Thing is, there are quite a few questions about our universe which simply cannot be definitively answered using only information from within our universe.
Take “free will” for example. Does our thinking arise entirely from natural phenomenon, or is there some extra-universal component to it? Well, if it is the latter, then the only way for us to find out from inside the universe is if the universe is built in a way to make it obvious. If there’s some discontinuity between cause and effect with regard to thinking or similar.
But if there is a supernatural influence on our thinking, why the heck would it be bound by our limited perception of the time dimension? It’s outside every normal dimension except time? The characters in a novel, if they start trying to examine whether or not they have “free will”, find exactly what the author wishes them to. And it will be as perfectly consistent as the author cares to make it. You can only break out of the sandbox if there’s a flaw in the sandbox, deliberate or otherwise.
“Simple models” are good. Using the simplest model that produces accurate predictions reduces mistakes and confusion. But the model is not the universe, and the apparent simplicity could be an entirely local phenomenon.
Thing is, there are quite a few questions about our universe which simply cannot be definitively answered using only information from within our universe.
Take “free will” for example. Does our thinking arise entirely from natural phenomenon, or is there some extra-universal component to it? Well, if it is the latter, then the only way for us to find out from inside the universe is if the universe is built in a way to make it obvious. If there’s some discontinuity between cause and effect with regard to thinking or similar.
But if there is a supernatural influence on our thinking, why the heck would it be bound by our limited perception of the time dimension? It’s outside every normal dimension except time? The characters in a novel, if they start trying to examine whether or not they have “free will”, find exactly what the author wishes them to. And it will be as perfectly consistent as the author cares to make it. You can only break out of the sandbox if there’s a flaw in the sandbox, deliberate or otherwise.
“Simple models” are good. Using the simplest model that produces accurate predictions reduces mistakes and confusion. But the model is not the universe, and the apparent simplicity could be an entirely local phenomenon.