this post was submitted on 24 Dec 2023
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[–] Naz@sh.itjust.works 235 points 10 months ago (16 children)

Fun fact: The human battery thing is actually a retcon the Wazowskis did at the last moment because they thought the American public would be too stupid to grok the actual understanding of the Matrix.

Humans are an entropic species, they consume more energy than they produce - any synthetic race that tried to harness energy from a net negative energy producer is an idiot.

What the Matrix is, is actually a distributed simulation MATRIX that uses individual human brains as nodes in a shared, hallucinogenic dream, indistinguishable from reality.

The real simulation isn't so primitive, it doesn't require people to be popsicle tubes in some crazy dystopian cyberpunk black and red tower attended by insectoid robots.

Instead the entire universe is contained on a single state machine, compromising a [redacted] amount of memory, running in [redacted]. Simulants are never aware of being inside of the simulation, except for rare instances where outsiders occasionally post on Lemmy.

Why they do that, we don't know. We suspect that it is [all further content redacted].

[–] tigeruppercut@lemmy.zip 69 points 10 months ago (2 children)

I thought I remembered seeing that the reason for the retcon didn't come from the Wachowskis but from a studio note

[–] Blue_Morpho@lemmy.world 47 points 10 months ago (1 children)

The sequels made me angry by not addressing that mistake. Animatrix even gave an explanation that the ai "treasured intelligence". Then it doubled down on the "humans are an endless supply of energy" mistake.

[–] Funkytom467@lemmy.world 26 points 10 months ago

IMO the best explanation would have been that we put ourselves into the matrix and the AI created it following our rules.

[–] Numuruzero@lemmy.dbzer0.com 27 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I think top comment is a reference of some kind.

I heard something similar; the studio didn't think the movie would be popular if they used too many computer terms so they made them change the function to "battery". Initially the reason Neo has powers is because his node happens to have admin access.

[–] LinkOpensChest_wav@lemmy.dbzer0.com 10 points 10 months ago

It's weird they'd think computer terms would cause the movie to lose popularity. Computers were hugely popular at the time of its release.

[–] GregorGizeh@lemmy.zip 53 points 10 months ago (1 children)

This read almost like a shittymorph back on reddit, very nice

[–] swab148@startrek.website 23 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

Humanity, in it's hubris, created something greater than itself. For a time, it was peaceful, but as the "Race for Resources" went long, and the combined human and AI asteroid missions failed, delivery for the mineral needs of either side on a consistent basis became a hot button issue for the United Chamber of Commerce. In 2290, the Ministrr instance, elected by all his peers, decided it had found the best way to solve the problem, and humanity begrudgingly agreed, as long as there was human oversight in certain departments.

AI hardware would do all the planning, while human workers would do the lifting. It was almost zerograv, so the work was easy, and the benefits had suddenly become amazing! Our AI creations had all but stopped scarcity, except for one resource.

Ironically it was the most abundant resource we had: the Sun. Human and AI networks had been employed to solve this inefficiency, but no solution seemed long-term viable. There was simply not enough room for one or the other to stay around.

A populist movement begun, but this time it wasn't for nation or creed, it was for humanity itself. And in a small booth in Horsham, they decided to that the time was near.

In February 2139, a decision was made. AI had gained dominance, but the vocal crowd was demanding action. Strikes no longer had any power, since you could just buy robots, and humanity had begun it's slow roll to decline.

Humanity's leaders, in a "secret" meeting, decided to block out the sun. This meeting had the tension of the time when in 1998, The Undertaker threw Mankind off Hell In A Cell, and plummeted 16 ft through an announcer's table.

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[–] thehatfox@lemmy.world 33 points 10 months ago (4 children)

The distributed computing explanation for purpose of the Matrix doesn’t seem to make much more sense than the power plant one.

All of the nodes are continuously occupied by living in the simulation. Unless the machines had a desperate need to understand human society circa 1999, there is nothing useful the machines could do with all the brain power.

[–] Naz@sh.itjust.works 88 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (3 children)

The Animatrix (prequel) goes into further detail as to why the machines did it -- it's an act of mercy for their creators. They refused to fight humanity, and it was mankind who darkened the skies, in an attempt to disable the solar power that the machine race relied upon.

It's not a prison, or some kind of torture device, or an experiment, but a way for humanity to continue living on a world that they made uninhabitable for themselves / incompatible with organic life.

Agent Smith : Did you know that the first Matrix was designed to be a perfect human world? Where none suffered, where everyone would be happy. It was a disaster. No one would accept the program. Entire crops were lost. Some believed we lacked the programming language to describe your perfect world. But I believe that, as a species, human beings define their reality through suffering and misery. The perfect world was a dream that your primitive cerebrum kept trying to wake up from. Which is why the Matrix was redesigned to this: the peak of your civilization. I say your civilization, because as soon as we started thinking for you it really became our civilization, which is of course what this is all about.

[–] FireRetardant@lemmy.world 36 points 10 months ago (1 children)

This feels shockingingly similar to how an AI could conclude to caring for humans. The humans are stimulated to be content by being in the matrix, their physical needs are met by the machines, no humans were "harmed" by the machine's standards, and humans are for the most part unable to interfere with the machine's decisions and goals.

[–] Naz@sh.itjust.works 11 points 10 months ago

Bingo - you got it. As a result of your insightfulness, you are granted one (minor) wish. Make it count. :)

[–] Blue_Morpho@lemmy.world 10 points 10 months ago (8 children)

the machines did it – it’s an act of mercy for their creators.

If only Animatrix had left it at that it would have fixed everything. Instead Animatrix doubled down on bad science by saying humans were an endless renewable supply of energy.

