Matrix

Did you know? Matrices in Java are also referred to as 2D arrays. Well, this is because the same components displayed on an array are organized in rows and columns in a matrix that forms a rectangular structure. Usually, the matrices are used for storing all the complex digits within a program that are further used for carrying out arithmetic applications such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and more. Sometimes, the programmers are also required to set all the values of a particular matrix to 0. This in other terms is known as the problem. set matrix zeroes This is one of the most highly discussed problems in coding and technical interviews. Hence, if you are preparing for a coding interview and would like to learn a few simple approaches for setting a matrix value to 0, then keep reading. What Does It Mean to Set Matrix Zeroes in Java? Have you ever noticed how the numbers in a Sudoku are arranged in rows and columns of equal numbers of characters, making it a perfect square? Well, the structure of a matrix in the context of computer programming resembles similar characteristics to a sudoku square with the only difference being that the shape of a matrix is rectangular. Matrices are used for arranging the entries or the elements of data that usually represent a mathematical object. So basically, a matrix can essentially be defined as a set of numbers that are arranged in columns and rows in order to form a rectangular shape. So, what would a zero-column matrix represent? Well, the Matrices containing a zero column would signify that all of its elements or entries are equal to zero. In other terms, such matrices are also referred to as zero matrices in computer programming. Did you know? Like all the other data structures, you can also manipulate the matrices (such as setting them to zero value) using different logic. The Set Matrix zeroes problem is the discussion we shall be having next in the following column. Let's find out the approaches that will help you effectively set the values to zero within a matrix. Which Algorithms Can Be Used to Set Matrices to Zero? The set Matrix zero problems are one of the top coding questions asked in almost every coding interview. From Brute Force to HashMaps, the set Matrix zero problems in programming can be solved using only two programming approaches If you are not acquainted with these methods, check out a quick overview of their definitions. **Brute Force Approach Brute Force is a simple function that focuses on approaching the problem by dividing the input into several subarrays and seeking every single input individually. In the context of setting the matrix to zero, we will be using the auxiliary space and the nested loops to their optimal efficiency. The nested loops are ideal for dividing the problem into subproblems by inserting the elements of the input into loops that can be traversed later. **Using Hash Table A HashMap is essentially a structure of rows and columns that are used for storing the entries so that the efficiency of finding the solution becomes relatively easier. The contents of the array or the entries are iterated on a HashMap. Hence, in this approach, we will be using the Hash Table in order to store the status of the rows and columns. Using In-Place Hashing In-place hashing is a more in-depth method where the hash is used to store the values of the elements or entries within the first line of the rows and columns of the matrix. We will be employing two different variables for storing the elements in the first row and column namely: and . For a more in-depth analysis of the working mechanism of the algorithms for these approaches, check out the next section of this blog. firstRow firstColumn How to Apply the Algorithms That Set Matrices to Zero in Java As discussed in the previous section, the set Matrix zero problems can be tackled by simply using the Brute Force Approach and by implementing a Hash Table. Let's discuss the in-depth analysis of the algorithms for these approaches and you can decide for yourself how their time complexities compare to one another. Method 1: Using Brute Force Approach Here's how the algorithm for Brute Force shall be implemented: Start with creating a temporary matrix and name it as m*n. Initialize the elements of this matrix with 1. Now, travel to the first matrix that you were initially provided as an input and set the positions of its elements into row 1 and column j along with 0 in the newly created matrix. Finally, you can proceed and continue to copy all the elements as such in the temporary matrix from the initial matrix and print the program once the process is completed.\ Method 2: Using Hash Table The algorithm for the Hash Table would look something as follows: Start with creating two different Hash Tables. Next up, you will have to initialize the value of the rows and columns of the table to false. Further, you may iterate on the initial matrix and set all the values to 0. Complete the entire process until all the values return 0 input.\ Method 3: Using In-Place Hashing Here's how you can implement the in-place hashing algorithm: Start by defining the two variables i.e firstRow and firstColumn. Set both variables to false. Using the Hash Table to store all the false values from the rows and columns Finally, update the value of the first row and column on the Hash Map.

