science

Well this is starting to sound religious. I guess in this case these concepts are inseparable? The technology or methods used to produce such a simulated universe could be advanced enough to where we wouldn’t be able to understand as computationally derived and my first point is it may not be an accurate label. For instance I have no great idea of how we could tell being a part of a quantum computation based universe apart from existing in “real” quantum defined reality as the behavior of a qbit is essentially just a controlled bit of actual quantum reality designed to produce a usable outcome. I would guess our simulation would run on something at least as advanced is quantum computing. The original notion of a simulated universe came up when computers were iterative, deterministic and digital, which is no long necessarily the case which may alter what can be meant by our universe being simulated. I guess the key aspect of the simulation hypothesis would then have to boil down to a universal which was intentionally fabricated by some means within another universe.

As for intent. I would guess that if a civilization went through the trouble of making a simulated universe it would do so with an intent in mind. However that intent could be completely mundane and our existence could and likely would be fully accidental within it. Likewise , usually a key component of any good simulation is that it is a rule based random process as you only simulate if you do not want or do not have foreknowledge of the end results. Otherwise you would calculate. Though this is a guess based on experience.