FINE TUNED FOR LIFE,
720
00:38:35,701 --> 00:38:40,371
AND SIMULATIONS
CAN HELP US TO LEARN THAT.
721
00:38:40,372 --> 00:38:43,039
Freeman:
WHEN THE SIMULATIONS ARE DONE
722
00:38:43,040 --> 00:38:46,977
AND WE'RE READY TO BUILD
A NEW HOME FOR OUR DESCENDANTS,
723
00:38:46,978 --> 00:38:54,218
WE'LL NEED ONE MORE THING...
A COLOSSAL SOURCE OF ENERGY.
724
00:38:54,219 --> 00:38:56,621
Vidal:
THE MAKING OF A NEW UNIVERSE
725
00:38:56,622 --> 00:39:00,258
WILL MOST LIKELY
RESEMBLE ANOTHER BIG BANG.
726
00:39:00,259 --> 00:39:02,695
SO THE ENERGIES
WOULD BE VERY HIGH,
727
00:39:02,696 --> 00:39:04,796
AND TO MAKE THIS NEW UNIVERSE,
728
00:39:04,797 --> 00:39:07,398
WE'D BE DISCONNECTED
FROM OUR OWN,
729
00:39:07,399 --> 00:39:12,537
WHICH MEANS THAT IT WILL HAVE
A NEW SPACE TIME STRUCTURE.
730
00:39:12,538 --> 00:39:16,073
Freeman: MAKING THE BIG BANG
MAY SOUND IMPOSSIBLE,
731
00:39:16,074 --> 00:39:20,445
BUT CLEMENT BELIEVES A SPECIAL
TYPE OF BINARY STAR SYSTEM
732
00:39:20,446 --> 00:39:23,014
COULD PROVIDE THE NEEDED ENERGY.
733
00:39:23,015 --> 00:39:25,249
SUPERMASSIVE STARS,
SUCH AS WHITE DWARVES
734
00:39:25,250 --> 00:39:29,220
AND NEUTRON STARS, HAVE ENORMOUS
GRAVITATIONAL PULL.
735
00:39:29,221 --> 00:39:31,021
IF ANOTHER STAR IS CLOSE ENOUGH,
736
00:39:31,022 --> 00:39:33,825
THE MORE MASSIVE STAR
SUCKS IN THE ENERGY
737
00:39:33,826 --> 00:39:35,959
FROM THE COMPANION STAR.
738
00:39:35,960 --> 00:39:38,896
CLEMENT BELIEVES
WE COULD HARNESS
739
00:39:38,897 --> 00:39:41,633
THIS ENORMOUS CONCENTRATION
OF ENERGY.
740
00:39:45,103 --> 00:39:48,472
THINK OF IT AS AN INCREDIBLY
SCALED UP VERSION
741
00:39:48,473 --> 00:39:53,077
OF A RENEWABLE ENERGY PLANT.
742
00:39:53,078 --> 00:39:56,113
THESE WOOD PELLETS
ARE CONVERTED INTO ELECTRICITY
743
00:39:56,114 --> 00:39:58,215
AT THIS BIOMASS PLANT.
744
00:39:58,216 --> 00:40:02,521
IN A SIMILAR WAY,
THE ENERGY OF A COMPANION STAR
745
00:40:02,522 --> 00:40:05,657
IS CONVERTED
INTO A DENSER FORM OF ENERGY,
746
00:40:05,658 --> 00:40:09,659
INTO WHITE DWARVES
AND NEUTRON STARS.
747
00:40:09,660 --> 00:40:15,333
Freeman:
IMAGINE THIS POWER PLANT
IS THE SIZE OF A NEUTRON STAR,
748
00:40:15,334 --> 00:40:17,168
AND THESE PELLETS
ARE BEING HARVESTED
749
00:40:17,169 --> 00:40:20,771
FROM ANOTHER NEARBY STAR.
750
00:40:20,772 --> 00:40:22,173
THEY ARE SO DENSE
751
00:40:22,174 --> 00:40:26,544
THAT A SINGLE PELLET WOULD WEIGH
MORE THAN MOUNT EVEREST.
