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When it’s late at night, you’re tired and staring up at the night sky, no good can come from overthinking. And yet, that’s what we’re good at; overthinking shit and getting too deep into the rabbit hole.
These theories here, are so deep and crazy that they’re actually terrifying if you let them fester in your brain. They question our place in the universe, our role on earth and the nature of reality itself.
I need to lie down, man
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A False Vacuum Universe
In simple terms (because it’s really a complicated metaphysical issue), this theory suggests that we’re in a region of space (within a larger universe) that appears to be stable, but could theoretically collapse at any moment. If you imagine our universe like a bubble in the bottom of a boiling pot of water. Eventually that bubble rises to the surface and pops, or just pops within the water. In either case, what little universe inside the bubble, just disappeared.
Even after billions of years, there’s no way to know when we’ll go, or even prove or disprove this theory.
Read more HERE
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The Great Filter
This theory looks at how the universe has the potential for life, yet we haven’t found anything. There’s an idea that somewhere between pre-life and an advanced civilization that can colonize the stars, is some sort of cosmic filter and ends life. So where do we fit in?
There are three scenarios about humanity’s place in the cosmos. The first suggests that we’re rare and have already passed the Great Filter. This means we won’t find life anywhere else. We’re truly alone.
The second suggests that we’re the first to pass the Great Filter and now the universe is finally friendly towards progress, and in a matter of time, other civilizations will too.
Finally, the third scenario suggests we haven’t hit the Filter yet, which means we’re truly fucked. If there’s no other signs of life out there, ancient or otherwise, what hope do we have to survive?
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The Brain in a Vat
This is the result of thought experiments that tries to analyze our perception of knowledge, reality, truth, mind and meaning. It assumes that the brain is the computer that processes everything. All of the inputs that the brain gets, are electrical impulses that it receives from the eyes, ears, nerves, etc. Essentially, the brain doesn’t know anything independently, it only knows what it’s told by those impulses. And those impulses can be hacked.
This is the result of thought experiments that tries to analyze our perception of knowledge, reality, truth, mind and meaning. It assumes that the brain is the computer that processes everything. All of the inputs that the brain gets, are electrical impulses that it receives from the eyes, ears, nerves, etc. Essentially, the brain doesn’t know anything independently, it only knows what it’s told by those impulses. And those impulses can be hacked.
What if these external impulses aren’t real? The brain doesn’t know the difference, it just knows what we tell it to. We could literally be a brain in a jar, being fed false impulses for our entire lives by an external source. Or conversely, this could be all a big hallucination because you have no stimulation.
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Higher Dimensional Beings
Our perspective is based on our 3D view of the world. If you were to encounter a 2D person, you would literally be invisible to them from a certain perspective-namely, looking at them from above. The same goes for a 4D being. They could be looking at you from a 4th dimension, and you’ll never know they’re there. Unless they want you to know they’re there.
Our perspective is based on our 3D view of the world. If you were to encounter a 2D person, you would literally be invisible to them from a certain perspective-namely, looking at them from above. The same goes for a 4D being. They could be looking at you from a 4th dimension, and you’ll never know they’re there. Unless they want you to know they’re there.
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The Fermi Paradox
This is the existential question on everyone’s mind; are we truly alone in the universe? The Paradox states that there is a contradiction between the lack of evidence, yet high probability that there are extraterrestrial civilizations out there.
This is the existential question on everyone’s mind; are we truly alone in the universe? The Paradox states that there is a contradiction between the lack of evidence, yet high probability that there are extraterrestrial civilizations out there.
Basically, there are billions of stars, with a high probability that some of those stars have earth-like planets, some billions of years older than us. Some of those must have developed interstellar travel by now, and sometime in the past million years, some one must have come for a visit.
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Roko’s Basilisk
This is the proposition that an all-powerful artificially intelligent being in the future will punish those who didn't get involved in their existence. Essentially, if you don't believe AI is possible, or you do believe, but didn't do anything about it, Skynet will getcha.
This is the proposition that an all-powerful artificially intelligent being in the future will punish those who didn't get involved in their existence. Essentially, if you don't believe AI is possible, or you do believe, but didn't do anything about it, Skynet will getcha.
Within the bigger context of rational thinking, this begs the question of believing in something, just to avoid a future punishment. It's pretty much the core belief of any religion out there; believing in a higher power just in case he exists, just to make it into heaven, valhalla or whatever afterlife you believe in.
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The Terror Management Theory
This is a very depressing one. It suggest that everything humanity has ever accomplished, has been motivated by a fundamental fear of non-existence. Essentially, we’re afraid of dying, not-existing or being forgotten, so we do things to prolong our lives and leave a mark. We create art, develop medicines and tech, and procreate.
This is a very depressing one. It suggest that everything humanity has ever accomplished, has been motivated by a fundamental fear of non-existence. Essentially, we’re afraid of dying, not-existing or being forgotten, so we do things to prolong our lives and leave a mark. We create art, develop medicines and tech, and procreate.
We also seek comfort in ideas of biological kinship, of not being alone and affiliate ourselves with arbitrary ideas of national/political identity, religion, faith and other social constructs.
Basically, everything we’ve ever done, is because we’re afraid to confront death, and to do it alone.
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Quantum Suicide
This is basically a spin on the idea of Schrödinger’s Cat & Many Worlds Theory, that there are points where things do or don’t happen, and each decision is a branching point for a new universe where you did or didn’t do the thing. Still with me?
This is basically a spin on the idea of Schrödinger’s Cat & Many Worlds Theory, that there are points where things do or don’t happen, and each decision is a branching point for a new universe where you did or didn’t do the thing. Still with me?
This thought experiment essentially rigs a gun to a quantum particle. If it’s spinning clockwise, the gun fires. If it’s spinning counter-clockwise, it doesn’t. But each time you pull the trigger, the universe is split in two because the gun does and doesn’t fire.
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The Transcension Hypothesis
This theory suggests that once civilizations saturate their local region of space with their intelligence, we’ll reach a microscopic technological singularity, create a black hole and leave our visible bodies behind. This explains the Fermi Paradox – we’ve evolved so much that we’ve become beings of pure energy and at one with the universe. Older civilizations are everywhere and nowhere all at once.
This theory suggests that once civilizations saturate their local region of space with their intelligence, we’ll reach a microscopic technological singularity, create a black hole and leave our visible bodies behind. This explains the Fermi Paradox – we’ve evolved so much that we’ve become beings of pure energy and at one with the universe. Older civilizations are everywhere and nowhere all at once.
If you watch this VIDEO, it’ll explain it better than I can.
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The Sixth Extinction
According to scientists, we’re currently living within the 6th mass extinction the world has ever seen. In our lifetime, plants and animal species are dying off because of us. We’re considered an unprecedented global predator that preys on everything beneath us.
According to scientists, we’re currently living within the 6th mass extinction the world has ever seen. In our lifetime, plants and animal species are dying off because of us. We’re considered an unprecedented global predator that preys on everything beneath us.
Sooner, rather than later, we’re gonna prey ourselves into extinction. That’s a real fact.
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Yep, I’m scared.
The Fear Management Theory is just plain existentialism. We are motivated by our anxiety to explore so we can find meaning. While certainly it is death that frightens us, it is having no purpose, no meaning, that keeps us awake while we're alive.
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