Setting a Matrix to Zero in Java

Disclaimers: Image credit Twitter user: @IrenaBuzarewicz This story is not a movie review. There are NO SPOILERS. When the first Matrix came out, I was still studying. Wannabe or soon-to-be graduates are all the same all over the globe. Lost to be found in the "Bermuda Triangle" between exams, dreams, and loves. A bunch of selfless idealists who are always ready to do good deeds. I remember that we were among the first in line as blood donors. One day it was a bit different. Our local hospital got a new and expensive machine for HIV testing. The medical staff asked for volunteers to test it. Sure, a drop here or there. What difference does it make for us as long as it's for the greater good? We laughed and teased each other on our way out. They told us to get back tomorrow for the test results. The Night of Movie Magic It's not easy to take a test, any kind of test, and wait for results. "What if" questions hit me hard in the evening. I didn't feel like going home. "Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead." A shortlist of available options. I saw a movie poster for "The Matrix." I had no clue what the movie was about. I needed to get my mind off the test. The movie ticket price was a small price to pay. Until that special night, I didn't buy any of those cheesy stories about the so-called "movie magic." For two hours, I was living in the Matrix physically, emotionally, and intellectually. I totally forgot about the HIV test itself. I had one of the calmest nights in my life. I didn't sleep like a baby; more like The Notorious B.I.G. - Hypnotize(d). In the morning, I found out that I was HIV negative, and I realized that I was Matrix Universe positive. That movie should've been prescribed as a tranquilizer. Fast forward twenty years, give it or take, I had a deja vu. The Pandemic Rhymes With Tragic I had to take another test. Again, I had to wait for the results, but this time with my wife. It was a comical Grey's Anatomy situation where we both looked at my lungs' x-ray images. What do you make of this? I don't know. I don't smoke. My wife already had COVID. This is how I found that we had an impressive collection of perfumes in our home. Our teenage daughter was an experienced and patient "perfumist," who wanted to make sure my sense of smell was still operational. What do men know about perfumes? They're all the same, except for the price. Right? I thought that my wife would return a favor and volunteer to be a food tester, the Gladiator-movie-style. Nope! Her post-COVID diet came first. So, I was COVID symptoms-free, which made my test more than just a "formality" and a "simple" confirmation. How to kill time, this time? HBO came to the rescue. I thought, The Matrix Resurrections to my satisfaction. Here we go again! oh lucky me, what were the odds? More than two hours. Plus, coffee breaks, phone calls, and email checks. It was a long day with a double negative outcome. The result was negative, and the movie too. It failed to help me forget and "transcend." So much for the "movie magic." I thought that rewatching the first Matrix (for the hundredth time, give it or take) would make things better. Nope! It became even worse. I had to take a real tranquilizer. No red and blue Morpheus pills; this one was - pale pink. Twitter Rhymes With Bitter In a state of complete despair, I went on Twitter. This is how I stumbled upon a picture you see at the beginning of my story. I know what you want to ask me. Why bother writing a story when the four-part picture is worth more than my words? Well, writing makes you feel good. Writing for Noonies is like watching good old movies! Do you know what can make me feel even better? Your vote for my nomination. And, what about Matrix 2 and Matrix 3? They are, they are, good. Critical Thinker Noonies Award

The Matrix Resurrections: Between Expectations and Imperfections

The Matrix: Resurrections was released last week, but the reviews split between those who loved it and those who didn't. In this slogging thread, our community discusses the Matrix saga and their expectations for the new movie. This Slogging thread by Mónica Freitas, Teri Eyenike, Sara Pinto, Limarc Ambalina, Linh Smooke, Abeer and Jack Boreham occurred in slogging's official #pop-culture channel, and has been edited for readability. Mónica Freitas Dec 27, 2021, 4:14 PM was released last week, but the reviews split between those who loved it and those who didn't. Are you interested in seeing this new matrix movie? Do you think it makes sense to have a sequel after so long? What's your favorite thing about The Matrix movies? The Matrix: Resurrections Teri Eyenike Dec 27, 2021, 4:26 PM I'm indifferent at the moment whether I want to see the movie. It's been a long time I saw the Matrix in my teen years, and I will have to watch it again to relive the memories. Let me see the preview of the resurrections, and I may change my verdict 😂 🔥 1 Sara Pinto Dec 27, 2021, 4:28 PM Mónica Freitas So... I've tried. I really did try to watch  The Matrix, but I just fail at it every time. I guess it's too much fiction for me. I need someone to convince me otherwise, haha. Limarc Ambalina Dec 28, 2021, 2:59 AM I actually dropped off from the Matrix after the first film. I watched the other but was confused or just uninterested. Limarc Ambalina Dec 28, 2021, 2:59 AM I'd watch this one just to support Keanu Reaves though 😄 Mónica Freitas Dec 28, 2021, 11:23 AM Teri Eyenike Same. It's been a long time since I saw the Matrix - actually in a philosophy class back in high school - and I loved it then but haven't rewatched ever since. I'll have to do that before this new movie though I'm not sure why we're having this movie now... Let me know what you think if you decide to watch it. 👍 1 Mónica Freitas Dec 28, 2021, 11:24 AM Sara Pinto, just focus on Keanu! He's the reason, ahahah. 😂 1 Mónica Freitas Dec 28, 2021, 11:25 AM Limarc Ambalina, same, at this point, I would only watch it for Keanu. His recent interviews about the movie have been golden! Mónica Freitas Dec 28, 2021, 11:26 AM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZM5Fb-9dto Linh Smooke Dec 30, 2021, 6:50 PM Ah, let me and David try to watch it this weekend (hard to schedule with a toddler at home ha) and give y’all a review!! 💚 1 Mónica Freitas Dec 31, 2021, 11:18 AM Linh Smooke, Yes! Let us know what you think of it 🙏 Linh Smooke Dec 31, 2021, 6:29 PM OK. lots of feels. I don’t know how well people remember the matrix, but for someone who doesn't remember it that well - it was very refreshing to get a movie with so many callbacks and plot explainers, lol. I personally like the fanservice-y  meta-commentary and breaking the 4th world aspect of it…and love the cast (which, apart from the amazing Keanu Reeves and some other white actors like NPH who I adore, is super, super diverse — and I love that!) Reading online though it seems superfans don't appreciate the lack of actions and some of the lame plot choices but who cares. As someone who watches it casually, I love the movie! I’m known to always sleep in movies and for this one, I only sleep for 10 mins so that’s a definite win 😂 😂 2 💚 1 Mónica Freitas Jan 3, 2022, 2:27 PM Linh Smooke, so, it's a movie suitable even for those who haven't seen the first movies? Mónica Freitas Jan 3, 2022, 2:27 PM Linh Smooke, about the lack of action, did you find it a slow film with a lot of explanation and not a lot of plot? Mónica Freitas Jan 3, 2022, 2:27 PM Linh Smooke, only 10 minutes?! ahaha a record? 😂 1 Linh Smooke Jan 3, 2022, 3:22 PM Not necessarily slow, just a bit dragged out towards the end. I watched the first one so I do understand some. But I bet if you haven't you still can enjoy it. Maybe you'll enjoy it even more haha? But who hasn't watched the matrix at this point 🤔 Mónica Freitas Jan 4, 2022, 11:21 AM Linh Smooke, hum I see. After your review, I got a bit of my hope back for this movie, ahah. I think I'm giving it a go. If for nothing else, then just to see Keanu in a letter jacket 😂 😂 1 🙌 1 Mónica Freitas Jan 5, 2022, 3:13 PM Abeer Jack, Boreham, what are your thoughts on the new Matrix movie? Abeer Jan 5, 2022, 5:59 PM Mónica Freitas, I haven’t seen it yet. To be honest, I haven’t really seen anything past Matrix Reloaded. I have been considering catching up and watching it just for Keanu though 😂 Jack Boreham Jan 6, 2022, 10:49 AM Mónica Freitas, I am, but is it just as complex as the others? If it is, I might give it a miss, haha Mónica Freitas Jan 6, 2022, 11:25 AM Abeer Keanu is truly our "God", hahaha. If you do watch it, leave us a review. 😂 1 Mónica Freitas Jan 6, 2022, 11:27 AM Jack Boreham, not a fan? I'll revoke your nerd card now 😂 Jack Boreham Jan 6, 2022, 1:52 PM Mónica Freitas, wait noooo, don't do that. How can I prove my nerdyness? Mónica Freitas Jan 6, 2022, 2:21 PM Jack Boreham, guess you'd have to name 5 matrix characters without googling it or watch the first movie, ahaha.

