Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

Preview
  • The Simulation Hypothesis: An MIT Computer Scientist Shows Why AI, Quantum Physics, and Eastern Mystics All Agree We Are in a Video Game

  • By: Rizwan Virk
  • Narrated by: Kory Getman
  • Length: 9 hrs and 22 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (70 ratings)

£0.00 for first 30 days

Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

The Simulation Hypothesis: An MIT Computer Scientist Shows Why AI, Quantum Physics, and Eastern Mystics All Agree We Are in a Video Game

By: Rizwan Virk
Narrated by: Kory Getman
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £14.99

Buy Now for £14.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Summary

The Simulation Hypothesis, by best-selling author, renowned MIT computer scientist, and Silicon Valley video game designer Rizwan Virk, explains one of the most daring and consequential theories of our time.

Drawing from research and concepts from computer science, artificial intelligence, video games, quantum physics, and referencing both speculative fiction and ancient eastern spiritual texts, Virk shows how all of these traditions come together to point to the idea that we may be inside a simulated reality like the Matrix.

The Simulation Hypothesis is the idea that our physical reality, far from being a solid physical universe, is part of an increasingly sophisticated video game-like simulation, where we all have multiple lives, consisting of pixels with its own internal clock run by some giant Artificial Intelligence. Simulation theory explains some of the biggest mysteries of quantum and relativistic physics, such as quantum indeterminacy, parallel universes, and the integral nature of the speed of light.

“There’s a one in a billion chance we are not living in a simulation.” (Elon Musk)

“I find it hard to argue we are not in a simulation.” (Neil deGrasse Tyson)

“We are living in computer generated reality.” (Philip K. Dick)

Video game designer Riz Virk shows how the history and evolution of our video games, including virtual reality, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing could lead us to the point of being able to develop all encompassing virtual worlds like the Oasis in Ready Player One, or the simulated reality in The Matrix.

While the idea sounds like science fiction, many scientists, engineers, and professors have given the simulation hypothesis serious consideration. But the simulation hypothesis is not just a modern idea. Philosophers and mystics of all traditions have long contended that we are living in some kind of “illusion“ and that there are other realities which we can access with our minds.

Whether you are a computer scientist, a fan of science fiction like The Matrix movies, a video game enthusiast, or a spiritual seeker, The Simulation Hypothesis touches on all these areas, and you will never look at the world the same way again!

©2019 Rizwan Virk (P)2019 Rizwan Virk
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Listeners also enjoyed...

The Simulated Multiverse cover art
My Big TOE: Awakening cover art
The Holographic Universe cover art
The Case Against Reality cover art
The Dream cover art
The Trap cover art
Our Mathematical Universe cover art
Wetiko cover art
The Syntellect Hypothesis cover art
Something Deeply Hidden cover art
The Daemon cover art
The Big Picture cover art
The Grand Biocentric Design cover art
The Labyrinth of Time cover art
Visionary cover art
The Great Reset cover art

What listeners say about The Simulation Hypothesis: An MIT Computer Scientist Shows Why AI, Quantum Physics, and Eastern Mystics All Agree We Are in a Video Game

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    39
  • 4 Stars
    16
  • 3 Stars
    12
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    30
  • 4 Stars
    14
  • 3 Stars
    10
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    4
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    33
  • 4 Stars
    12
  • 3 Stars
    12
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    2

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Interesting content, not great production

Heard the author on a podcast, and find it a very interesting subject. However, I suspect this might be better read as an actual book rather than listening to this audiobook. The book (ironically) sounds like it could be being narrated by an AI in places – the intonation and speed of some sentences is bizarre, almost like the actual narrater is reading them for the first time and trying to make sense of what he's saying as he goes along. There is also some dodgy editing in places, with sentences repeated and words obviously spliced together. Diagrams and figures from the actual book are referred to throughout, which we obviously can't see, and overall it feels like a bit of a botched job in terms of a recording.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Interesting depiction of simulation hypothesis...

interesting depiction of simulation hypothesis... certainly moves forward some (mostly Eastern) concepts. Clear / not too bad / narration... generally v. good?!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

super good book.

Well written and read. I liked the history about PC games etc, and bringing it all together physics, mystics, video gaming into one big theory was excellent. I guess we should all fear, "the coming of the system reboot" ;-)

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

decent, but stretching

although he brings up many good ideas, I feel like he's stretching in many ways

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great explanation of the simulation hypothesis

I really enjoyed this book. I have previously read a lot of content on physics particularly quantum mechanics and special relativity. It has always struck me how the most strangest and illogical things that occur in physics are explained logically when we think in terms of reality being a simulation. This is the first thing I have read specifically about the simulation hypothesis and it gave a great overview of the hypothesis from all angles. I must admit I did skip over the chapters about the history of video games as I’m just not that interested in that and it’s not necessary to know to understand the evidence in favour of the simulation hypothesis.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Unnecessarily drawn out.

I think the narrator recorded this in his kitchen! Listening through headphones I could frequently hear distracting outside noises, eg cars, sirens, horns, a young child talking, etc (unless it was a glitch in the matrix). Poorly narrated on top of that. The book frequently repeated the same information and the narrator referred to figures, pictures etc which are obviously in the paper copy, but quite frustrating for the listener - I'm ⅔ of the way through and am already at FIG.30. A PDF version would've been helpful. I struggled to finish this quite disappointing book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Thought provoking stuff, well sold

This is an incredible book that really pushes the mind to ask those really big questions and does a great job of using game development techniques to illustrate why the holographic universe theory could be correct. The narrator does an excellent job of keeping you interested over technical topics too.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Unconvincing

Well narrated, interesting ideas, but too slick and not convincing. Bring together eastern mysticism quantum computing & advanced physics and cook, up simulation hypothesis -
Needs much more than Trendy analysis; This idea of Maya and illusionary reality goes way deeper than that of gigabytes, cubits being controlled by an omnipotent software developer and a squadron of geeky programmers in far off space

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

I'm a victim of an Instagram advert!

save your money, just have a look on YouTube or just Google to get the same info. clearly this book was done as a money spinner, and I fell for it
Overall this guy has interesting ideas, but my god he labours it. there's lots of errors in his reading, where a fact is read differently twice or 3 times.
the narration is terrible, far too stumbling and fast as he's clearly no experience in the art.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Listen

Excellent. I really enjoyed the content and narration. Having been interested in this topic for some time, this book gives a thorough, well detailed and easy to follow analysis of the simulation hypothesis. Numerous examples relating to religion and the every day make it clear that this subject is to be taken seriously. The author also does well to ensure the book is not reaching or holding towards any particular bias and whilst giving plenty of food for thought, makes sure the readers are aware that not all is proven. This book should be read.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!