Are we living in a computer simulation? It's more likely than you might think, scientist argues

From cyberpunk classics like Neuromancer and The Matrix, to the upcoming virtual reality-fuelled film Ready Player One, pop culture has long been fascinated with the idea of living inside a computer simulation of the physical world.

Scientists and philosophers have also been arguing about the idea for years, with some saying it's not a question of when living in a digital realm will be possible, but whether we're already there.