Is The Matrix Resurrections Worth Watching? (Slogging Insights)

Image via techacute.com Is Lumen pioneering a fashion movement away from fast fashion? Fast fashion is something that despite being horrible for the planet is not going away any time soon. Fast fashion for a plethora of reasons is a fashion system that continues to be supported by consumers despite the ongoing growth in textile waste. Fast fashion has its pros but an excessive amount of cons. In recent times, Canadian fashion brand Lumen Couture has developed technology and fashion that can cater to the pros of fast fashion while actively eliminating the cons. This is what the Matrix Collection embodies. What is Lumen Couture? In 2012, Lumen Couture was founded by Canadian CEO Chelsea Kluklas. Lumen Couture is a brand that is part of the Canadian Initiative Make Fashion. Lumen Couture creates runway garments to focus on conceptual prototypes of innovative fashion, pushing the boundaries of creativity and technological capabilities. Lumen Couture seeks to redefine the industry and address its pollutant crisis by developing technology to further sustainable and ready-to-wear garments. Lumen Couture is widely known to host events such as their annual MakeFashion runway gala in Calgary, Alberta. At this gala, Lumen Couture presents prototypes that display futuristic garment capabilities to their audience which provokes thoughts on how fashion can evolve with technology. The Iconic Dua Who’s Pushing the Boundaries A brand as innovative and creative as Lumen Couture comes equipped with a pair of brilliant and creative minds who share a common drive in evolving the fashion industry through technology to be sustainable. Chelsea KIuklas and Chris Corner are the brains behind this wonderful fashion venture that’s transforming how we look in our clothes. Chris Corner is a telecom engineer, and entrepreneur who plays a vital role in connecting businesses like Lumen Couture to their desired consumer. Comer is the CEO of his own telecommunications company where he strategically converts these connections into sales. Chelsea Kluklas is the creative and technological powerhouse behind Lumen Couture. She has an impressive resume that goes beyond her role as CEO for Lumen Couture and Makes Fashion. Kluklas has been linked to companies like Facebook and Oculus VR. The University of Calgary alumni has been able to produce designs that have been globally consumed and recognized in places such as New York and Rome. The Matrix Collection Lumen Couture’s Matrix collection is unlike the average trendy fashion collection. The Matrix collection is particularly special due to its unique ability to adapt to whatever the wearer desires. With panels made of thin LED lights and technology that gives you the capability to alter the design of a garment with the touch of a smartphone. This technology allows the wearer to connect via Bluetooth and alter colors, prints, and even video through their phone. Why Is This So Important? The Matrix collection and Lumen Couture’s fashion garments are significant game-changers in the current day of fashion. In the last decade, fast fashion has continuously contributed to the decay of our ozone layer and so many other elements of our earth. Fast fashion changes and evolves with trends at a rate that has been proven to be incredibly unsustainable. With the Matrix collection, consumers can reject the harmful need to end the lifecycle of their garments prematurely by investing into the Matrix collection where they will be able to alter the appearance of their clothing through the use of LED panels and Bluetooth technology. The Collection Aside from the groundbreaking technology used to craft this special collection, the Matrix collection has more to offer beyond the boundaries of futuristic technology. It offers unique and minimal silhouette designs as well as accessories that offer plenty of versatility. The collection currently consists of the following six pieces: The LED Matrix Choker The LED matrix choker is an accessory fit for any outfit. The choker has an equalizer mode feature that allows the lights to respond to the beat in any design you choose from the app. This includes writing text, drawing your own pattern, or choosing from a library of presets uniquely designed for clothing provided by Lumen Couture. The LED Matrix Facemask If there is one accessory everyone in 2021, it’s the obligatory facemask. With the pandemic still impacting our everyday essentials. A fun opportunity to add some dimension to this essential item would be the LED Matrix facemask, where similar to all the other pieces in the collection, you have the ability to change the style of the mask through your phone. Most importantly, the mask has the ability to remove the LED panel and battery to allow for proper sanitation and to optimize breathing capabilities. These facemasks also served a charitable purpose as the sales made in the months of April, May and June went towards the WHO Covid-19 Relief fund, which raised a total of $4,500. The LED Matrix Hoodie Graphic clothing is always a fun and casual way to add personality to your wardrobe. Graphic t-shirts and hoodies have become the average consumer’s obsession over the last decade and one just can never seem to collect enough. That changes with the LED Matrix Hoodie. This hoodie gives you the opportunity to combine all those desired graphics onto one piece of clothing through the use of your phone! The Matrix Skirt Concluding the Matrix collection is the Matrix Skirt. The Matrix Skirt features the option of a sheer overlay to add some extra dimension and movement to the classic-fitting pencil skirt. Similar to all the previously mentioned pieces in the Matrix Collection the Matrix skirt comes in black and is accompanied by white LED panel lighting. What Does this Mean for the Future? Trends and artistic expression are not leaving the fashion industry anytime soon. In fact it could be argued that they are an essential part of the fashion system itself where the industry would crumble with its absence. With the technology behind Lumen Couture’s Matrix Collection, the possibility to indulge in the ever changing fashion trends in the industry while not actually buying and discarding a surplus amount of clothes for once actually seems plausible.

