UPD8

Is life a dream?

Learning objectives

Pupils will judge the merits of competing arguments about a question that science can't answer at the moment. In doing so, they will gain an appreciation of the difference between scientific questions, that can generate testable theories, and philosophical ones that can't.

Try the activity

• Activity sheet
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Curriculum link

KS4
How Science Works
1d. that there are some questions that science cannot currently answer, and some that science cannot address

Running the activity

Timing: starter - 5 minutes; main - 15 minutes; plenary - 5 minutes

Starter activity: Page 1 is designed to be projected. It poses a controversial question. Is what we perceive around us really there? Or is it just virtual reality - a dream world? Can scientists prove that the universe is real? Or is it just a figment of the human imagination? Pupils will need time to discuss these ideas.

Main activity: Page 1 introduces the Dream Debate. Pupils judge arguments for and against the assertion that we live in a dream. They award points to each idea using the scoring system on page 2. This is best done in small groups. The arguments themselves are set out on separate cards on page 3. Each group will need their own copies of both pages. They begin by matching the arguments to the opposing scientists. Then they read each one in turn and decide how convinced they are by it. The outcome of the debate is decided by totalling the scores for each scientist.

Extension: Pupils could come up with their own arguments to add to those provided.

Plenary: Groups could compare their final results and discuss the ideas that were most persuasive.
A final summing up will be needed to convey some key ideas. The main point is that science can give clues, but cannot decide the outcome of the debate. The question goes beyond the boundary of science into philosophy. However, the boundaries of science are changing. Many physicists, like cosmologist Stephen Hawking, are now using science to provide answers to questions that used to be considered philosophy.

Background Notes:
Basic physics predicts that many parallel universes should exist - an infinite number in fact. That idea suits cosmologists. They are finding the universe too perfect. The strength of gravity, and five other numbers, controlled cosmic evolution. If their values had been slightly different, life could not have arisen. Is this evidence for a designer? It's not out of the question. An advanced civilisation could create matrices of the past - where people were like us. There would be more simulations than real humans? So we are more likely to be "Sims" than real. If we were "Sims", would we be able to tell?

Web links

News links

Barrow Sim

Living in a Simulated Universe

Sunday Times

Web link to a news article on the story, from The Sunday Times

Are You Living In a Computer Simulation

A useful synopsis of the arguments for this proposition.

Multiverse Theory

Multiverse Theory holds that the Universe is a Virtual Reality Matrix

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