We went to see T3 today. I was actually quite impressed, since I really wasn't expecting much more than some big explosions and corny Arny humor. Basically, I went in expecting a desperate attempt to milk money out of a dying actor and a plot that started 15 years ago. Instead, what I got was a movie with good action, nifty special effects and, believe it or not, an ending that was rather thought provoking.

Afterwards we went to Josh's and hung out until 3am. In the course of the evening, we had some interesting discussions, but one of them was about religion. Somewhere in our religious discussions, the question of fate came up. What I liked about T3 was that it suggested that there was such thing as fate: an inevitable course of events that can not be altered by choice or chance. A notion which, until a few years ago, I would have vehemently denied; after all, most teenagers can't stand the thought of a destined life, where we have no choice.

But recently, I've began to think otherwise. I started to change my mind when I realized that the universe as we know it, isn't a physical existence, but a virtual one (i.e. software, not hardware). Here's my proof:

Imagine any physical object, then examine it at the atomic level. What you will find is, of course, a bunch of atoms. Look at the atom closely and you will notice that it is mostly empty space. What gives physical objects physical properties is the work of inter-atomic and inter-molecular forces. The stronger the forces between atoms and molecules the more solid the object feels. What are forces? Forces, really, are rules; they dictate how strongly atoms and molecules bond together under certain conditions. What are rules? Rules, are arbitrary concepts, known as algorithms in the computer and mathematical world. In other words, what makes physical objects tangible entities isn't actually the substance they are made of, but universal algorithms.

Now let's step back a bit and look at objects as objects. For example, a rock. Pick up a rock, and let it go. It falls, thanks to gravity. What is gravity? I've heard various rumors about there being gravity waves and such, but at least when I took physics a few years ago, I was taught that gravity was really more like a rule too. When you had objects with masses, a force of a certain strength existed between them. In fact, IIRC there was even a formula for caluculating the strength of gravity, and formulas are, of course, another word for algorithms.

Now, let's look at the universe. The universe is filled with physical objects (which are really algorithms) behaving according to various laws (again, algorithms). In other words, we have algorithms affecting algorithms. Now, what do we call such systems? To me, that sounds an awful lot like a software program.

Hopefully you'll at least understand the logic behind my claim that the universe is software. Now, let's talk about fate. What is fate? In my books, fate is a course of events that are pre-determined. If the universe is just one huge software, perhaps it would help to look at software as we know them. Is the course of events in an autonomous computer program (such as a simulation) pre-determined? Yes, I believe so. A computer program that does not rely on external factors (i.e. random variables, external input) runs in a very predictable manner. You can run it over and over and over and it will always return the same results. The programmer would also be able to predict the outcome as well. So in that sense, yes, within such programs, fate exists.

The attentive reader would have no doubt noticed how I said "a computer program that does not rely on external factors" instead of simply "any computer program". This is an important distinction, of course, since any such external influences and random variables would render the program's exection unpredictable. Since it's behavior is not pre-determined, fate would not exist in such systems.

This essentially boils the question of the universe down to this: are there "random variables" or "external influences" in Universe 1.0? As for the "external influences" I'm tempted to say "no", since by my definition, there is no world outside Universe 1.0. What about "random variables"? This is a little trickier since we must contemplate the very nature (and existence of) "random". In my books, "random" doesn't really exist; it's merely a label for statistical anomalies that we can not yet explain. In our world, random number generators are essentially algorithms that perform calculations on various variables to generate values in sequences that appear relatively random. However, no true random number generator has ever been created, and if you ask me, none will ever be created. So if "random" is only a concept and not something that exists in reality, I would also factor that out of Universe 1.0. After all, even if it appears random to us, it was generated by this software system that we know as the universe. Given these assumptions, my conclusion would be that fate indeed exists.

But that's not the end of it. I see the universe as being a lot like a complex computer simulation. Simulations are, of course, algorithms that operate on known sets of data and variables. In that sense, they have pre-determined results and hence, within such systems, fate would exist. However, here's the twist: The process of predicting the results would require that the simulation actually be run (which really isn't "predicting" at all). In other words, simulations generate results that are pre-determined yet non-predictable (as in, they can not be predicted before execution, not that the execution is random/erratic and hence unpredictable).

I think life is a lot like that. Even if every single moment of our lives has been pre-determined, the only way for us to find out about it is to actually live our lives. It's a lot like walking down a pitch dark corridor. Who cares if you're walking down a straight closed-off hall way? The fact that you can't see 3 inches ahead of you will make it exciting enough (if you don't believe me, try it sometime).

Sing to the tunes from Monty Python's "Lumberjack Song":

I'm a hacker and I'm okay
I code all night and I sleep all day

He's a hacker and he's okay
He codes all night and he sleeps all day

I hack out code, I drink caffein, I go to LAN parties
On Wednesdays I go gamin', and frag script kiddies for fun

He hacks out code, he drinks caffein, he goes to LAN parties
On Wednesdays he goes gamin', and frags script kiddies for fun

[chorus]

I hack out code, I don't go out, I like to over clock
I only wear black clothing, and hang around online.

He hacks out code, he won't go out, he likes to over clock.
He only wears black clothing, and hangs around online.

[chorus]

I hack out code, I don't get laid, I despise Microsoft.
I wish I owned a T3, or even some fiber.

He's a hacker and he's okay
He codes all night and he sleeps all day

He's a hacker and he's okay
He codes all night and he sleeps all day