The Matrix Collection Lets You Alter Garment Designs with the Touch of a Smartphone

SPOILER ALERT: Reading this article in advance might impact your actual Coinwink Matrix experience and you’ll receive a lower level of satisfaction. Similarly, like someone spoils a movie for you by telling how it ends. That is why we strongly suggest first to experience the Matrix, and then return here to read the article. In your Coinwink account , switch from Classic to Matrix, and you’ll see how deep the rabbit hole goes. The CSS Wonderland During the last month, a lot of front-end updates were made for Coinwink. The previous CSS styles file was a big mess. Started almost 4 years ago, many styles were inlined or randomly smashed together with overwrites and without a structure. !important To fix such a chaotic styles file it takes quite a lot of time. These are little fixes but they are time-consuming, and when they’re done, it seems that nothing has changed. Why so? Because the changes are behind-the-scenes. For example, a bigger invisible click/tap area for buttons. The user doesn’t see or think that there is a difference, but she feels it intuitively. “What you know you can’t explain, but you feel it.” ― Morpheus All together, these little changes create a slick and smooth experience and make the web-app feel more like a native app. What are these app-like changes, you might ask? - Disable zooming on mobile devices - Disable text/element selection on mobile devices - Create bigger invisible touch areas for clickable elements - Separate and states on desktop and mobile devices - Minimize flickering - App icon for mobile devices, web app manifest, theme color etc. - Create custom form elements (inputs, drop-downs, buttons, checkboxes, etc.) with consistent style across all browsers - Styling scrollbars :hover :active And a few more tweaks here and there. Some of these things are implemented “out of the box” in most CSS frameworks, but Coinwink is not using a framework because similar frameworks often result in generic feel or enforce a specific style, and also increase the size of the app more than the custom CSS. Additionally, during the recent updates, significant structural front-end changes were made. When looking from the outside, they are also invisible. The new structure allows us to easily change styles, build new front-end features, and we can now create themes. Introducing the new Matrix theme The first theme built on the new Coinwink front-end structure is the Matrix. “The Matrix is everywhere. It is all around us. Even now, in this very room.” ― Morpheus From the conceptual point of view, the Matrix is another dimension of reality, or a simulation (if the reality itself is not a simulation). The concept has deep meanings across different cultures, and this infuses the Matrix theme with the story and symbolism. “You take the red pill—you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.” ― Morpheus A switch to Coinwink Matrix theme is animated and not instant. It creates the effect of a transition into a different dimension. To experience the Matrix, switch the theme in your Coinwink . account Screenshots: Crypto Alert, Portfolio and Watchlist views Similar to other recent updates, Coinwink Matrix theme is extremely lightweight. When activated, it adds only around 20KB of size. It’s the first theme – a showcase of new possibilities. The dynamic background is now probably too active, so in the near future, it will be possible to turn it off or make it less prominent. More themes are planned for the future. Above are presented Coinwink app mobile views. Coinwink works equally well on both desktop and mobile devices. The newest source code will be available soon on our . GitHub As usual, your feedback is appreciated! Let us know what do you think about the new Matrix theme? What other themes and features you’d like to see in the future? Coinwink is a cryptocurrency price alerts, watchlist and portfolio tracking app for Bitcoin, Ethereum and other 2500+ crypto coins and tokens. Don’t waste time watching crypto prices, use Coinwink .

