WOW - Horizon!

I've just sat through one of then most entertaining Horizon programmes with Alexi, my 12-year-old son.

The prog was about time travel and discussed the theoretical ways in which time travel could be achieved by talking to a number of leading physicists and a few cranks along the way. However, the final proposal had a very Matrix feel to it. They had concluded that physical time travel would be impossible of impractical and proposed that any sufficiently advance civilisation would have enough computing power to create a virtual universe that would enable them to achieve time travel. They then moved to suggest that they would not just create a single universe, but an infinite number of Ancestor Simulations. Their final conclusion was that we would be unable to tell if we were part of an Ancestor Simulations and the odds would be a billions and billions (very sagan-esque) to one against that we were real.

At this point in the programme, I looked across at Alexi and saw that his eyes were like saucers and he was just drooling, "Matrix..."

I wonder how he'll sleep tonight - TV at its best - mind expanding ;@)

WOW - Horizon!

I've just sat through one of then most entertaining Horizon programmes with Alexi, my 12-year-old son.

The prog was about time travel and discussed the theoretical ways in which time travel could be achieved by talking to a number of leading physicists and a few cranks along the way. However, the final proposal had a very Matrix feel to it. They had concluded that physical time travel would be impossible of impractical and proposed that any sufficiently advance civilisation would have enough computing power to create a virtual universe that would enable them to achieve time travel. They then moved to suggest that they would not just create a single universe, but an infinite number of Ancestor Simulations. Their final conclusion was that we would be unable to tell if we were part of an Ancestor Simulations and the odds would be a billions and billions (very sagan-esque) to one against that we were real.

At this point in the programme, I looked across at Alexi and saw that his eyes were like saucers and he was just drooling, "Matrix..."

I wonder how he'll sleep tonight - TV at its best - mind expanding ;@)