From: Harvey Newstrom (mail@HarveyNewstrom.com)
Date: Tue Jun 18 2002 - 13:36:33 MDT
On Tuesday, June 18, 2002, at 02:32 pm, Mike Lorrey wrote:
> Harvey Newstrom wrote:
>>
>> A mathematical formula does not contain real people. A book does not
>> contain real people. A map does not contain real towns with real
>> people. A photograph does not contain real people. Merely describing
>> people with words, math or pictures does not mean they are consciously
>> living outside of any physical reality.
>>
>> This argument is just word play. It confuses the map with the
>> territory.
>
> But this is the whole point of the universe as simulation hypothesis. If
> our universe is a simulation, then we are nothing but mathematical
> formulae processing data.
You just switched topics. We weren't debating whether simulations could
contain real people. We were debating whether books or mathematical
formulas contained abstract people existing without the need of any
physical universe.
Data describes people. Simulations emulate people. Data without
executiion on a physical machine is inert and not alive.
-- Harvey Newstrom, CISSP <www.HarveyNewstrom.com> Principal Security Consultant <www.Newstaff.com>
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