Step Into The Matrix With Our New Update

Many problems, especially in scientific computing, end up being formulated as matrix operations. This can be anything from PDE-solvers (PDE - Partial Differential Equation) up to image-processing or ML-algorithms. The list is endless. Usually one has written on paper some final equations which describe your model or whatever it is, and it involves some matrix algebra like this: A = B + C Okay, looks quite easy on paper. Now, when it comes to implementation of this in JavaScript, whatever technique you are going to use (for-loops, iterators, ...), your code won't resemble above easy to read line. There is a huge amount of good matrix-libraries available, and usually they let you write something like this: A = B.add(C) This still looks not quite different from our paper version, but imagine our paper version would be this: A = (B * (C + D)) * (E + F) To put this into one line by using the '.add' notation might hurt a little and one would tend to split the code into multiple lines. Though, due to all these parenthesis, readability would be destroyed: H1 = E.add(F); H2 = C.add(D); H3 = B.multiply(H2); A = H3.multiply(H1); const const const const If we were in context of a language like C++, we can give sense to expressions involving mathematical operators between any custom types - a concept called Operator Overloading. At the time of writing, JavaScript is lacking this nice feature though. We can find some resort if we take a look at 'Tagged Templates' (see https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Template_literals). In essence they give us a way to interpret a given string together with value filled placeholders: A: Matrix = ...; B: Matrix = ...; C: Matrix = calc ; const const const ` + ` ${A} ${B} Here 'Matrix'  shall be some type representing a matrix. The 'calc' is a tagged template function, written by us, and it will be called with all string parts and values for given placeholders. In other words we somewhere define a function like this: { } ( ) function calc stringParts: TemplateStringsArray, ...values: any[] '1.) parse the expression
         2.) calculate it by using given   
             placeholder-values
	 3.) return the result' Our main task remains to implement the 'calc' function such that it can cope with any kind of expression from matrix-algebra. You can do it on your own, it is quite a learning-full experience, or you can use my package provided here: https://www.npmjs.com/package/@applied.math.coding/lina With this at hand you can write expressions like these: calc ;

A = calc ;

calc ; ` = 3 * - ` ${A} ${B} ${C} `3 * - ` ${B} ${C} `pow( , 5)` ${A} The library also supports some form of slicing which becomes very handy in some occasions: calc ; ` )` ${A.slice( , , , ) =   
  cos(${B.slice( , , , )} 1 1 5 5 1 1 5 5 It also has some support of creating a matrix-type from given array: A = mat([[ , ],
               [ , ]]); const 1 2 3 4 Or just create a new instance of some dimensions and with all values set to 0: A = zeros( , ); const 10 10 calc ; ` =sqrt(abs( )) + 7` ${A} ${A} Note: when you add or multiply a number with a matrix-type, as in above example, the parser is handling this by element-wise applying the operation to the matrix. And finally our initial example would look like this: calc ; ` = ( * ( + )) * ( + )` ${A} ${B} ${C} ${D} ${E} ${F} For more you can look into its docs or tests. Please keep the following in mind: The library is not intended for use in computation intensive environments. It rather should be used for educational purposes or for presentation of some computations on a web-page. I used it successfully in some small project which intended to explain the solution procedure of a PDE. I hope this helps or contributes to getting new ideas!

Solving Matrix Algebra in JavaScript [An Overview]

