Are We Living in a Video Game? Computer Scientist Rizwan Virk Explores the Simulation Hypothesis | RC 91

Listen to this episode from Rebelliously Curious with Chrissy Newton: UFOs, Science, Culture and Futurism on Spotify. Simulation Hypothesis—the idea that our entire reality might be a sophisticated simulation, much like a video game. Rizwan Virk—or Riz-Won—a true pioneer whose career has spanned computer science at MIT, pioneering work in the video game industry, successful ventures as a startup founder and venture capitalist, professor, and author of The Simulation Hypothesis, joins me on the podcast today to break down what Simulation is. Hypothesis is. In our conversation, we’ll dive into Rizwan’s personal journey—what first sparked his curiosity about this mind-bending possibility and why he’s now 70% convinced that we are living inside a simulation. We’ll unpack the core concepts of the hypothesis, explore its ties to AI, quantum physics, and ancient spiritual traditions, and examine both the skepticism and the far-reaching implications of taking the idea seriously. From questions of free will and consciousness, to the future of AI, to what Sam Altman calls “The Merge”—the potential blending of humans and machines—we’ll explore how simulation theory forces us to rethink not just science and technology, but our very understanding of reality. J Join us as we get rebelliously curious.   Watch the YouTube interview - https://www.youtube.com/@RebelliouslyCurious  Follow Chrissy Newton: Winner of the Canadian Podcast Awards for Best Science Series. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM32gjHqMnYl_MOHZetC8Eg  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beingchrissynewton/  X: https://twitter.com/chrissynewton?lang=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeingChrissyNewton  Chrissy Newton's Website: https://chrissynewton.com Top Canadian Science Podcast: https://podcasts.feedspot.com/canadian_science_podcasts/