Curt Jaimungal: Why I Don't Buy the Simulation Hypothesis (Nor Materialism)

As a listener of TOE you can get a special 20% off discount to The Economist and all it has to offer! Visit https://www.economist.com/toe One week ago, I (Curt Jaimungal) was invited to Niagara University to give the Peggy and John Day University Honors Endowed Lecture, which was quite the privilege and honor. The lecture focuses on metaphysics. I explain extremely simply the arguments for you being a “simulation,” the arguments against it, and where I personally land. Then I do the same for “materialism.” Join My New Substack (Personal Writings): https://curtjaimungal.substack.com Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gL14b92xAErofYQA7bU4e Timestamps: - 00:00 - Simulation vs. Materialism - 05:04 - Mistakes Intellectuals Make - 10:12 - The Simulation Mythology - 16:46 - Bayesian Errors & Glitches - 23:22 - Principle of Indifference Flaws - 29:07 - The Case Against Materialism / Physicalism - 35:28 - Nested Consciousness Problem - 42:36 - Q&A: Modern Dualism? - 50:51 - Debating Indifference Principle Links mentioned: - Niagara University’s 2025 Fall Speaker Series: https://www.niagara.edu/academics/initiatives-and-institutes/fall-speaker-series/ - Michael Barnwell [Site]: https://www.philosophy4business.com/ - David Deutsch [TOE]: https://youtu.be/vKeWv-cdWkM - Roger Penrose [TOE]: https://youtu.be/sGm505TFMbU - David Chalmers [TOE]: https://youtu.be/RH5qjdHhtBk - The Most Abused Theorem in Math [TOE]: https://youtu.be/OH-ybecvuEo - The Mandela Effect: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_memory#Mandela_effect - Efron’s Dice: https://mathworld.wolfram.com/EfronsDice.html - String Theory Iceberg [TOE]: https://youtu.be/X4PdPnQuwjY - Emily Adlam & Jacob Barandes [TOE]: https://youtu.be/rw1ewLJUgOg - Tim Maudlin [TOE]: https://youtu.be/fU1bs5o3nss SUPPORT: - Become a YouTube Member (Early Access Videos): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdWIQh9DGG6uhJk8eyIFl1w/join - Support me on Patreon: https://patreon.com/curtjaimungal - Support me on Crypto: https://commerce.coinbase.com/checkout/de803625-87d3-4300-ab6d-85d4258834a9 - Support me on PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=XUBHNMFXUX5S4 SOCIALS: - Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOEwithCurt - Discord Invite: https://discord.com/invite/kBcnfNVwqs Guests do not pay to appear. Theories of Everything receives revenue solely from viewer donations, platform ads, and clearly labelled sponsors; no guest or associated entity has ever given compensation, directly or through intermediaries. #science Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices