If simulations are programs, don’t they just tell us what we program it to?
In: 3
Yes and no.
A simulation is like a game where you set the rules of the game and where the starting pieces are. You can use random number generators to add some degree of chance, but you’re still giving the range of them in the game rules.
You can easily think of a game you’re always going to win. And you can think of a game which should be even. But those are simple games. When you make very complicated rules, you likely have little idea of the outcomes.
For simulations of real life phenomena like weather and disease progression, the “game rules” are usually vastly oversimplified compared to real life, and often wrong. This is helpful if you can run against reality to discover more about the rules of life, but a simulation can never be anywhere close to proof.
There have been unfortunately scientific sounding papers speaking about the future which are used more for political purposes. It’s always good to look at who funds those kinds of simulations, because it’s possible in those cases the simulation *is* just telling them what they want to hear, using the rules they chose.
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