

With our brains plugged into virtual worlds all day, what is real? - dnetesn
http://nautil.us/issue/17/big-bangs/nature-pixelated

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omgitstom
This article hits close to home.

I spent a day at Oculus when they were evaluating my product (pre Facebook
acquisition) and we were able to play with some of their prototype headsets.
They had games, space sims, etc to check out. But the most shocking simulation
was just a bedroom, that was detailed out to the 9's. The developer was
articulate around textures and shades and it felt like I was in a real
bedroom. Taking off the headset, I felt shocked that that I wasn't removed
from my virtual world, it felt like an extension of the real world. It really
made me question what reality was and how sensory organs can be manipulated to
the point to think something is real when it isn't.

Another example is I am starting to feel a connection to digital bits that
probably shouldn't exist. I have built systems that have drawn a connection to
my identity through media that I collect. This system has been up for 8 years
(over a quarter of my life) and it has recently had a catastrophic failure. I
genuinely feel sad, and feel that I am missing a piece of myself, my identity.

I agree with the article that virtual worlds, social media, and digital
identity are skewing perceptions of reality. It will be interesting to see
what is on the other side of tunnel of these advancements. Hopefully it will
improve humanity and reality, not cloud or hurt it.

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devindotcom
Boy, while I think the author and I share a lot of ideas about the way people
are changing (perhaps not for the better) in response to the age of
information, this article is full of misconstruals and accusatory speculation.
The complaint is not new or original, and to me, the author's sentimentality
undermines her argument.

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JoeAltmaier
Physical adaptations of humans have Increased, not decreased, with the
invention of civilization. The last 50,000 years have seen more changes than
the previous million.

Why? Perhaps because the pressures of living in villages, towns, cities
requires a more sedentary, low-calorie low-aggression citizen. So we grow up
but stay more infantile (hairless, small chins, eager to please, social) so we
can cohabitate by the millions without killing one another.

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mjklin
'Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.' \-
Philip K. Dick

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beamatronic
One way to find out what is real very quickly is to apply for a loan to buy a
home.

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ryanlol
Really depends on how much effort you put into it.