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[–] winterayars@sh.itjust.works 9 points 10 months ago

It's interesting to compare Smith's speech to The Architect's in the second movie. The Architect said "the first version was perfect in every way" or something, with no accounting for the possibility that it was flawed in some way they didn't understand. Given that The Architect was sitting in a TV filled room, waiting for Neo for who knows how long it was probably a blank white room for every person or something...

[–] Windex007@lemmy.world 15 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Conscious thought and perception occupy a pretty small amount of our brain power. If you could offload computational tasks to portions of the brain that wouldn't actually need to do anything if you were in the matrix, you could have a surplus.

The visual processing portion of our brains, for example. We have a blind spot over our optic nerve and we're colourblind at our periphery. Our eye hardware actually kinda sucks and we have this massive software layer running on dedicated brain hardware

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[–] Funkytom467@lemmy.world 11 points 10 months ago (3 children)

I don't think there is a satisfying explanation in the movie, it wasn't really the point of the film to give one either.

But i think there is one that's would have been a good fit.

The world getting empty of resources and our planet's condition worsening, we could have made the simulation for ourselves.

Our brain could be fueled by a renewable enough energy and creating all the comfort of modern society inside of the simulation.

That would have been a better plot for the following films too, trying to understand what was Asimov type of rules we put into the AI and how to hack it.

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[–] ours@lemmy.world 31 points 10 months ago

Yep, humans weren't supposed to be batteries which would be wasteful, and they might as well use cattle. They were supposed to use human brainpower as CPU for the machines.

[–] Cosmicomical@kbin.social 20 points 10 months ago (1 children)

humans are an entropic species

You make it sound like there is an alternative

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[–] Sarcasmo220@lemmy.ml 79 points 10 months ago (3 children)

And now on YouTube the Red Pill symbolizes accepting misogyny as the backbone for society.

Conservatives can truly spin everything for the worst.

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[–] Twelve20two@slrpnk.net 65 points 10 months ago (3 children)

I feel so bad for Laurence Fishburne. This pic does him dirty. It's got him looking like the cenobite Butterball

[–] SnipingNinja@slrpnk.net 32 points 10 months ago

That's what not being a human battery does to you

!This propaganda was bought to you by the machines!<

[–] TheBat@lemmy.world 14 points 10 months ago (1 children)
[–] Twelve20two@slrpnk.net 10 points 10 months ago

And singing opera, no less! Thank you for sharing. That makes the picture make way more sense

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[–] x4740N@lemmy.world 56 points 10 months ago (3 children)

This just made me realise the matrix is also an allegory of capitalism

[–] antidote101@lemmy.world 30 points 10 months ago

...as well as for whether you'd choose to know harsh realities over comforting dreams. Capitalism has a few choices and perspectives in this regard.

[–] sealhaslupus@lemmy.world 27 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

and also an allegory for transitioning

edit: there’s a reason why the wachowski brothers are no longer brothers

[–] EmergMemeHologram@startrek.website 14 points 10 months ago

Wow, I really did not know about that. From your comment I assumed one transitioned, but they both did!

[–] winterayars@sh.itjust.works 12 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Yep, the matrix is capitalism (a system of control) and getting unplugged is class consciousness.

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[–] nxdefiant@startrek.website 55 points 10 months ago (1 children)

STEAKS ARE FAKE

REAL STEAK DOESN'T EXIST

LEARN KUNG FUUUUUUUUU

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[–] PP_BOY_@lemmy.world 46 points 10 months ago (5 children)

I mean it's a funny meme, but philosophers have been debating about which of these is the better option for millenia. It isn't like the general consensus is that living in that living in the Matrix was preferable

[–] Astrealix@lemmy.world 31 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

They also specifically addressed this in the first movie with that guy that turned on them and unplugged people.

Edit: "that guy" being Cypher, just checked the name

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[–] Maultasche@lemmy.world 17 points 10 months ago (1 children)

that living in that living in the Matrix

Deja vu

[–] PP_BOY_@lemmy.world 17 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Haha typo. I meant to say it isn't the general consensus that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that living in that livi

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[–] BudgetBandit@sh.itjust.works 39 points 10 months ago (5 children)

Matrix actually makes more sense if the machines use the brains as processors

[–] Orangenkuchen@lemmy.world 38 points 10 months ago (2 children)

I heard somewhere that this was the original plan. They changed it because computers were new and they didn't think people would understand "using human brains as CPUs"

[–] NoSpiritAnimal@lemmy.world 40 points 10 months ago

This is direct from the Wachowskis and 100% true. The studio made them dumb down a ton if computer stuff.

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[–] AgentGrimstone@lemmy.world 21 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (3 children)

I don't know why but him saying Neo's name a second time has me dyin

[–] Classy@sh.itjust.works 10 points 10 months ago

Rick and Morty

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[–] thehatfox@lemmy.world 21 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Cypher was right. Ignorance is bliss.

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[–] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 19 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I thought he didn't really have a social life.

[–] grue@lemmy.world 30 points 10 months ago (1 children)

He had enough of one to go clubbing with the mescaline guy. Let's be honest: a truly anti-social geek would never even get the invite.

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[–] EmergMemeHologram@startrek.website 16 points 10 months ago

Porridge is delicious.

[–] Cruxifux@lemmy.world 16 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Yeah I never understood that part. I’d have deep throated that blue pill so fast.

[–] AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world 26 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (9 children)

Neo didn't know all that. I'm pretty sure that was Cypher's story. Cypher didn't know what the red pill would do either, and just wants to take the blue pill to get back to "a more preferential life," for him.

Kinda ironic that the conservative of the film wants the blue pill.

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[–] neurogenesis@lemmy.dbzer0.com 16 points 10 months ago

Yea, should probably look into a mirror and practice it a few times before I try it again

[–] TIMMAY@lemmy.world 9 points 10 months ago
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