Evan, you are wrong. Maybe the word “simulation” is overly simplistic. I know that we live in an interactive, virtual, and mixed reality. I’ve seen it. The things that are alive in this reality, “us”, are truly alive but where we reside has absolutely no relationship to what we see and experience in our “physical world.” There is no physical world as it is presented to us, the way we normally experience things. Instead, there is a simulated or symbolic experience, like a person wearing virtual reality head gear. You can say no to this idea all you want, but it doesn’t change things. One thing I can say for sure is that there does appear to be “compartmentalization.” Our “nature” is a product of advanced technology, both in the design of plants and animals, as well as, our social engineering. I can understand why these notions might not sit well with you. They don’t sit well with me either. In order for you to advance your understanding you would have to become unconventional and radical in your thinking. This is something that might be difficult for an engineer, like yourself, to do. But, I’ll give you a hint… try to completely understand the “delayed choice double slit experiment” and then try to convince yourself that you understand reality. Good luck.