It’s a mad, mad, mad world we live in — or is it just a giant, computer-generated simulation??!
This theory became popular after The Matrix trilogy was released, giving audiences the chance to question whether reality was really… well, real. But y’all might not know that *free-thinkers* have been suspicious about this concept for millennia!
Today, quite a few celebs (and scientists!) still believe that this reality is, more likely than not, some sort of an illusion. Most of the celebs on this list aren’t that surprising, but the fact that astro physicist Neil deGrasse Tyson is a moderate believer might make you think twice about taking the red pill.
Sure, it might be unsettling to think that everything we know is a lie generated by malevolent alien overlords… but at least it would explain how Trump got elected!
What are you waiting for, Neo? Celebrate the 20th anniversary of The Matrix by seeing what these famous simulation theorists have to say about the fabric of our reality (below)!
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Plato
You read that right: the simulation theory has roots in ancient Greece. Plato, one of philosophy’s OGs, hypothesized that the material world was merely an illusion thought up by some super-consciousness. He called this concept “Idealism.”
Sure, it wasn’t the full-blown computer-generated reality theory we know of today, but give the man a break — the most advanced technology in his day was a water wheel.
Kanye West
Mr. West has made no secret of his free thoughts on subjects ranging from slavery to how much makeup Kim Kardashian is allowed to put on her face. So, it shouldn’t be surprising that the rap titan believes we’re all living in the Matrix.
Ye spoke about his thoughts on this so-called “simulation” we live in during a 2018 interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live (above), professing that “we’re all un-paid actors in a giant script we didn’t write.”
Jim Carrey
Well, you definitely can't say that Jim Carrey gives a boring interview: "There is no me. There's just things happening." pic.twitter.com/HatQ6mHsKp
— E! News (@enews) September 10, 2017
The Hollywood legend has been offering a much more somber take on the (non) reality we (don’t) live in as of late.
In one unforgettable red carpet interview (above) at the 2018 Harper’s Bazaar Icons Party, the actor insisted to a resilient E! news reporter that nothing, in fact, is real. We’re all just “fragrances.”
Katy Perry
The pop star wasn’t sure about the fabric of our reality for the longest time. So, in 2017, she asked Neil deGrasse Tyson about the likelihood that we’re all unwitting Matrix players.
His answer (above), and explanation, made her brain hurt.
Elon Musk
If a world renowned astrophysicist believing in the Matrix theory isn’t enough to sway you, what about the man who wants to merge us with an A.I. network?
The Tesla and SpaceX owner is one of many who believes our reality could be a vast series of mathematical computations. During a 2016 Q&A, he postulated that the odds of our reality being the “base” reality was “one in billions.” So there.
Jaden Smith
How Can Mirrors Be Real If Our Eyes Aren't Real
— Jaden (@jaden) May 2, 2013
This shouldn’t surprise anyone. While explaining some of his more *complex* tweets to Huffington Post in 2018 — like the one above — the actor said:
“[Our] eyes are kind of like mirrors in a sense to where they perceive things and then they flip. We take in the information upside down and then the brain flips it right side up so that we can see it right side up … and I was like, if we take in the raw visual information upside down and mirrors portray things in reverse, then they’re not real. We’re living in the Matrix.”
Keanu Reeves
Yes, even Neo himself believes we could be living in a version of the movie he starred in!
When asked in this 2017 interview if he thinks The Matrix could be real, he mused that the reality we live in could be “real-adjacent.” Um… WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN!?
*Exhales deeply*
We’re gonna go watch The Matrix now until we forget about all this.
[Image via ABC/Katy Perry/Recode]
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