I've always found most of those 'Mandela Effect' examples as being blow way out of proportion. It's not great mystery why a lot of people all misremembered these things and they don't mean anything
* Berenstein for Berenstain is a pretty reasonable as 'stein' is much more common name suffix than 'stain'
* the monocle on the Monopoly man is most likely people mixing in a bit Mr. Peanut with their memories of ol' moneybags. That or the trope of rich old timey wanker with a monocle is pretty common.
* the misspellings being remembered correctly makes sense. It's not exactly a mystery that many people might remember the brand word 'Froot' as being spelled as 'Fruit'.
The one I have never understood is the one it's named after: Mandela dying in prison. I've personally never met anyone who thinks he died in prison - it's pretty common knowledge around these parts (NZ) that he made it out. He's largely world famous for all the stuff he did AFTER he was released! He bloody well handed the 1995 Rugby World Cup to Francois Pienaar - Clint Eastwood made a bloody movie about it!
Basically to sum up: everyone's memory is a bit shit and the fact that we fill in the gaps in similar manner isn't exactly mind blowing considering we generally spell words the same, consume the same culture etc
Yeah I am with you on all of that.... except for Shazam!
But in general, as far as proof goes - I agree. It's not convincing. Much more convincing, as Dylan argues below, is the statistical probability we are simulated as opposed to a real iteration.
I always though the Shazam thing was just people's memories of the Shaq genie movie from the 90's called Kazaam getting all jumbled up. It certainly sounds like the kind of film that Sinbad would have done at the time.
Until I started researching this I'd largely written off Simulation Theory as a silly idea.
But the one aspect of it that works for me is a purely mathematical one...
If we imagine that in some length of time from now - say 1000 years - computer technology has developed to a point where it's possible to use a normal computer to run billions of simultaneous AI 'people' within an entirely simulated reality, then we reach a mathematical probability that we are those simulated AI people.
So our existence and perception is basically that of the Sim from a version of the game a thousand years in the future.
If we imagine that humanity reaches that level of advancement, and uses that technology to run simulations of their earlier history (think of Civilisation) then we end up with a scenario where there are millions of times more people being simulated through the year 2021 than ever actually existed during that time. In which case the probability is that we are experiencing a simulated version of 2021 being run in a computer far in the future.
Ultimately none of it really matters, of course. But it's an interesting way to think about time and technological advancement and probability.
But besides all that - I think the Mandela Effect is bollocks. The vast majority of examples are just people remember things as they expect them to be, rather than as they are (Fabreeze vs. Fabreze, etc)
Enjoyed the podcast, and this too! Is there another sim where I enjoyed them in the other order, or not at all?
For me it is a bit like that 'branching futures' think where every interaction could go the other way and that would spawn a different universe. Unless you can experience both does it matter?
Here in the UK many many people (myself included) are convinced that Walker's cheese & onion flavoured crisps came in green packets and salt & vinegar in blue packets when according to Walker's it has always been the other way around. Liars 😆
“ Maybe if I was a super-intelligent physicist who had a chance of breaking out of the simulation I might care. But I’m not. I’m an idiot. ” 🤗 great read thanks l!
I’m super in to the Mandela effect. For the last few years I’ve been painfully corresponding with the company Streets about the Bubble’o’Bill ice-creams. They are ADAMANT that the bubble gum nose never had text printed on it - but I know they did. It’s a fun back and forth and eventually I’ll collate all the letters and Facebook messages make a little photocopied zine about it.
WHAT?! This is tripping me out. It totally did have text on it. Bubble'o'Bills were an integral part of my childhood. I distinctly remember pulling the nose off and licking the ice cream off to read the text.
I've found it interesting how many of the Mandela effects made me question what I remember. This one right here though, really has me perplexed. I remember a bubble gum stuck in ice cream that had writing on it!
But as I write this I think of other features that ice cream face had, was it jelly eyes or something? Is there another face based ice cream that we're misremembering?
Interesting list of reasons to support the Sim theory - hadn't thought of them in quite that way before...apart from the Mandela Effect of course. But I'm so with ya DF, ultimately it makes absolutely no difference to what we experience in the here and now, whether we rationalise our sanity via religion, the Matrix, or just plane atheism. And besides, people are the worst recollectors ever!! There is even good psychological evidence to support the fact that eye witness testimony is notoriously unreliable, let alone plain old memory filtered through various drunk and drug and damaged/insufficient DNA channels to allow a bunch of self-hypnotised people to convince me that anything is real. I include proponents of religion in that description. Great read, David, and I am going to keep this one handy for future discussions with family members.....:-)
When I was a kid I was told (or read) of an idea that fits in quite well with the Simulation Theory, it mostly revolved around the number of 'real' people there are in the simulation. All the people you know well and see often, or those you don't know, but seem to see on the bus most days, then see them while visiting another city/country, are 'real' and all the other people walking around are just randomly generated. Like NPCs in games. I think the Matrix movies touched on this idea.
