Image 1 of 2
Image 2 of 2
Simulation Hypothesis: Sci-Fi, Religion, Science, and Techno-Philosophy with Dr. Rizwan Virk, Founder of MIT Play Labs, Faculty Associate at ASU, Begins January 7
Nine Sessions Taught online via Zoom
Wednesdays, January 7 - March 4, 2026
7 - 9 pm ET (Final class might run long to allow for final presentations)
$135 Paid Patreon Members / $150 General Admission
Please note: All classes will be recorded for those unable to attend
Taught by the bestselling author of The Simulation Hypothesis and The Simulated Multiverse, this interdisciplinary course builds on the content of those books and is a based on the first college course taught at an academic institution about the newly emerging field of simulation theory and what it means for consciousness, religion and the future of humanity.
Today as the idea of virtual environments gains popularity through video games, virtual reality, Artificial Intelligence and the Metaverse, it’s natural to speculate about where it will all end up. The newly emerging field of simulation theory explores an idea that is being articulated by scientists, philosophers, theologists and more: that we live inside a simulated reality, like that depicted in science fiction like The Matrix. This course follows several threads that make up this exciting new field: Science Fiction, Technological Innovation, the Singularity, Quantum Mechanics, Religion and Philosophy.
Topics covered include the modern simulation argument, representations of virtual worlds in science fiction, the evolution and future of video games, the Metaverse and AI, and the intersection of simulation theory with Western and Eastern religions, as well as Western philosophical ideas about the nature of reality. This includes an interdisciplinary exploration of simulations we might create, and the big question: whether we might already be inside another civilizations simulation. We will also do a deep dive into whether simulation theory is a new religion, philosophy, or scientific hypothesis, or something else entirely that allows us to address age-old questions in a new way.
We will also look at simulation theory as a new kind of religion, what has been called “religion for atheists,” including it relationship with Eastern (Hinduism, Buddhism) and Western (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) traditions to explore how simulation theory does and does not agree with their outlook of the world. Finally, we delve into major debates about whether we should try to find out if we are in a simulation or not, using philosophical frameworks like Pascal’s wager and the Sim Trolley Problem.
Assignments will be kept to watching science fiction, and reading one or more chapters of the author's book(s) each week, with optional online readings. The lectures are recorded and you will watch those on your own, and we will have sessions roughly every 2 weeks to discuss the lectures, the science fiction, and the reading(s), for two modules. These real-time sessions will be used for discussion and feedback on certain key questions and not for lecturing. There are 9 modules and 5 online class sessions.
Schedule
Module 1: Introduction to the Simulation Hypothesis and the Simulation Argument
Online Session #1: for Modules 1 and Introduction -Jan 7
Module 2:Video Games, AR/VR, the Metaverse
Module 3: Western Philosophy and AI
Online Session #2: for Modules 2 and 3 - Jan 21
Module 4: Eastern Religions and the Simulation
Module 5: Western Religions and the Simulation
Online Session #3: for Modules 4, 5 - Feb 4
Module 6: Quantum Physics, the Simulation, the Multiverse
Module 7: Consciousness, Unexplained Phenomena, Glitches in the Matrix
Online Session #4: for Modules 6, 7 - Feb 18
Module 8: Downloading/Uploading Consciousness and Ethics of Simulations
Module 9: Living in the Simulation: What Does This Mean for Me?
Online Session #5: Wrapup for Modules 8, 9 - March 4
A graduate of MIT and Stanford, Dr. Rizwan Virk is a successful entrepreneur, video game pioneer, film producer, venture capitalist, computer scientist. He was the founder of Play Labs at MIT, is at ASU doing research and teaching classes at both the College of Global Futures and the Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University. He is the bestselling author of books such as The Simulation Hypothesis: An MIT Computer Scientists Shows Why AI, Quantum Physics and Eastern Mystics Agree We Are in a Video Game, The Simulated Multiverse, as well as Startup Myths & Models, Treasure Hunt, Zen Entrepreneurship and Wisdom of a Yogi.
Virk is currently also a venture partner at Griffin Gaming Partners, one of the leading video game VC funds in the world, and has invested in many successful startups including Discord, Theta Labs, Upland and Tapjoy. His startups have created software used by the Fortune 500, and they have created video games played by millions, including Tap Fish and games based on Game of Thrones, Star Trek, The Walking Dead, Grimm and Penny Dreadful.
