Bear with us for a second here: What if everything around us, everything we’ve ever known—our families, our homes, the weather—is all part of an elaborate simulation? In this episode of the podcast, the Goldwaters discuss whether humankind is just series of bits and bytes on some celestial hard drive—or whether the whole idea is goofy science fiction. The family runs through how such a simulation might come about—who would make such a thing, and why?—and whether it would change how they see their own lives.
Further Reading:
Anne-France Goldwater: For this episode, Anne-France has several science fiction film recommendations: Blade Runner Director’s Cut, Gattaca, Prometheus and the recent Battlestar Galactica TV series.
Samantha Goldwater-Adler: Expanding on her mother’s recommendation, Samantha also recommends Battlestar Galactica. She said while the series is science fiction, it touches on many issues that are relevant to the present. “It does get into interesting issues around post-human beings, really advanced AI that develops their own consciousness,” she said. “I don’t want to give away the ending, but watch it, there are reasons I’m recommending it.”
Daniel Goldwater: Daniel recommends watching the 1992 film Stay Tuned. “It’s a schlocky, kind of Z-Grade comedy” he said. The story involves a husband and wife getting sucked into their television. “It makes you think about being disconnected from reality.”
PHOTO CREDIT: Bill Ingalls/NASA