Nah, our surface rules ain’t systematic. I made a laser.
Agree direct puppet-style control is icky. Disagree that is what makes simulations simulatey, or that our own universe is a puppet-theatre-style simulation. If the Matrix masters were constantly deciding “let’s add obsidian to this character’s inventory”, we would be “under the absolute control of other people”, but instead they described physical laws and initial conditions and let the simulation unfold without intervention. I’m not particularly icked by that—the universe has to come from somewhere.
Nah, our surface rules ain’t systematic. I made a laser.
Agree direct puppet-style control is icky. Disagree that is what makes simulations simulatey, or that our own universe is a puppet-theatre-style simulation. If the Matrix masters were constantly deciding “let’s add obsidian to this character’s inventory”, we would be “under the absolute control of other people”, but instead they described physical laws and initial conditions and let the simulation unfold without intervention. I’m not particularly icked by that—the universe has to come from somewhere.
Many people now are happy to see the Hand of Whatever involved in our daily lives. I am not sure that is a problem with hypothetical simulations.