Unlike Newtonian physics which ignores the observer, quantum mechanics has two different rule sets: one for when a system is unobserved (unitary evolution) and one for when it is (collapse of the wave function). This centrality of the observer, despite having no accepted scientific model, suggests that observation itself is a fundamental aspect of how reality is constructed.

Hoffman's theory posits that our perceived world is not a persistent, objective reality but a simulation that is rendered only when an observer looks at it. According to this model, when you look away from an object, it ceases to exist and is only re-rendered upon observation.

Quantum mechanics doesn't create space for free will. Instead, it functions like 'occlusion culling' in a video game, making the universe computationally efficient by only rendering definitive properties when an interaction occurs. This refutes the idea that quantum uncertainty allows for choice.

In a game engine, objects that appear far apart on screen are just data structures processed in the same physical space by the same chips. This concept of simulated distance provides a model for understanding how entangled particles can be linked despite vast separations.

Recent physics experiments suggest the universe isn't "locally real," behaving like a simulation that only renders what is being observed. A tree falling on Mars may not actually fall until it's measured, similar to how an unseen area in a video game doesn't render.

Like objects in a video game, physical items don't have an independent existence. They are created and rendered by our perception when we interact with them. A cup is not "in the cupboard" when the door is closed; it ceases to exist until it is perceived again.

The universe is not "locally real," meaning objects exist as probabilities until observed. This mirrors video game engines that only render objects in a player's view to conserve computational resources, suggesting our reality is similarly efficient.

The double-slit experiment in physics shows that the mere act of observing particles changes their behavior. This indicates that reality is not fixed but is influenced by consciousness, leading Sinclair to believe there's a >50% chance we live in a simulation.

The Nobel Prize-winning discovery that the universe is not locally real suggests it operates like a video game engine, rendering reality only when an interaction or measurement occurs. This principle of computational efficiency, along with the universe having a minimum pixel size (Planck scale) and tick speed, strongly supports the simulation metaphor for reality.