• Question: do you think that the idea in Matrix about our world could be true?

    Asked by shrike to Gioia, Iain, Jo, Leo, Mariam on 23 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Joanna Watson

      Joanna Watson answered on 14 Jun 2010:

      Sorry shrike – I’ve never seen The Matrix.

    • Photo: Leo Garcia

      Leo Garcia answered on 14 Jun 2010:

      Great question!

      This, for me, comes under the heading of a theory which cannot be tested, and so is not actually worth anything other than passing the time of day.

      It’s like me saying “Is the whole universe contained within the thoughts of a giant turtle in an alternate galaxy?”. There is no way of testing the theory, or gathering evidence to prove it (at least, no way YET) – and so asking the question itself serves no purpose. Another example is “Leprachauns live at the end of a rainbow, but they are invisible and cannot be photographed or detected by any known means” – we cannot falsify or test that theory out, so it’s not a theory at all. It’s what is known as a ‘logical fallacy’.

      Try and think of some yourself!

      Further reading:

      http://www.onegoodmove.org/fallacy/untest.htm
      http://www.theskepticsguide.org/resources/logicalfallacies.aspx

    • Photo: Mariam Orme

      Mariam Orme answered on 20 Jun 2010:

      It’s a really fascinating idea, but I hope it’s not true… I don’t like the idea of my life being simulated, not real!

    • Photo: Iain Moal

      Iain Moal answered on 23 Jun 2010:

      I don’t that that we do live in that sort of world, because that is the simplest option that is consistent with what we know about the universe. However, it is possible that we live in a virtual world, and this is a question that has been bugging philosophers for a long time.

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