The simulation doesn’t respond to prayers or requests.
How do you know? What if the guy running the simulation actually monitors what we think and reacts to it? What if the personally decides to give people cancer or cure it? What if he copies our minds to simulation of hell after we die? What if 2000 years ago he copied himself into the simulation to get crucified?
I guess we don’t know, but “the universe is a simulation” is a very broad statement. What if the simulation isn’t even for us? What if the simulator is just measuring the distribution of mass and ratios of elements as the universe ages? What if the simulator isn’t even specifically aware of our galaxy, let alone our civilization or each of us individually, and any life is just a byproduct/noise/outlier? I’m not familiar with every bug in my gravel driveway. What if this simulation isn’t even supposed to remotely resemble the simulator’s reality?
Without any evidence I only entertain the idea, but if this is a simulation, I would guess that it’s not for us. We’re such a tiny, insignificant part of the universe. If we were the focus, you’d think that the universe would be leaner and tailored for us, old testament style firmament and flat earth
I know because that’s not part of the theory. Simulation theory doesn’t offer any kind of mechanism for that and it would go against the entire idea of simulation.
On top of that, even if that was the case, then the person running the simulation would be acting inconsistently in a way that prevents us from understanding their intent. That would mean that it’s illogical and that there’s no way for us to actually infer anything about the world we’re in yet we are able to do exactly that.
Why does testing numerous different circumstances and consequences violate the idea is simulation? A sufficiently capable simulation engine could literally be used for social experiments
I think you misunderstood. Testing numerous circumstances doesn’t violate it. The simulation is likely only one amongst an entire series. Interfering with the simulation and changing parameters while it’s going is what violates the point. For one, we’d notice things changing without cause. For another, simulations test conditions based on parameters. There would be no reason to change parameters midway when another simulation with those changes can just be spun up.