I listened to the podcast last night. I heard the lisp, ha ha ha ha!!! I'm so glad for you that you are with them in person. Their attic in the photos above looks cool!
I can understand how some of those Mandela effects happen - especially the spelling ones. But it's just so bizarre that many of us, myself included, seem to remember Sinbad playing a genie in a movie called Shazam.
So the crazy crap that was my Monday is equivalent to a Monday hangover and someone, somewhere skipped work. No I don't think I like the thought of a stimulation world; this idea/theory is too coincidentally similar God is watching.
My first thought: I think Mulder would be into simulation theory.
I think it’s really fun to entertain some of these ideas, like the the concept of it being “too crazy” to be real. If only I believed that, maybe living in this reality would be a little less chaotic! Who’s running this thing anyway?!
I think the Mandela Effect stuff is fun. I remember a few things, like Pikachu’s tail, but when it comes to spelling, all of those stick in my mind. I was the kid who read *everything*. I would read labels for fun (looking back, this seems like the behavior of a non-neurotypical child). Paying such specific attention to detail about these things, it always stuck out to me when things were commonly mispronounced, or were just said differently than I expected the word to sound. Not that this disproves anything, I just think it’s funny (and bizarre) that this knowledge is lodged in my brain.
I did JUST notice that the duck mascot for the Bubble Yum gum has a spiky collar and a nose ring?! I had that stuff all the time as a child and either never noticed or forgot at some point, but it really shocked me. I remembered him just being a normal duck!
I've always found most of those 'Mandela Effect' examples as being blow way out of proportion. It's not great mystery why a lot of people all misremembered these things and they don't mean anything
* Berenstein for Berenstain is a pretty reasonable as 'stein' is much more common name suffix than 'stain'
* the monocle on the Monopoly man is most likely people mixing in a bit Mr. Peanut with their memories of ol' moneybags. That or the trope of rich old timey wanker with a monocle is pretty common.
* the misspellings being remembered correctly makes sense. It's not exactly a mystery that many people might remember the brand word 'Froot' as being spelled as 'Fruit'.
The one I have never understood is the one it's named after: Mandela dying in prison. I've personally never met anyone who thinks he died in prison - it's pretty common knowledge around these parts (NZ) that he made it out. He's largely world famous for all the stuff he did AFTER he was released! He bloody well handed the 1995 Rugby World Cup to Francois Pienaar - Clint Eastwood made a bloody movie about it!
Basically to sum up: everyone's memory is a bit shit and the fact that we fill in the gaps in similar manner isn't exactly mind blowing considering we generally spell words the same, consume the same culture etc
Yeah I am with you on all of that.... except for Shazam!
But in general, as far as proof goes - I agree. It's not convincing. Much more convincing, as Dylan argues below, is the statistical probability we are simulated as opposed to a real iteration.
I always though the Shazam thing was just people's memories of the Shaq genie movie from the 90's called Kazaam getting all jumbled up. It certainly sounds like the kind of film that Sinbad would have done at the time.
Until I started researching this I'd largely written off Simulation Theory as a silly idea.
But the one aspect of it that works for me is a purely mathematical one...
If we imagine that in some length of time from now - say 1000 years - computer technology has developed to a point where it's possible to use a normal computer to run billions of simultaneous AI 'people' within an entirely simulated reality, then we reach a mathematical probability that we are those simulated AI people.
So our existence and perception is basically that of the Sim from a version of the game a thousand years in the future.
If we imagine that humanity reaches that level of advancement, and uses that technology to run simulations of their earlier history (think of Civilisation) then we end up with a scenario where there are millions of times more people being simulated through the year 2021 than ever actually existed during that time. In which case the probability is that we are experiencing a simulated version of 2021 being run in a computer far in the future.
Ultimately none of it really matters, of course. But it's an interesting way to think about time and technological advancement and probability.
But besides all that - I think the Mandela Effect is bollocks. The vast majority of examples are just people remember things as they expect them to be, rather than as they are (Fabreeze vs. Fabreze, etc)
yep, plus the spelling ability (or lack thereof) of the majority of the general pop.....
I agree with you, nerd.
Enjoyed the podcast, and this too! Is there another sim where I enjoyed them in the other order, or not at all?
For me it is a bit like that 'branching futures' think where every interaction could go the other way and that would spawn a different universe. Unless you can experience both does it matter?
The old multi-universe theory. I am down for that.
