Comments (16) Jump to Comments Form

1. 

   Margueritem said, 10 months ago

   Is it?

2. 

   Geekologist said, 10 months ago

   If the universe was a computer program, it would be a virus.

3. 

   JDG said, 10 months ago

   Good one Geeko!

4. 

   pschearer said, 10 months ago

   Arguments of this type, beginning with “How do you know X isn’t…”, are traps that no one should ever step into.

   It is perhaps the most common ploy of philosophical skepticism, asking you to suddenly doubt your lifetime of experience on the turn of one arbitrary question. It assumes you know the meaning of words like “reality”, “computer”, and “program”, but maybe all of your knowledge is invalid? Come off it!

   Other variants of this argument include how do you know you are not a brain in a jar or that reality isn’t just a dream. Don’t fall for it, people! Your senses and logic are valid!

   Not that I think the brilliant cartoonist actually is questioning reality or human knowledge, but I couldn’t resist warning against this common argument aimed at attacking the validity of the human mind.

5. 

   JDG said, 10 months ago

   Pschearer: Are we gonna get a bill for this advice??

6. 

   JDG said, 10 months ago

   Pschearer: Are we gonna get a bill for this advice??

7. 

   Doctor Toon said, 10 months ago

   Philosophy 101 - a bit of a snoozer of a class, but it does give you some fun stuff to use to mess with other peoples heads.

8. 

   wndrwrthg said, 10 months ago

   “And still it’s all a speck amid a hundred billion stars
   In a galaxy we call the Milky Way.
   It’s sixty thousand trillion miles from one end to the other
   And still that’s just a fraction of the way.
   ‘Cause there’s a hundred billion galaxies that stretch across the sky
   Filled with constellations, planets, moons and stars.
   And still the universe extends to a place that never ends
   Which is maybe just inside a little jar”!
   Yakkos Universe Song
   Animaniacs

9. 

   Bixby1999 said, 10 months ago

   And if a tree falls in the middle of the woods, would anyone care???

10. 

    Mac said, 10 months ago

    Someone once raised this question to me, but I decided I can’t possibly be a simulation. If I were, I would have crashed long ago.

11. 

    Fenyugreek Tubbsbott... said, 10 months ago

    And now Ladies and Gentlemen, for your enjoyment and auditory pleasure, and to assist in knowing the meaning of life….

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2JU4gX6rg8

    pschearer:
    Liked your comment.

    …

12. 

    SherlockWatson said, 10 months ago

    Looks to me like Rickard is just a fan of the MIB movies.

13. 

    The Knight Who Says ... said, 10 months ago

    Pretty profound coming from Brewster.

14. 

    alan_pae said, 10 months ago

    How do I know that pschearer isn’t just another computer program and he’s just saying that to confuse me into thinking that he’s really a human being?

15. 

    Kyler said, 10 months ago

    If we are just some virtual simulation, then hear this, guy at the computer screen watching our every move! I’ll come and get you one day! Just you wait! And when I get my hands on you, I’ll-“FILE DELETED”

16. 

    Johanan Rakkav said, 10 months ago

    pschearer: Arbitrary and UNTESTABLE question, at that. :)

    I loved watching on STARTREK.COM how that question kept on being posed in a certain form during live chats (by the same person, perhaps): “How do I know that’s really you at the other end?” Everyone being interviewed (that I saw) asked the questioner the same question! :D