When I was a child I had a TRS-80 Color Computer. I remember pretending the real world around me was made of pixels. I believe humans are ramping up self awareness in a dramatic way in the 21st Century. I love this Ted talk. I believe Dr. Hoffman is on the right path.
“Cognitive scientist Donald Hoffman is trying to answer a big question: Do we experience the world as it really is … or as we need it to be? In this ever so slightly mind-blowing talk, he ponders how our minds construct reality for us.” – Ted
For more info: cogsci.uci.edu/~ddhoff