Here in the UK many many people (myself included) are convinced that Walker's cheese & onion flavoured crisps came in green packets and salt & vinegar in blue packets when according to Walker's it has always been the other way around. Liars 😆
Hey, don't worry - it's just the simulation
“ Maybe if I was a super-intelligent physicist who had a chance of breaking out of the simulation I might care. But I’m not. I’m an idiot. ” 🤗 great read thanks l!
I’m super in to the Mandela effect. For the last few years I’ve been painfully corresponding with the company Streets about the Bubble’o’Bill ice-creams. They are ADAMANT that the bubble gum nose never had text printed on it - but I know they did. It’s a fun back and forth and eventually I’ll collate all the letters and Facebook messages make a little photocopied zine about it.
WHAT?! This is tripping me out. It totally did have text on it. Bubble'o'Bills were an integral part of my childhood. I distinctly remember pulling the nose off and licking the ice cream off to read the text.
Nope!
MIND FUCKING BLOWN NO SHIT
Simulation had an update
Someone just tried to use the Wiki as a reference for the text existing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bubble_O%27_Bill
I've found it interesting how many of the Mandela effects made me question what I remember. This one right here though, really has me perplexed. I remember a bubble gum stuck in ice cream that had writing on it!
But as I write this I think of other features that ice cream face had, was it jelly eyes or something? Is there another face based ice cream that we're misremembering?
Love that you are terrorising them over this. Keep me updated.
Oh man. That Shazam thing. I even (mis?)remember when and where I was when I saw this!
It gets a LOT of people!
Interesting list of reasons to support the Sim theory - hadn't thought of them in quite that way before...apart from the Mandela Effect of course. But I'm so with ya DF, ultimately it makes absolutely no difference to what we experience in the here and now, whether we rationalise our sanity via religion, the Matrix, or just plane atheism. And besides, people are the worst recollectors ever!! There is even good psychological evidence to support the fact that eye witness testimony is notoriously unreliable, let alone plain old memory filtered through various drunk and drug and damaged/insufficient DNA channels to allow a bunch of self-hypnotised people to convince me that anything is real. I include proponents of religion in that description. Great read, David, and I am going to keep this one handy for future discussions with family members.....:-)
PS: You are not an idiot!
PPS neither are you!
Mwah!
Predictive txt can make us look like we are tho..... That should have said plain, not plane....'doh'
When I was a kid I was told (or read) of an idea that fits in quite well with the Simulation Theory, it mostly revolved around the number of 'real' people there are in the simulation. All the people you know well and see often, or those you don't know, but seem to see on the bus most days, then see them while visiting another city/country, are 'real' and all the other people walking around are just randomly generated. Like NPCs in games. I think the Matrix movies touched on this idea.
Yeah totally - a big question is whether we are the only real one in the sim - or whether it's us vs 10 billion NPCs
I came from darkness. To darkness I will return alone. Yet I seek each day to find some joy on this journey through the light.
I listened to the podcast last night. I heard the lisp, ha ha ha ha!!! I'm so glad for you that you are with them in person. Their attic in the photos above looks cool!
It's really great in that attic!
I can understand how some of those Mandela effects happen - especially the spelling ones. But it's just so bizarre that many of us, myself included, seem to remember Sinbad playing a genie in a movie called Shazam.
Oh yeah, the Sinbad film is just *nuts*. It breaks my (simulated) brain.
Shaq had a genie move in the 90's called Kazaam so it's probably just that. Possibly odd that a bunch of people swapped Shaq for Sinbad I guess.
So the crazy crap that was my Monday is equivalent to a Monday hangover and someone, somewhere skipped work. No I don't think I like the thought of a stimulation world; this idea/theory is too coincidentally similar God is watching.
My first thought: I think Mulder would be into simulation theory.
I think it’s really fun to entertain some of these ideas, like the the concept of it being “too crazy” to be real. If only I believed that, maybe living in this reality would be a little less chaotic! Who’s running this thing anyway?!
I think the Mandela Effect stuff is fun. I remember a few things, like Pikachu’s tail, but when it comes to spelling, all of those stick in my mind. I was the kid who read *everything*. I would read labels for fun (looking back, this seems like the behavior of a non-neurotypical child). Paying such specific attention to detail about these things, it always stuck out to me when things were commonly mispronounced, or were just said differently than I expected the word to sound. Not that this disproves anything, I just think it’s funny (and bizarre) that this knowledge is lodged in my brain.
I did JUST notice that the duck mascot for the Bubble Yum gum has a spiky collar and a nose ring?! I had that stuff all the time as a child and either never noticed or forgot at some point, but it really shocked me. I remembered him just being a normal duck!
https://www.hersheyland.com/content/dam/hersheyland/en-us/life-style/brands/bubble-yum/bubble-yum-callout.jpg