You may remember that I spent my Italian honeymoon doing three things in equal proportions: eating carbs, hanging out with my new husband honeymoon-style, and reading Brian Greene’s The Hidden Reality. I assumed I’d come back to the states filled with inspiration for stories set in Italy. These stories would be brimming over with history, ruins, organ music, romance, red wine, etc., etc., etc. Instead, the only story to come out of my first sojourn to Europe is a little sci-fi story inspired by Brian Greene’s book and live today at Daily Science Fiction. The story is called “Rules for Living in a Simulation” and it is proper science fiction. You can read a bit about what inspired this story over there as well.
I’m positively stoked to make a contribution to the sci-fi genre since I’ve been a huge fan of it since I could read. The first story I ever remember writing was about an alien invasion (and it turns out, surprise!, we’re the aliens). I even had an unfortunate accident where I paralyzed my right eyebrow trying to emulate my hero, Rod Serling (in case you’re wondering, this is why I always look sarcastic and why my face is becoming progressively more lopsided as the years go on). But that’s another story altogether.
Today’s story is about simulated universes and why we all need to be kind. Here’s the opening to encourage you to click over to the full story:
Listen. We’re fairly certain it’s true. The laws of the universe just don’t make sense the way they should and it’s more and more apparent with every atom of gold we run through the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider and every electron we smash up at the Large Hadron Collider that we are living in a universe especially constructed for us. And, since we all know infinities cannot be constructed, we must conclude that our universe has been simulated.
It’s likely that this surprises you. It might even make you short of breath for a moment or two, but don’t worry. Your worry itself is proof that you’re sentient. The dualists and physicalists were both wrong; you don’t need a brain to make a mind. You are proof of that. So is your mother. So is your dog-walker. So is the first girl you ever kissed. So is everyone you know. Or, more precisely, everyone you think you know. Everything you think and feel is real, even though it isn’t.
It’s only natural that you’d like to keep on with your simulated living, as would we. To that end we’ve devised some rules and would ask for your compliance for the mutual benefit of all involved.
Aubrey Hirsch 