During an interview years ago, Elon Musk famously claimed there’s a “one in billions” chance that this is base reality. In other words, he believes it’s far more likely that we’re living in some simulation than in the original, foundational universe.
But what kind of simulation? A digital computer program? A spiritual matrix? That idea may sound bizarre – after all, everything feels real, doesn’t it?
Yet this isn’t just late-night dorm room talk. Some of the world’s most respected thinkers are taking the idea seriously. It’s not about rejecting science – it’s about following it to its farthest, strangest conclusions.
Let’s start with String Theory. It’s a theoretical framework in physics proposing that the fundamental building blocks of the universe aren’t particles, but tiny vibrating strings. These strings, depending on how they vibrate, give rise to all particles and forces—even gravity.
The math checks out, even if we haven’t proven it experimentally yet. It’s one of the best candidates for a “Theory of Everything” that could unify quantum mechanics with general relativity.
At the 2011 Isaac Asimov Memorial Debate titled “The Theory of Everything,” theoretical physicist Sylvester James Gates Jr. dropped a bombshell. He revealed that he found something astonishing embedded in the equations of string theory: patterns of “error-correcting codes” – the same kind used in computer programming to detect and correct mistakes.
Sitting next to him, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson reacted with stunned amazement: “You’re blowing my mind right now!”
Why would error-correcting codes appear in the fabric of the cosmos? Gates himself admitted he doesn’t know the implications yet. But the mere presence of such codes leads to a wild yet serious question: Could the universe itself be structured like a vast, intelligent computation?
That’s where the idea of the simulation arises.
On late-night TV, when asked if he thought we were living in a simulation, Neil deGrasse Tyson replied, “I wish I had a good argument against it, but I don’t …”
And while the science doesn’t prove this, it pushes our imagination into territory that philosophers, mystics, and spiritual traditions have been exploring for millennia: that reality is deeper than it appears.
It doesn’t mean we live in a video game controlled by aliens.
It might mean that the universe is information-rich, consciousness-infused, and governed by principles far beyond our current understanding.
My friend, physicist and laser pioneer Dr. Mani Bhaumik, wrote about this in his book Code Name God. He argues that modern physics, far from disproving a creator, points toward a transcendent source of intelligence.
That’s a powerful idea: that our minds are just beginning to awaken to truths already embedded in nature.
Dr. David Selbie, interpreting the implications of quantum physics, has emphasized: Our choices and behavior as conscious observers – not the accumulation of material goods – are what matter. Those things are transient illusions. True immortality lies in evolving consciousness beyond the physical hologram.
Similarly, Dr. Amit Goswami, a quantum physicist known for his explorations of consciousness, has stated: “Contrary to what they tell you, you are not a limited material being.”
This idea echoes something timeless. Whether through the lens of physics or philosophy, the message is the same: You are more than you think you are.
Quantum physics shows us that particles don’t even exist in fixed states until observed. They remain in a state of possibility. In a strange and very real way, attention shapes outcome. This isn’t just a metaphor – it’s physics, though interpretations vary.
So what does this mean for us?
It means we live in a participatory universe. That our focus, our awareness, our very act of observation – matters. That we are not passive passengers in reality, but active participants.
No, quantum physics doesn’t promise we can manifest Lamborghinis with our thoughts. But it does suggest something far greater: that we are wired into the very structure of existence, and our consciousness has weight in the world.
And that, perhaps, is the most hopeful message of all.
We are not powerless. We are not accidents. We are not limited.
We are participants in something vast, intelligent and alive.
The universe is not outside us. We are part of it. And the deeper we look, the more we realize:
We are more than we think we are
• Toby Moore is a Shaw Local News Network columnist, star of the Emmy-nominated film “A Separate Peace” and CEO of CubeStream Inc. He can be reached at feedback@shawmedia.com.