14 September 2025
The Matrix Is a Documentary: Riz Virk on the Simulation Hypothesis
Into the Impossible With Brian Keating
About
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What if your life wasn’t real—not metaphorically, but literally? That’s the premise my guest today has been exploring for years. Rizwan Virk, MIT graduate, gaming entrepreneur, and author of The Simulation Hypothesis, believes that physics, computing, and even ancient wisdom traditions point to the same unsettling conclusion: we may be living inside a programmed reality.
In this conversation, we dive into the science, philosophy, and technical roadmaps that could one day prove—or disprove—this theory. We explore quantum mechanics, AI, and the limits of spacetime itself, asking whether reality is an unshakable foundation… or just a beautifully rendered illusion.
Key Takeaways:
00:00 Intro
00:00:42 The Simulation Hypothesis
00:10:14 The limitations of AGI
00:15:17 Rizwan’s religious background
00:21:43 Energetic physical limitations in a simulation
00:28:33 Quantum computing and the simulation hypothesis
00:34:45 Judging a book by its cover
00:37:11 The Planck length
00:41:59 Is Deja Vu a consequence of the simulation?
00:43:41 Ethical and moral considerations
00:48:35 How to avoid collapsing the wave function
00:54:33 Cracks in the matrix
01:02:21 What’s the purpose of the simulation?
01:07:28 Rizwan’s next project
01:09:02 The winning strategy
01:10:37 Outro
—
Additional resources:
➡️ Follow Rizwan Virk:
✖️ Twitter: https://x.com/rizstanford?lang=en
➡️ Follow me on your fav platforms:
✖️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeating
🔔 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DrBrianKeating?sub_confirmation=1
📝 Join my mailing list: https://briankeating.com/list
✍️ Check out my blog: https://briankeating.com/cosmic-musings/
🎙️ Follow my podcast: https://briankeating.com/podcast
—
Into the Impossible with Brian Keating is a podcast dedicated to all those who want to explore the universe within and beyond the known.
Make sure to follow/subscribe so you never miss an episode!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/list to win a meteorite 💥
What if your life wasn’t real—not metaphorically, but literally? That’s the premise my guest today has been exploring for years. Rizwan Virk, MIT graduate, gaming entrepreneur, and author of The Simulation Hypothesis, believes that physics, computing, and even ancient wisdom traditions point to the same unsettling conclusion: we may be living inside a programmed reality.
In this conversation, we dive into the science, philosophy, and technical roadmaps that could one day prove—or disprove—this theory. We explore quantum mechanics, AI, and the limits of spacetime itself, asking whether reality is an unshakable foundation… or just a beautifully rendered illusion.
Key Takeaways:
00:00 Intro
00:00:42 The Simulation Hypothesis
00:10:14 The limitations of AGI
00:15:17 Rizwan’s religious background
00:21:43 Energetic physical limitations in a simulation
00:28:33 Quantum computing and the simulation hypothesis
00:34:45 Judging a book by its cover
00:37:11 The Planck length
00:41:59 Is Deja Vu a consequence of the simulation?
00:43:41 Ethical and moral considerations
00:48:35 How to avoid collapsing the wave function
00:54:33 Cracks in the matrix
01:02:21 What’s the purpose of the simulation?
01:07:28 Rizwan’s next project
01:09:02 The winning strategy
01:10:37 Outro
—
Additional resources:
➡️ Follow Rizwan Virk:
✖️ Twitter: https://x.com/rizstanford?lang=en
➡️ Follow me on your fav platforms:
✖️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeating
🔔 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DrBrianKeating?sub_confirmation=1
📝 Join my mailing list: https://briankeating.com/list
✍️ Check out my blog: https://briankeating.com/cosmic-musings/
🎙️ Follow my podcast: https://briankeating.com/podcast
—
Into the Impossible with Brian Keating is a podcast dedicated to all those who want to explore the universe within and beyond the known.
Make sure to follow/subscribe so you never miss an episode!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices