Hacker News new | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit
This got me thinking about the "simulation theory":

If our universe is simulated, it must be possible to snapshot the entire state for one iteration (however time now is quantized, open question). "... From here, it is a small leap to see that if π contains all possible files, why are we wasting exabytes of space storing those files, when we could just look them up in π!" (from pifs, above)

This means that not only does a singular snapshot of our universe exists in pi, but every single one does

The information for our entire universe's simulation is stored in pi (and every other number like it)

A theory is something you can test, model, write proofs, do calculations, eg quantum field theory, group theory.

Simulation "theory" isnt a theory its a conjecture.

Theres no meat to it.

If we could restore the snapshot from around the year 2000 that'd be great, would like to make some changes.
> This means that not only does a singular snapshot of our universe exists in pi, but every single one does

The word 'exist' is doing a lot of work here. Could any computer actually find the value in pi? Each computation takes energy, and there is a finite amount of energy in the universe. Does the value 'exist' in pi if it could never be rendered? How much different is that claim from "our simulated universe is a file on gods computer, located just past the edge of the observable universe or 18 inches away in the 4th dimension"?

A similar thought experiment I've had is with the lottery. With just a few sheets of paper, there exist a sequence of numbers that would completely shut down both major US lotteries - ossibly even get you arrested - if they contained the winning numbers for the next 50, 20, or even 10 consecutive draws. Think about the consequences. You would win, and win again the next draw, and they would be certain you cheated. Then confiscate your pad, and draw again and win a third time. They would have to shut the contest down because this is "mathematically impossible ". But it's not. Just like your thought experiment, it's "just numbers"