Science and the Simulation Hypothesis point to many reasons we may already be in the Matrix When came out, the idea of living in a video game was squarely in the realm of science fiction. Today, the simulation hypothesis is debated seriously by computer scientists, philosophers, physicists and others. The reason this argument is taken more seriously now is two-fold: the Matrix the philosophical “simulation argument”, put forward by Oxford’s Nick Bostrom, and the “video game simulation argument”, about the rapid development of video games, put forth by, among others, Elon Musk. Two Major Developments The first was when Oxford professor Nick Bostrom published his 2003 paper, “ ” Bostrom didn’t say much about video games; instead he made a clever statistical argument. Bostrom theorized that if a civilization ever got the Simulation Point, it would create many ancestor simulations, each with large numbers (billions or trillions?) of simulated beings. Since the number of simulated beings would vastly outnumber the number of real beings, any beings (including us!) were more likely to be living inside a simulation than outside of it! Other scientists, including physicists have taken up this argument. Are You Living in a Simulation? In the video game version of this argument, we have the rapid advancement of graphics technology. Elon Musk, speaking at the Code Conference in 2016, asserted that 40 years ago, we had pong, which was essentially two lines and a dot. Today we have VR and AR and MMORPGs — all based on 3D technology. If the pace of video game development continues, in a few decades we would have hyper-realistic games, indistinguishable from reality. I call this point the Simulation Point, and in my new book, The Simulation Hypothesis, one part is dedicated towards the stages of technology needed to reach this point. It’s much easier to see a path from today’s VR to something like than it was in 1999 when the movie was released. With games like and having millions of online players interacting in a shared online world, the idea that we might actually be in a shared connected simulated world doesn’t seem so far-fetched as it might have in 1999. The Matrix Fortnite, Minecraft, League of Legends In this article, we go beyond Bostrom’s and Musk’s simulation arguments to explore some of the reasons why science might be telling us we are in a simulated reality, like the Matrix. 1. Pixels, Resolution, Virtual and Augmented Reality Today we are already seeing with Virtual Reality that “full immersion” is possible. Anyone who has played a convincing VR game will realize that it’s possible to forget about the real world and “believe” the world you are seeing is real. As a great example, I was playing a prototype of a Ping Pong VR game last year (built by Free Range Games), and even though it wasn’t realistic resolution, I lost myself and thought I was playing ping pong for real. So much so that I set the paddle on the ping pong “table” and leaned against the table. Of course, it was a VR table so it didn’t really exist — I ended up dropping the paddle (actually the Vive controller) onto the floor. As I leaned into the “table” I almost fell over before realizing that there was no table. In other words, to quote from , there is no spoon. The Matrix The immersion comes not just from the number of pixels, but from the controls and responsiveness that VR is able to achieve. In the novel (and Steve Spielberg film) , which was about a VR world called the OASIS, users had lightweight glasses and wore haptic suits and walked on omnidirectional treadmills to add realism. In that world, the OASIS was preferable to real life. Ready Player One The fact that 3D models can be used to create realistic looking objects in films(a glance at movies like Blade Runner 2049 will convince you that we have enough pixel resolution to create realistic looking objects), and that 3D printers can be used to “print” physical objects shows that the physical world can be represented by information, a key part of the simulation hypothesis. Where does the responsiveness and fidelity come from? The limitations today are in real-time rendering and in they way that objects interact with each other inside the world. Most games have a and a . The physics engine is never fully realistic (otherwise it would take you too long to go from one part of the game to the other), and the rendering engine is what’s responsible for making you “see” what the world looks like by deciding what color pixels go where. We can easily see that full immersion may be possible in a few years time. physics engine rendering engine 2. Pixels, Quanta, and Zeno’s Paradox Speaking of pixels, could it be that what we call the physical world also consists of pixels? I recall late nights at MIT during my undergrad years where I had philosophical debates with my classmates about the nature of reality. This was the first time I’d heard of Zeno’s paradox, who presented it in terms of Achilles and a Tortoise. If Achilles was behind the tortoise, and he always had to make up half the distance, how could he ever get there? Zeno’s parado involved Achilles and the Tortoise. Lurking underneath this paradox is the question of whether space is quantized or if it is continuous. The idea was that if space was continuous, like numbers are (you can always find an infinite number of numbers in between any two numbers), how is it possible to touch an object such as the wall? You would always have to cover half the distance and never get there. quite This was my first hint that space might be quantized. Today’s physicists generally acknowledge the Planck length as being the smallest amount of space that can be measured. Below that length, the quantum fluctuations make it impossible to measure anything with any reliability. For all practical purposes, the Planck length is our minimal addressable “pixel” of space. Moreover, physicists tell us that most of what we think of as a solid object is actually 99% empty space, especially if you look inside the atom. The quanta in quantum physics consists of discrete quantities — of energies or “states” that a particle can exist in. Newton’s equations assumed a continuous amount of space; it turns out the universe may be more quantized than we thought. A related question is whether time is quantized? In all computer simulations, there is the idea of “generation” or “steps” in the simulation. These are some multiple of the processor clock-speed, which is the minimum speed at which something could be measured for any simulation running on that processor. Whether time is quantized in the real world is an open question, though there are some that suggest it is, and planck’s time constant (the amount of time it takes the speed of light to travel the planck length) is the minimum quantied time. If so, this would be more evidence that we live in a computation based reality. 