First introduced in its modern form by philosopher Nick Bostrom in 2003, the Simulation Hypothesis quickly captured imaginations worldwide. It suggests that our universe, and everything we perceive as reality, could essentially be an elaborate simulation created by an incredibly advanced civilization. At first glance, this might sound like science fiction—but a surprising number of scientists, philosophers, and even technology leaders think this idea deserves serious consideration.

But before we start questioning reality itself, let’s break down precisely what the Simulation Hypothesis claims.

In his influential paper, Nick Bostrom proposed a fascinating logical trilemma—a scenario offering three possible outcomes for any advanced civilization capable of creating sophisticated simulations:

Advanced civilizations inevitably go extinct before reaching the capability of creating realistic ancestor simulations.