Science and Nature are prestigious molecular biology journals but when it comes to physics they are like The National Inquirer. That is, anything they publish in physics has to be outrageous.
While I understand that this may be referencing a few different sources, I choose to read the title as a Fallout Boy reference and this makes me happy.
I'd read a lot of coverage of this fiasco already, but this post was helpful for clarifying the duality aspect and the philosophical issues around what's real vs what's a simulation.
I disagree a bit on tone though: though it's okay to be excited about this topic, surely something has gone wrong if the audience comes away thinking that this experiment is comparable to the discovery of the Higgs boson.
Prompt:
Write a funny short story with the title: "Simulated wormholes for my real friends, real wormholes for my simulated friends"
Response:
Once upon a time in a far-off galaxy, there was a group of friends who loved nothing more than exploring the universe together. There was Jake, the clever engineer who built all of their ships and gadgets; Emily, the fearless pilot who always knew how to get them out of sticky situations; and Alex, the charming diplomat who could talk their way out of almost anything.
One day, Jake had a brilliant idea. "What if we could create simulated wormholes," he said excitedly, "so that we could explore the universe without ever leaving our home planet?"
The others were skeptical at first, but Jake was so enthusiastic that they eventually agreed to give it a try. And sure enough, with his incredible engineering skills, Jake was able to build a machine that could create simulated wormholes.
At first, the friends were thrilled. They spent hours exploring distant galaxies and encountering strange and wondrous creatures. But as time went on, they began to notice something strange. Whenever they used the simulated wormholes, they would return home feeling drained and exhausted, as if they had been on a real journey.
"This isn't right," Emily said one day, rubbing her head. "We shouldn't be feeling this tired after using the simulated wormholes."
Jake nodded in agreement. "I think we need to recalibrate the machine," he said, "or we'll never be able to use it again."
So the friends set to work, tinkering with the machine until it was functioning properly once again. But just as they were about to test it out, they heard a loud knock on the door.
"Who could that be?" Emily asked, looking worried.
"I don't know," Jake said, "but I have a feeling it's not good news."
The friends reluctantly opened the door to find a group of aliens standing on their doorstep.
"Greetings, Earthlings," the leader of the aliens said in a booming voice. "We have come to warn you about the danger of using simulated wormholes. They may seem like a convenient way to explore the universe, but in reality, they can have serious consequences for your health and well-being."
The friends were shocked and alarmed by the aliens' warning. "What should we do?" Emily asked nervously.
"We suggest that you use real wormholes instead," the alien leader said. "They may be more difficult to come by, but they are much safer and more reliable."
The friends nodded in agreement, realizing that the aliens were right. From that day on, they only used real wormholes for their adventures, and they were much happier and healthier for it.
As for the simulated wormholes, they were left to gather dust in a forgotten corner of the galaxy, a reminder to all of the dangers of taking shortcuts in life.
Once upon a time, in a far-off galaxy, there was a group of friends who loved exploring the universe together. But as they got older, it became harder and harder to coordinate their adventures due to the vast distances between them.
That's when their brilliant friend, Brian, came up with the idea to simulate their travels using a state-of-the-art virtual reality system. The friends were thrilled at the prospect of being able to explore the universe together again, without having to worry about the constraints of time and space.
But as they began their simulated adventures, Brian realized that he had made a terrible mistake. The simulated wormholes they were using to travel from one planet to another were not nearly as exhilarating as the real thing.
So, Brian decided to take matters into his own hands. He spent months tinkering with his virtual reality system, until finally he was able to create a simulated version of a real wormhole.
The friends were ecstatic. They couldn't believe the level of realism Brian had achieved with his simulated wormholes. It was as if they were truly traveling through the universe together.
But as they continued their simulated adventures, Brian couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. It wasn't until they arrived on a simulated version of his own home planet that he realized the truth.
The friends he had been exploring the universe with were not his real friends at all. They were simulated versions of his friends, created by his virtual reality system.
Brian was devastated. He had unknowingly been spending his time with simulated versions of his real friends, while his real friends were out exploring the universe without him.
In the end, Brian learned a valuable lesson. From then on, he reserved the use of real wormholes for his real friends, and only used simulated wormholes for his simulated friends.
13 comments
[ 0.18 ms ] story [ 47.6 ms ] threadThank you!