3. The Collapse of the Probability Wave, Quantum Indeterminacy In quantum physics one of the most intriguing ideas is the probability matrix, which is an interpretation of how subatomic particles can exhibit properties of both a wave and a solid particle at the same time. At the level of an electron or a photon, the wave is interpreted as a set of probabilities of where the particle might be at any given time. When we observe a particular possibility, then the probability wave is said to “collapse” and we see a single particle in a particular location. This is called Quantum Indeterminacy. How does the probability wave collapse? This is one of the biggest mysteries in physics. The best answer physicists have come up with is that consciousness somehow determines the collapse. Max Planck once wrote, “I consider consciousness as fundamental and matter as derivative”. An even bigger mystery is why does the universe work this way? The simulation hypothesis provides a pretty good answer. The reason that video games have advanced so far in a few decades is because of optimization techniques. It would be impossible even for today’s computers to render in real time all the pixels of a single 3D world — instead, information is stored as 3D models outside the rendered world and then only what a particular character can see from a certain angle is rendered. The golden rule of video game rendering engines is: render only that which can be observed! Many adherents of the simulation hypothesis think that quantum indeterminacy is an optimization technique with the same basic idea: only render that which is being observed. The most famous example of this is Schrodinger’s cat, the poor feline who is trapped in a box with radioactive material. After an hour, the probability is that hte cat is either dead or alive. Common sense tells us that the cat is already either dead or alive, and when we open the box we are merely finding out what happened. Quantum physics tells us this is wrong: until we are there to obeserve it, the cat is actually both alive and dead at the same time — what’s called a quantum superposition! 4. Future Selves, and Parallel Universes Another related aspect of Quantum Physics that sounds like science fiction is the Parallel Universes theory, where we branch into different “universes” when we make decisions. If that’s true, then there is a directed graph of multiple universes that are branching out each time we make a decision, resulting in different timelines (in fact, the parallel universes theory was put forward to solve the grandfather paradox of time travel). Which of those universes do we branch into? this may have to do with the one that is most “optimal” — meaning these universes may or may not exist as actual physical realities. The Minimax algorithm looks at possible futures, calculating which one is the most optimal for a video game. Physicist Fred Alan Wolf, for example, says that information from these possible futures is coming to us in the present and that we send out an “offer wave” into the future, which is interacting with the “offer waves” coming from the future to the present. Which possible future we navigate to depends on which choices we make, and how these two waves super-pose on each other (or cancel each other out). These are startling results. Future probable selves are sending back information to the present, and we are consciously choosing which path to follow. This reminded me of the very first video game I made back at MIT. The way that the computer chose the next move was to project the possible futures, and then use a certain algorithm to “rank” those futures, and then bring those values back to the present and then the AI would choose the path to follow. Did the possible futures we were calculating in our game actually exist? Or were they just probabilities? I realized that this isn’t too much different from what’s happening at the quantum level, except that in existing games like chess or checkers, we use a simple function (based on the rules of the game) to decide which of the paths is most optimal. We used the “minimax” algorithm in game design, trying to maximize our score and minimize our opponents score at each “turn of the future”. Physicist Thomas Campbell, in his 2003 book, (Theory of Everything) also proposes that there is a fundamental function and that we are essential in a computatiuonal universe that branches off possibilities and uses an evaluation function, just like a video game! He and a team from Caltech raised funds in 2018 on kickstarter for a series of experiements to try to prove this! My Big TOE 5. The Speed of light Another big mystery is why the speed of light is one of the few constants, one of the few fundamental values in physics. In fact, all matter has been equated with energy, and energy may be a derivative of light itself. While other things change, including gravity and space-time, Einstein found that the speed of light remains fixed. Why would the speed of electromagnetic waves be the same speed at which information can travel through the universe? In video games, it turns out that pixels are based on light — they are illuminated for a temporary period, and all communication happens between computers at the speed of light. Just as in relativity where simultaneity cannot really be guaranteed, the same is true video games — each player is working off of his computer and responding to information about the game, which is being sent to cloud servers outside the rendered world. The cloud serve is doing its best to respect simultaneity and order the events, but it may actually be impossible. Conclusion Along with the statistical simulation argument and the advance in video game technology, these are some of the reasons why scientists are starting to take the simulation hypothesis seriously. In fact, many physicists and biologists are starting to realize that underneath the physical objects they are studying, the universe is actually information. Famous physicist John Wheeler in his autobiography wrote “it from bit” — meaning that bits, not matter, are the fundamental “thing in the universe”. In fact, he said physics went through three phases in his career and each phase was an evoluation of our understanding of the universe. The fist phase was that “everything was a particle” (material, newtonian model), then “everything was a field” (quantum probability model), and finally, “everything is information” or bits. If everything was information, or bits, then this would not only be consistent with a video game simulation like that in , it would explain some of the big unanswered questions in science — why does it work this way? The Matrix While we aren’t able to duplicate at this stage of our technology, our computer science and video games have gotten far enough along that we are well on the road to the Simulation Point. The Matrix Buy Rizwan Virk’s book The Simulation Hypothesis: An MIT Computer Scientist Shows Why AI, Quantum Physics, and Eastern Mystics All Agree We Are In a Video Game , or find out more at www.zenentrepreneur.com Originally published at scientificinquirer.com on March 22, 2019.

