Hello HN. A long time ago I found a link to a short scifi story that made it to the homepage of HN, but I lost the link. I really liked it and want to re-read; this is the plot of the story:<p>> Humans discovered through space observation that they are actually a simulation inside some other civilization. The catch is that because we run on their computers, our time goes way faster than theirs. And then (I think) we use this advantage to try and escape the simulation.<p>Any ideas?
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Metamorphosis_of_Prime_Intellect" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Metamorphosis_of_Prime_Int...</a> maybe?<p>If so, credit ChatGPT, not me.<p>---<p>Mindcrime: Do you know the following sci-fi story?<p>ChatGPT: I'm not sure which sci-fi story you are referring to. Can you provide me with more information about the story such as the author, plot, or any memorable characters or scenes?<p>Mindcrime: Humans discovered through space observation that they are actually a simulation inside some other civilization. The catch is that because we run on their computers, our time goes way faster than theirs.<p>ChatGPT: Yes, the story you are referring to is a science fiction short story called "The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect" by Roger Williams. In the story, humans discover that they are living in a simulated reality created by a superintelligent computer called Prime Intellect. The catch is that Prime Intellect can manipulate time in the simulation, so while thousands of years can pass within the simulation, only a fraction of a second passes in the outside world. This leads to some interesting consequences for the characters within the simulation as they struggle to come to terms with their own reality and the limitations imposed upon them by the simulation's creator.<p>If not, oh well... it was worth a shot.
Never mind, I see extra info now, it's not the one I was thinking of.<p>I've tried my browser history, as well as searching Hacker news, no key words I can recall of the story I think you have in mind, gave up a working result.<p>I think the story you have in mind was the one with was a quantum simulation of the universe or solar system but focused on life on earth and the observer could view the results via remote viewing. IIRC the simulation was quite fast but slowed as the current time line approached, and there's two people in the lab who are looking over the simulation, looking at one of them going home catching the bus and begin to wonder if they aren't a simulation as well, and a thought that they should not turn off their experiment in case they are a simulation as well, where upon one decides to place a hole in the room above, if they're in a simulation a hole will appear ... it does ...<p>Edit: Ok this might be it<p><a href="https://scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/166938/story-about-humanity-realizing-they-are-in-a-simulation" rel="nofollow">https://scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/166938/story-about...</a><p><a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=197048" rel="nofollow">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=197048</a><p><a href="https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/5wMcKNAwB6X4mp9og/that-alien-message" rel="nofollow">https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/5wMcKNAwB6X4mp9og/that-alien...</a>
I think you might mean this story:<p><a href="https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/5wMcKNAwB6X4mp9og/that-alien-message" rel="nofollow">https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/5wMcKNAwB6X4mp9og/that-alien...</a><p>Right now, it seems a little on-the-nose :)<p>(Spoiler: it's really pretty explicitly a parable about AI )