Follow him @rizstanford (X), @rizcambridge (instagram), and at zenentrepreneur.com.
Images from The Matrix
Nine Sessions Taught online via Zoom
Wednesdays, January 7 - March 4, 2026
7 - 9 pm ET (Final class might run long to allow for final presentations)
$135 Paid Patreon Members / $150 General Admission
Please note: All classes will be recorded for those unable to attend
Taught by the bestselling author of The Simulation Hypothesis and The Simulated Multiverse, this interdisciplinary course builds on the content of those books and is a based on the first college course taught at an academic institution about the newly emerging field of simulation theory and what it means for consciousness, religion and the future of humanity.
Today as the idea of virtual environments gains popularity through video games, virtual reality, Artificial Intelligence and the Metaverse, it’s natural to speculate about where it will all end up. The newly emerging field of simulation theory explores an idea that is being articulated by scientists, philosophers, theologists and more: that we live inside a simulated reality, like that depicted in science fiction like The Matrix. This course follows several threads that make up this exciting new field: Science Fiction, Technological Innovation, the Singularity, Quantum Mechanics, Religion and Philosophy.
Topics covered include the modern simulation argument, representations of virtual worlds in science fiction, the evolution and future of video games, the Metaverse and AI, and the intersection of simulation theory with Western and Eastern religions, as well as Western philosophical ideas about the nature of reality. This includes an interdisciplinary exploration of simulations we might create, and the big question: whether we might already be inside another civilizations simulation. We will also do a deep dive into whether simulation theory is a new religion, philosophy, or scientific hypothesis, or something else entirely that allows us to address age-old questions in a new way.
We will also look at simulation theory as a new kind of religion, what has been called “religion for atheists,” including it relationship with Eastern (Hinduism, Buddhism) and Western (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) traditions to explore how simulation theory does and does not agree with their outlook of the world. Finally, we delve into major debates about whether we should try to find out if we are in a simulation or not, using philosophical frameworks like Pascal’s wager and the Sim Trolley Problem.
Assignments will be kept to watching science fiction, and reading one or more chapters of the author's book(s) each week, with optional online readings. The lectures are recorded and you will watch those on your own, and we will have sessions roughly every 2 weeks to discuss the lectures, the science fiction, and the reading(s), for two modules. These real-time sessions will be used for discussion and feedback on certain key questions and not for lecturing. There are 9 modules and 5 online class sessions.
Schedule
Module 1: Introduction to the Simulation Hypothesis and the Simulation Argument
Online Session #1: for Modules 1 and Introduction -Jan 7
Module 2:Video Games, AR/VR, the Metaverse
Module 3: Western Philosophy and AI
Online Session #2: for Modules 2 and 3 - Jan 21
Module 4: Eastern Religions and the Simulation
Module 5: Western Religions and the Simulation
Online Session #3: for Modules 4, 5 - Feb 4
Module 6: Quantum Physics, the Simulation, the Multiverse
Module 7: Consciousness, Unexplained Phenomena, Glitches in the Matrix
Online Session #4: for Modules 6, 7 - Feb 18
Module 8: Downloading/Uploading Consciousness and Ethics of Simulations
Module 9: Living in the Simulation: What Does This Mean for Me?
Online Session #5: Wrapup for Modules 8, 9 - March 4
A graduate of MIT and Stanford, Dr. Rizwan Virk is a successful entrepreneur, video game pioneer, film producer, venture capitalist, computer scientist. He was the founder of Play Labs at MIT, is at ASU doing research and teaching classes at both the College of Global Futures and the Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University. He is the bestselling author of books such as The Simulation Hypothesis: An MIT Computer Scientists Shows Why AI, Quantum Physics and Eastern Mystics Agree We Are in a Video Game, The Simulated Multiverse, as well as Startup Myths & Models, Treasure Hunt, Zen Entrepreneurship and Wisdom of a Yogi.
Virk is currently also a venture partner at Griffin Gaming Partners, one of the leading video game VC funds in the world, and has invested in many successful startups including Discord, Theta Labs, Upland and Tapjoy. His startups have created software used by the Fortune 500, and they have created video games played by millions, including Tap Fish and games based on Game of Thrones, Star Trek, The Walking Dead, Grimm and Penny Dreadful.
Follow him @rizstanford (X), @rizcambridge (instagram), and at zenentrepreneur.com.
Images from The Matrix