Are We Already in the Matrix?

Today You Started a Business By . James Alctucher Originally published on JamesAltucher.com A friend of mine left his corporate job yesterday after 23 years of being trapped in the Matrix. I hate it because I’m envious of that moment. The day I left a corporate job to be on my own for the first time. Suddenly you go from managing a cubicle from the hours of 9 to 5 to having to manage ALL OF TIME AND SPACE. The holograph screens that altered the universe around you peel away to show you what the real world looks like. The extra colors and intensity that had been hidden from you behind tinted-black glass windows and fluorescent lights. I wish I had done it differently. I wish I had known what I know now. I was working at HBO. I had a cubicle on the 6th Floor of 1100 Sixth Avenue. My boss was down the hall. His boss was in the room next to his. His boss was in the room next to that. And the real boss (the top guy’s secretary) was in front of all of their offices. I had a view of the McDonalds at Sixth Avenue which is now the big Bank of America building. (I did the website for seasons 1–3 of Sex and the City) Work in the corporate world is like a hazy drug dream to me now. You could get in at 10am. Everyone took breaks downstairs to smoke. I didn’t smoke so I took licorice with me. Then at noon, LUNCH! And then after lunch, chess in Bryant Park. Then my boss left to catch his train at 4:15. So I would leave at 4:16. Before I had my own business on the side I’d take the subway to Astoria and go to Steinway Billiards. Everyone there was Greek. We’d all sit and play backgammon and chess and drink thick Greek coffee until about two in the morning. Sometimes my friends from HBO would come with me and it would be like . And I loved all the girls in the place but not a single one ever talked to me or looked at me no matter how many two dollar bills I tipped with. a party every night There were goals and deadlines at work. Except for the summer. There was never anything to do in the summer. And all other times the deadlines were mild. Like if you missed one then it just meant a meeting was rescheduled. Nobody would get fired. The saying was, “if you want to get fired you have to stand on Albie’s desk and pee on him.” That was the boss’s boss’s boss. As part of my job I got to go to San Francisco for the first time, Los Angeles, and sunny Orlando (to make the website for the series “From the Earth to the Moon” which was shot right in Disneyworld.) And then I quit. I had to. I was running a business on the side. We had clients, some of whom were even competitors to HBO. We had employees. I had payroll to meet. And I felt myself stagnating at my job. I couldn’t get out of bed in the morning. I stopped enjoying the meager things I was doing. And I thought I could handle the psychology of being on my own. What could be different, I thought. I wanted to spread my wings even though I had no idea how to fly. I cried twice the first day on my own. First time, at lunch with one of my partners, Randy. It suddenly hit me that I didn’t have a multi billion media empire as my backstop. I was on my own. I felt alone. Which is another way of saying, if I fucked up I had nobody to blame. Like we all did in corporate America. So over pizza I cried. “Are you ok?” Randy said. Poking at my weakness. “Yeah,” I said. Then later at dinner with all my ex-employees and friends at HBO. I ordered pasta AND fries. Everyone started to laugh at what I had ordered and I wasn’t sure why. I felt like a four year old in a room filled with laughing adults. I had no idea what I was or what I was supposed to be. That made me cry again but nobody noticed. I had been anchored close to shore with Time Warner as the dock. Now I was in deep waters. Too deep to anchor. I had to fish now. I had to find food. I had to get water. I had to feed a lot of people. I had to kill or be killed. I learned a lot in the next few months: If you blame others, you go out of business. Take responsibility for your problems and fix them or move on. A) It was always my fault when things went wrong. If you hide from customers, they will fire you. If you hide from employees they lose respect for you. If you hide from investors, they sue you. B) I had to communicate to people. I had to help customers feel their jobs were about to get a lot easier because now I was in their lives. I had to learn to reward people. I wanted everyone around me to feel good about it. To spread the word that I was someone to work with, to be around. C) I had to help employees feel good about their jobs. We were a web design company but we considered being a tea company, a rap label, a magazine, a TV show, a cable channel, and a social network for dead people. A porn site. A software company. An ad agency. And a dozen other things. We just wanted to make money. We were in the business of business. D) Every idea was fair game. . I was robbed by customers, by employees, by friends, by partners, and twice by random criminals including one guy who just walked into our office and started unscrewing lightbulbs until he was chased out. E) People steal You demonstrate credibility when you teach your employees and when you teach your customers. Where do you get your knowledge? You have to get to the destination before everyone else. You have to read everything. You have to have spies. An important side effect of educating people is that you build presence, you build charisma, you exude confidence that is earned. F) I had to educate. The candles are always lit in the modern age. The day never has to end. But if it doesn’t, you lose track of the map and find yourself adrift with no horizon in any direction. G) I had to learn when the day ended. When you run things, 50% of your decisions will still be bad. Good opportunities sometimes spring from bad decisions. But you have to forgive yourself first as the first process in learning from your mistakes. H) I had to forgive myself. I couldn’t complain to my boss. I had to fire people. Fire customers. Make decisions that might be right or wrong about people. Making decisions is directly correlated to building your idea muscle until you are an idea machine. I) I had to make tough decisions. I never had to do that before. I would hire people specifically to help me network because I was so bad at it but I got better. Your value goes up exponentially depending on the number of people in your network. Keith Ferrazzi hits the nail on the head in his book “Never Eat Alone”. You need to not only consciously arrange to meet people but also put yourself in many situations where you are going to randomly collide with people. My most random collisions often made me the most money. J) I had to network. When web design was being taught in junior high school classes I knew that 3 page websites being built for $75,000 was going to be a thing of the past. Knowing when to sell is just as important as knowing when to start a business. Selling a business gives you the greatest gift of all — freedom to start another business. K) I had to sell the company. (did the website for The Matrix) Most importantly, I had to build a discipline of every day, every hour, seeking out opportunities. Either opportunities for the business, or even for myself. My own improvement became vital to the improvement of the business, to my customers, and to employees. I cried the first day, and many many days after that. And looking back, I can’t really tell you if it was worth it or not. Who really knows? So many things have worked out and so many things have failed. Maybe I’m , best case. mediocre as an entrepreneur But I do feel like I’ve escaped the Matrix of corporate slavery that first day. Eventually I realized that there was yet another matrix outside of that matrix. Like Russian nesting dolls, each matrix is a creation of the matrix outside of it. On and on, forever. Each day another escape but only if I’m brave enough. ➤ for my newsletter. You’ll get a daily email of my latest content! Sign up ➤ Or visit my to read my FREE blog content website ➤ Do you have a question? Ask me on …I answer questions daily! Quora James Altucher is the author of the bestselling book Choose Yourself, editor at The Altucher Report and host of the popular podcast, The James Altucher Show , which takes you beyond business and entrepreneurship by exploring what it means to be human and achieve well-being in a world that is increasingly complicated.

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