752
00:40:26,545 --> 00:40:28,713
CLEMENT THINKS IF WE CAN USE
753
00:40:28,714 --> 00:40:32,450
THAT ENORMOUS CONCENTRATION
OF MATTER AND ENERGY,
754
00:40:32,451 --> 00:40:36,988
WE'LL HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE
THE FABRIC OF THE UNIVERSE.
755
00:40:36,989 --> 00:40:39,624
WELL, TO CREATE A NEW UNIVERSE,
PRESUMABLY,
756
00:40:39,625 --> 00:40:43,929
YOU WOULD HAVE TO MANIPULATE
THE STRUCTURE OF SPACETIME.
757
00:40:43,930 --> 00:40:48,865
AND THIS SPACETIME BECOMES,
IN SOME THEORIES,
758
00:40:48,866 --> 00:40:53,671
MALLEABLE
AT VERY HIGH DENSITIES.
759
00:40:53,672 --> 00:40:57,374
Freeman:
COULD WE SOMEDAY HARNESS
THE ENERGY OF SUPER DENSE STARS
760
00:40:57,375 --> 00:41:02,445
TO MANIPULATE SPACETIME
AND CREATE OUR OWN BIG BANG?
761
00:41:02,446 --> 00:41:06,584
CLEMENT'S THEORY OF UNIVERSE
CREATION IS FAR FROM MAINSTREAM,
762
00:41:06,585 --> 00:41:10,923
BUT HE HOPES THAT SOMEDAY
HIS CONCEPT WILL BE TESTED.
763
00:41:12,056 --> 00:41:15,358
I'M CONFIDENT THAT A TEST CAN BE
DEVISED BECAUSE WE HAVE PLENTY
764
00:41:15,359 --> 00:41:19,363
OF DATA ABOUT THOSE INTERACTING
BINARY STAR SYSTEMS.
765
00:41:19,364 --> 00:41:22,599
SO WE JUST NEED TO...
TO THINK CREATIVELY
766
00:41:22,600 --> 00:41:27,771
AND SCIENTIFICALLY ABOUT
HOW TO TEST THE HYPOTHESIS.
767
00:41:27,772 --> 00:41:29,106
Freeman: THE FIRST TESTS
768
00:41:29,107 --> 00:41:32,977
WILL NO DOUBT BE DONE
THROUGH COMPUTER SIMULATIONS.
769
00:41:32,978 --> 00:41:34,945
PERHAPS SOME OTHER CIVILIZATION,
770
00:41:34,946 --> 00:41:36,947
MORE ADVANCED THAN OURS,
771
00:41:36,948 --> 00:41:41,785
IS ALREADY CONDUCTING
THESE TESTS WITH US.
772
00:41:41,786 --> 00:41:44,755
ARE WE LIVING IN A UNIVERSE
CREATED BY SOMEONE
773
00:41:44,756 --> 00:41:47,592
OR SOMETHING ELSE?
774
00:41:47,593 --> 00:41:50,461
IF SO, IS IT A BETA VERSION
775
00:41:50,462 --> 00:41:54,130
THAT AN ADVANCED ENTITY
IS STILL TINKERING WITH,
776
00:41:54,131 --> 00:41:57,802
OR IS IT A VERSION
THEY'VE PROGRAMMED TO LAST?
777
00:42:04,576 --> 00:42:06,711
MAYBE SOMEDAY,
778
00:42:06,712 --> 00:42:10,314
WE'LL FIND PROOF
THAT WE'RE ALL PLAYERS
779
00:42:10,315 --> 00:42:14,418
IN THE GREATEST VIDEO GAME
EVER MADE.
780
00:42:14,419 --> 00:42:19,956
WOULD THAT KNOWLEDGE MAKE
US FEEL MANIPULATED LIKE PAWNS?
781
00:42:19,957 --> 00:42:22,726
OR WOULD IT FREE US
TO TAKE RISKS
782
00:42:22,727 --> 00:42:27,632
AND LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST
BECAUSE NONE OF THIS IS REAL?
783
00:42:30,736 --> 00:42:35,438
EITHER WAY, WHETHER IT'S NATURAL
OR ARTIFICIAL,
784
00:42:35,439 --> 00:42:39,443
LIFE IS A GLORIOUS GAME,
785
00:42:39,444 --> 00:42:41,346
AND WE SHOULD PLAY TO WIN.
63775
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