Jailbreaking the Simulation with George Hotz | SXSW 2019
Why Hacker News recommends it
Shared in simulation-argument threads as an entertaining, hacker-minded take, though some commenters criticize Hotz himself.
What it is
George Hotz gives a SXSW 2019 talk on the idea that we live in a simulation and asks what actions would be available from inside it. He takes a hacker's view of whether it could be escaped.
Recommended by 3 HN commenters across 3 different months, 2020 to 2023.
What Hacker News said
Recommends sheepdestroyer · 2020-10 · on “Do We Live in a Simulation? Chances Are about 50–50”
Exactly. This is the topic of this entertaining talk by geohot (of iPhone and PlayStation jailbreak fame) : [this video] That's why this subject is not just theoretical/philosophical, but has potentially actionable ramifications with universe level consequences.
Recommends MaggiD · 2021-07 · on “What are the odds we are living in a computer simulation? (2016)”
Not complete without linking to Georg Hotz (geohot) talk at SXSW: "Jailbreaking the Simulation" He's taking the hacker's perspective and exploring if the simulation would be hackable from inside. [this video]
Recommends chatmasta · 2023-04 · on “Ask HN: Who are the real pioneers and contrarian visionaries in tech?”
George Hotz was the first to jailbreak the iPhone, and also gave a presentation called "Jailbreaking the Simulation" [0] which is as wild and thought-provoking of an idea as it sounds. It's worth a watch. [0] [this video]
Cites Issaclabs · 2021-03 · on “Geohot hops into the briar patch with Corey and Dixon”
Show notes: Geohot hops into the briar patch with Corey and Dixon. Check out Comma AI's work on the Android of cars: [LINK] Hotz's SXSW talk: [this video]
Cites mistermann · 2021-04 · on “A Bayesian Approach to the Simulation Argument”
It's also contradictory to the answer Feyneman gave in his "Aunt Minnie is in the hospital" story in response to being asked "If you get hold of two magnets, and you push them, you can feel this pushing between them. Turn them around the other way, and they slam together. Now, what is it, the feeling between those two magnets?": [LINK] A somewhat similar approach can be taken to the simulation question itself - rather than the default response of pondering the likelihood of it being true or how it might be implemented, I much prefer the ~"Is there any utility in the question itself?" approach taken by George Hotz starting at the 2:30 point in this interview on the Lex Fridman podcast: [LINK]
Critical ramesh31 · 2022-10 · on “I’m taking some time away from Comma”
>I’d suggest some strong psychedelics to crack the ego and take a look at what’s inside. I'd submit that his use of psychedelics is precisely the issue. There was a really odd "/r/Im14AndThisIsDeep" talk he did a few years ago: [this video] It's been a pretty steady decline into run of the mill schizo "demons and angels" talk from him since then.