Starting again, Microcosms, and a Simulated Universe?

So I have just had 're-invigorated interest' in having a blog again... 

I started one nearly three years ago and I have done nothing with it since. I have recently discovered a new way of looking at life, and I wanted to thicken my interest in this train of thought and I think a blog is a good way to do that. I want to meet new people who can share new things with me, and broaden my knowledge of the mortal coil we call Life.
 I have recently read a fantastic article that was published on the Discover Magazine website for December 2013, that reported on the news that some great minds (collectively known as Physicists) at various Universities in the Western World (Washington, Cambridge and Oxford) are conducting experiments to find out if we live in a 'Simulated Universe'. The theory states that as the processing power of computers inevitably gets better according to Moore's Law, we ourselves will have the ability to create a full blown simulation of the Universe. As a result of this then it is highly probable that any other technological civilization that may or may not exist besides ourselves would only need to of reached a slightly higher level of advanced computing to of achieved the same ability. Basically raising the statistical possibility it has been done before, meaning the amount of possible simulated Universes would be higher than real ones, and we have a better chance of being in a simulated one, than a real one. (are you still with me?)

I came across this article simply by researching the subject for myself as it is one that absolutely fascinates me, and this has been the case ever since I read the brilliant but short Sci-Fi novel 'Microcosmic God' by Theodore Sturgeon. 

The novel is about a hermit scientist, that creates a microcosm of intelligent beings, that far surpass his own mind which he names "Neoterics". It is hard not to read this story and instantly be inspired to think of our own reality compared to those small intelligent beings created in a lab for the voyeur of a scientist. I was fascinated by the thought that they, as intelligent as they were, had no knowledge they were just part of a bigger picture, of something even the "Neoterics" would struggle to comprehend. The novel and the scientist are plagued by corruption and greed, which is only carried out by the human characters of the story, implying that such things are a human trait. 

The book is a fascinating insight to the fact that we could be in fact part of a similar experiment, although somewhat far more complex. The subject fascinates me because if this was proved to be true, how would it affect us? Although I am not a religious man (but have always been intrigued by the concept) sometimes, when I ponder about it the thought makes me smile. To think that I am the product of a mind that I will never be able to comprehend. It would give meaning to the Universe, and as much as the vast emptiness of space seems to meet us with a quiet ignorance we could for the first time in human history look out to the stars and know, that we are not all. 

Have a read of the article for yourself. 

http://discovermagazine.com/2013/dec/09-do-we-live-in-the-matrix#.UqCUR8RdVi3

Dan.x

Got to love the natural beauty of winter.

Christmas

Its always at this time of year, i find myself thinking alot. Its evident that christmas is a religious festival of sorts, considering this, it seems a festival that is held in the middle of winter has been a tradition of many civilisations, especially in England, with the Vikings and Saxons pagan celebration of Yule, which still has meaning for christmas in the Nordic countries. Although its original meaning is almost redundant in the 21st century, i have always recognised the true essence of christmas, but never practised it as i am not a "christian" in the true sense of the term, i am just merely born into a western christian society, and have no religious views, even though this is the case, religion has always fascinated me.
Christmas always gets me thinking about the age old questioning of a higher deity, a supreme creator or designer, whom we could never comprehend beyond our small minds, i have many theories and opinions on God/Many Gods as a whole, reading about different cultures idea of their makers will always intrigue me, i personally dont think there was an almighty creator, but someone/thing to just maybe, set the wheels of human evolution in motion, be it extraterrestrial interference or experimentation, or a nice big chunk of rock slamming itself into earth, kickstarting life and sending it burning across many millenia.
Whatever it was, we always need to recognise the sheerly phenomenonal journey we have made to be where we are today. And because of this, we all deserve to a have a very merry christmas, and a very happy new year, so enjoy.