The Simulated Multiverse

Are we living within a huge computer simulation? Does it work like a video game that can be replayed, over and over again, to attain a better conclusion? Is that replay effect giving many of us deja vu? In The Simulated Multiverse, a MIT computer scientist tries to untangle the truth from the fiction.

Okay, first of all, this is not just pop science. It helps to be well-educated or just plain smart to follow along on the wild ride down the possibility slide contained within this book. Does the author scientifically prove anything? No. But he does present some very intriguing possibilities that aren’t disproven by known facts.

I find science, especially new theories, fascinating. The Simulated Multiverse is an eye-opener on multiple levels. If you liked A Glitch in the Matrix, or The Matrix itself, this book goes even deeper into those same rabbit holes.

This book would also be great for science fiction writers who want to add some unusual plot points or settings to their novels. For me, The Simulated Multiverse is easily worth 5 stars and is a favorite!

Thanks to Bayview Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Rizwan Virk tackles some complex, multifaceted ideas and explains them very well; (no simple task). This book is by no means an easy read; but it is a rewarding one. I feel that my mind has been opened up to things that I had only skimmed before. The writing has very good flow. A good 4.5/5 stars for the technical readers among us. My one complaint: there were more references to the author’s previous book (the Simulation Hypothesis) than were necessary. It came across as giving it too much of a plug.
The book explores scientific areas such as physics, computer science, quantum physics, and quantum computing; with science fiction as inspiration to investigate the idea of the simulated multiverse. There is the “idea that we live in a virtual garden of forking paths”; (a quote from Jorge Luis Borges).
Starting with the works of Philip K Dick, there are many movie, story, and TV series references used to help explain different people’s thoughts and approaches on the subject; and just how much these ideas have permeated present day culture.
Explanations are very well done. A favourite quote of mine explaining quantum computing: “a qubit is a classical bit that has, for lack of a better analogy, gotten drunk and can’t decide whether its value should be 0 or 1”. Scientific reading rarely makes one laugh out loud, but the author managed this in a few places while still taking the topic very seriously.