Taught online via Zoom
Wednesdays, September 6 - November 1 
7 - 9 pm ET  / 4 - 6 pm PT (Final class might run long to allow for final presentations)

Please note: All classes will be recorded for those unable to attend

Taught by the bestselling author of The Simulation Hypothesis and The Simulated Multiverse, this interdisciplinary course builds on the content of those books and is based on the first college course taught at an academic institution about the newly emerging field of simulation theory and what it means for consciousness, religion and the future of humanity.

Today as the idea of virtual environments gains popularity through video games, virtual reality, Artificial Intelligence and the Metaverse, it’s natural to speculate about where it will all end up. The newly emerging field of simulation theory explores an idea that is being articulated by scientists, philosophers, theologists and more: that we live inside a simulated reality, like that  depicted in science fiction like The Matrix. This course follows several threads that make up this exciting new field: Science Fiction, Technological Innovation, the Singularity, Quantum Mechanics, Religion and Philosophy.  

Topics covered include the modern simulation argument, representations of virtual worlds in science fiction, the evolution and future of video games, the Metaverse and AI, and the intersection of simulation theory with Western and Eastern religions, as well as Western philosophical ideas about the nature of reality. This includes an interdisciplinary exploration of simulations we might create, and the big question: whether we might already be inside another civilizations simulation. We will also do a deep dive into whether simulation theory is a new religion, philosophy, or scientific hypothesis, or something else entirely that allows us to address age-old questions in a new way.

We will also look at simulation theory as a new kind of religion, what has been called “religion for atheists,” including it relationship with Eastern (Hinduism, Buddhism) and Western (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) traditions to explore how simulation theory does and does not agree with their outlook of the world. Finally, we delve into major debates about whether we should try to find out if we are in a simulation or not, using philosophical frameworks like Pascal’s wager and the Sim Trolley Problem. 

Assignments (which are optional) will include watching or reading science fiction, reading chapters of my books, and articles/papers about simulation theory. The final project (also optional) will give you the opportunity to present what you have learned and reflect on one or more of the threads that make up this project.

Schedule

• Module 1: Introduction to the Simulation Hypothesis and the Simulation Argument

• Module 2: Video Games, AR/VR, the Metaverse, and AI 

• Module 3: Western Philosophy

• Module 4:  Eastern Religions and the Simulation

• Module 5: Western Religions and the Simulation

• Module 6: Quantum Physics, the Simulation, the Multiverse

• Module 7: Consciousness, Unexplained Phenomena, Glitches in the Matrix

• Module 8: Downloading/Uploading Consciousness and Ethics of Simulations 

• Module 9: Living in the Simulation: What Does This Mean for Me? and Final Presentations   

A graduate of MIT and Stanford, Rizwan Virk is a successful entrepreneur, video game pioneer, film producer, venture capitalist, computer scientist. He was the founder of Play Labs at MIT, and is currently doing a PhD and teaching classes at both the College of Global Futures and the Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University. He is the bestselling author of books such as The Simulation Hypothesis: An MIT Computer Scientists Shows Why AI, Quantum Physics and Eastern Mystics Agree We Are in a Video Game, Startup Myths & Models: What You Won't Learn in Business School, Treasure Hunt: Follow Your Inner Clues to Find True Success, and Zen Entrepreneurship.  

Virk is currently also a venture partner at Griffin Gaming Partners, one of the leading video game VC funds in the world, and has invested in many successful startups including Discord, Theta Labs, Upland and Tapjoy.  His startups have created software used by the Fortune 500, and they have created video games played by millions, including Tap Fish and games based on Game of Thrones, Star Trek, The Walking Dead, Grimm and Penny Dreadful. Follow him @rizstanford, and at zenentrepreneur.com.

Images from The Matrix