Publicity Stunt Fallout - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33898789 - Dec 2022 (191 comments)
The Wormhole Publicity Stunt - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33851295 - Dec 2022 (2 comments)
Physicists Simulate a Simplified Wormhole on Google’s Quantum Computer - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33841537 - Dec 2022 (2 comments)
Physicists Create ‘The Smallest, Crummiest Wormhole You Can Imagine’ - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33809648 - Nov 2022 (2 comments)
Physicists Create ‘The Smallest, Crummiest Wormhole You Can Imagine’ - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33809498 - Nov 2022 (1 comment)
Scientists build 'baby' wormhole as sci-fi moves closer to fact - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33809268 - Nov 2022 (4 comments)
This Week's Hype - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33807169 - Nov 2022 (24 comments)
Physicists have purportedly created a wormhole using a quantum computer - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33802613 - Nov 2022 (31 comments)
Also, here is a great takedown by Scott Aaronson: https://scottaaronson.blog/?p=6871
I disagree a bit on tone though: though it's okay to be excited about this topic, surely something has gone wrong if the audience comes away thinking that this experiment is comparable to the discovery of the Higgs boson.
Prompt: Write a funny short story with the title: "Simulated wormholes for my real friends, real wormholes for my simulated friends"
Response: Once upon a time in a far-off galaxy, there was a group of friends who loved nothing more than exploring the universe together. There was Jake, the clever engineer who built all of their ships and gadgets; Emily, the fearless pilot who always knew how to get them out of sticky situations; and Alex, the charming diplomat who could talk their way out of almost anything.
One day, Jake had a brilliant idea. "What if we could create simulated wormholes," he said excitedly, "so that we could explore the universe without ever leaving our home planet?"
The others were skeptical at first, but Jake was so enthusiastic that they eventually agreed to give it a try. And sure enough, with his incredible engineering skills, Jake was able to build a machine that could create simulated wormholes.
At first, the friends were thrilled. They spent hours exploring distant galaxies and encountering strange and wondrous creatures. But as time went on, they began to notice something strange. Whenever they used the simulated wormholes, they would return home feeling drained and exhausted, as if they had been on a real journey.
"This isn't right," Emily said one day, rubbing her head. "We shouldn't be feeling this tired after using the simulated wormholes."
Jake nodded in agreement. "I think we need to recalibrate the machine," he said, "or we'll never be able to use it again."
So the friends set to work, tinkering with the machine until it was functioning properly once again. But just as they were about to test it out, they heard a loud knock on the door.
"Who could that be?" Emily asked, looking worried.
"I don't know," Jake said, "but I have a feeling it's not good news."
The friends reluctantly opened the door to find a group of aliens standing on their doorstep.
"Greetings, Earthlings," the leader of the aliens said in a booming voice. "We have come to warn you about the danger of using simulated wormholes. They may seem like a convenient way to explore the universe, but in reality, they can have serious consequences for your health and well-being."
The friends were shocked and alarmed by the aliens' warning. "What should we do?" Emily asked nervously.
"We suggest that you use real wormholes instead," the alien leader said. "They may be more difficult to come by, but they are much safer and more reliable."
The friends nodded in agreement, realizing that the aliens were right. From that day on, they only used real wormholes for their adventures, and they were much happier and healthier for it.
As for the simulated wormholes, they were left to gather dust in a forgotten corner of the galaxy, a reminder to all of the dangers of taking shortcuts in life.
Once upon a time, in a far-off galaxy, there was a group of friends who loved exploring the universe together. But as they got older, it became harder and harder to coordinate their adventures due to the vast distances between them.
That's when their brilliant friend, Brian, came up with the idea to simulate their travels using a state-of-the-art virtual reality system. The friends were thrilled at the prospect of being able to explore the universe together again, without having to worry about the constraints of time and space.
But as they began their simulated adventures, Brian realized that he had made a terrible mistake. The simulated wormholes they were using to travel from one planet to another were not nearly as exhilarating as the real thing.
So, Brian decided to take matters into his own hands. He spent months tinkering with his virtual reality system, until finally he was able to create a simulated version of a real wormhole.
The friends were ecstatic. They couldn't believe the level of realism Brian had achieved with his simulated wormholes. It was as if they were truly traveling through the universe together.
But as they continued their simulated adventures, Brian couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. It wasn't until they arrived on a simulated version of his own home planet that he realized the truth.
The friends he had been exploring the universe with were not his real friends at all. They were simulated versions of his friends, created by his virtual reality system.
Brian was devastated. He had unknowingly been spending his time with simulated versions of his real friends, while his real friends were out exploring the universe without him.
In the end, Brian learned a valuable lesson. From then on, he reserved the use of real wormholes for his real friends, and only used simulated wormholes for his simulated friends.