Press Start
The Simulation Hypothesis sits at the intersection of philosophy, computer science, artificial intelligence, consciousness studies, virtual reality, and speculative technology. This resource library provides foundational readings, research, definitions, and historical context for anyone interested in studying the possibility of simulated reality.
Nick Bostrom — Are You Living in a Computer Simulation? (2003)
The foundational modern paper behind the Simulation Argument. Bostrom argues that at least one of three propositions must be true: humanity is unlikely to reach a “posthuman” stage; posthuman civilizations are unlikely to run large numbers of ancestor simulations; or we are likely already living within a simulation. Importantly, Bostrom does not claim to have proven that we live in one.
Read Bostrom’s “Are You Living in a Simulation“
The Simulation Argument –
Nick. Bostrom’s website with links to all his papers pertaining to his research on the Simulation Hypothesis
Read “The Simulation Argument”
Simulation Creationism
The simulation as a religion. The merger of technology as a higher power suggesting that our reality and existence can be explained by assuming we are all part of a simulation whose objective is to research and monitor events related to creation and life.
Beane, Davoudi & Savage — Constraints on the Universe as a Numerical Simulation
This 2012 paper explores whether a universe implemented using a numerical lattice could potentially produce observable signatures. Among the possibilities considered are effects appearing in extremely high-energy cosmic rays.
It does not demonstrate that such signatures have been discovered. Instead, it asks what observable consequences might follow from one very specific type of simulated universe.
Neukart et al. — Do We Live in a [Quantum] Simulation?
This 2022 paper examines simulation scenarios in relation to computability, predictability, quantum systems, and potential experimental approaches.
It’s useful because it attempts to move the discussion from purely philosophical reasoning toward questions that might conceivably generate testable consequences.
Franco Vazza — Astrophysical Constraints on the Simulation Hypothesis
Published in 2025, astrophysicist Franco Vazza examined the computational and energetic requirements for simulations ranging from the observable universe to lower-resolution simulations of Earth.
His analysis concludes that simulating a universe like ours from a parent universe governed by similar physical laws would face extraordinarily severe—and in the scenarios examined, prohibitive—energy and information constraints.
That’s exactly the kind of paper your Society should feature because it challenges one of the central assumptions underlying the hypothesis.
Digital Twins — NIST
Digital twins are computational representations of real-world entities and systems. NIST describes them as models capable of supporting simulation, monitoring, optimization, forecasting, and decision-making.
The philosophical implication isn’t that digital twins prove our universe is simulated.
It’s that civilizations already create simulated representations of reality because simulations are useful.
Nick Bostrom — The Simulation Argument FAQ
Bostrom’s updated 2025 FAQ is arguably even more useful for newcomers because he directly addresses common objections: computational feasibility, falsifiability, “glitches in the Matrix,” physics experiments, religion, aliens, whether simulated reality would still be real, and what someone should actually do if the hypothesis were true.
Read the Simulation Argument FAQ
The Simulation Argument — Debate Archive
Bostrom’s site also maintains a collection of scholarly responses, criticisms, extensions, and his responses to objections. This should probably be one of the most prominent external links on your Resources page because it allows visitors to follow the academic debate rather than simply reading Bostrom’s original argument.