This Simulated Life
The Times, They Are A-Changing. Literally. Retroactively. Maybe.
Can the past change? From the Berenstain Bears to Darth Vader, the so-called Mandela Effect has caught the imagination of the internet. Nelson Mandela, the eponymous statesman who died in 2013, is remembered by many to have died in prison in the 1980’s. We could dismiss this as a misremembered morsel of history, if not for the thousands who misremember it in the same way. Are things actually changing, leaving residual mental impressions in some people? Or is this just the way false memories manifest in a networked world? Join us for the season finale of Planet of the Meekrats as we explore the phenomenon, discuss emerging theories of the multiverse, and ask the question: what is real?
Our theme song is by Tawny Frogmouth.
Further Reading
Dave would like to apologize for saying Pikachu’s tail is white. It is, of course, chartreuse.
Our Mathematical Universe by Max Tegmark on GoodReads
The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality by Brian Greene on GoodReads
The Simulation Argument by Nick Bostrom (plus discussion)
Plato’s Allegory of the Cave and Why It’s Still Relevant Today by Jessica Schrader on Psychology Today
Scientists Implant and Then Reverse False Memories in People by Sofia Quaglia on io9.com
Rashomon on Criteron
Dave’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Lego diorama, featuring Spider-Man and Daredevil
