What if life as we know it isn’t real? Simulation Theory proposes that our universe could be a hyper-advanced digital construct created by a higher intelligence. Samara Kothari dives into the science and eerie evidence suggesting we might be the code, not the coders.  

Imagine waking up one morning and realizing everything – your phone, your friends, your government, even your pet – might be part of a giant simulation. The idea that we’re all living in a hyper-advanced computer program might sound like sci-fi, but it’s a theory that philosophers, scientists, and even tech billionaires are talking about. From glitchy economic crashes to the eerie silence of space, some argue the universe behaves less like reality and more like a well-designed game. 

So, what if life isn’t random at all…but programmed? 

Simulation Theory is the hypothesis that all of reality, the universe, and even our consciousness, is an artificial simulation, likely created by an advanced civilization. It suggests that our perceived physical reality is a highly sophisticated digital construct. The implications are wild: consciousness might be code, time could be an illusion, and reality itself may be more of a rendered experience than a physical one. 

The theory was made famous in 2003 by Oxford philosopher Nick Bostrom, who laid out one of three possibilities being true: (1) Civilizations go extinct before developing the tech to simulate universes. (2) Advanced civilizations can simulate reality but choose not to. (3) We’re almost definitely already living in a simulation. 

Statistically, the third option is compelling. If even one civilization in the entire universe reaches the point of creating high-fidelity simulations of conscious beings, they’d probably run thousands, maybe millions, of them. And if simulated beings vastly outnumber real ones, what are the odds we’re the real ones? 

Right now, humanity can’t simulate galaxies, consciousness, or fully immersive worlds. We’re still trying to keep AI from writing unhinged fanfics or accidentally tanking crypto markets. But that doesn’t mean some other species, much more advanced, hasn’t already cracked it. 

What if one of those ultra-advanced species has already built the ultimate simulation? One that feels so real, the inhabitants don’t even realize they’re inside. Then, we’re not the simulators. We’re the ones being simulated. 

We might just be inside an insanely complex version of a reality game. Maybe it’s for scientific study. Maybe it’s entertainment. Maybe we’re just the centerpiece of a cosmic group project titled: “Evolving Primitive Intelligence Under Pressure.” 

Some theorists go further: they believe our simulation is still evolving–being tweaked, updated, and debugged in real-time. If that’s true, then we’re not just background extras in a fake world, we’re the main characters in a simulation that’s still unfolding, still being written. That’s kind of awesome. 

Even tech leaders like Elon Musk agree. He once said the odds we’re not in a simulation are “one in billions.” We already have games like The Sims, GTA, and ultra-realistic VR. Imagine what’s possible in 1,000 years. 

Glitch in the (Financial) Matrix 

Let’s say you’ve got $5 and a craving for a sandwich. This week? No problem. Next week? That same sandwich costs $12 and your money means nothing. Why? Inflation surged out of nowhere. 

Economists use massive datasets and AI-driven models to predict financial trends. And yet, we constantly get caught off guard: recessions hit, crypto explodes, meme stocks defy all logic. Why does our economic system sometimes feel… chaotic on purpose? 

Financial events like the 2008 Global Recession, WallStreetBet’s GameStop surge, and the 2022 Inflation are often chalked up to human error. What if they’re intentional chaos, written into the simulation like plot twists? 

In video games, developers inject randomness to make worlds feel alive. Economists have a term for this too: stochastic volatility, random changes that models can’t predict. 

To simulation theorists, this feels a lot like… injected code. 

The Science (Almost) Says Yes 

In 2012, physicist Silas Beane suggested that if the universe is a simulation, it might have a resolution limit, like pixels on a screen. The universe may have a smallest possible length, the Planck length, like a simulation’s lowest resolution setting. 

Even weirder: In quantum physics, particles behave differently when observed. In double-slit experiments, unobserved particles act like waves. Watch them? They act like particles. It’s as if reality renders like a video game loading the room you’re in. 

MIT’s Max Tegmark even argues that the universe may be pure math , and if it’s math, it could be code. 

Some theorists think the Mandela Effect is evidence of simulation updates, parallel simulations merging, or glitches in the render engine. Creepy? Yes. Convincing? Depends on who you ask. 

Remember Flight MH370? Vanished without a trace, despite modern tracking tech. Simulation fanatics call it a “reality lag.” 

So… Are We a Simulation? 

In a universe with two trillion galaxies and zero DISCOVERED aliens (maybe), where economic systems crash overnight and people misremember iconic childhood books, it’s hard not to question reality. 

We don’t have the tech to simulate a universe yet, but if another civilization did, we could be their experiment. Or their art project. Or their reality show.  

And if Simulation Theory is true, then we’re not living in “base” reality. We’re in a version of it. A test run. A beta. But that’s not a bad thing. We might be part of something bigger, weirder, and far more intelligent than we’ve ever imagined.  

Until we find the exit menu or glitch through the floor, one thing’s for sure: Whether this is real or rendered, it’s the only life we know. So, we better live it like the main character. 

 

All images: Adobe Stock