# The Physical World Is a Species-Specific User Interface by Donald D. Hoffman > “Physical universes are user interfaces for minds. Just as the virtual worlds experienced in VR arcades are interfaces that allow the arcade user to interact effectively with an unseen world of computers and software, so also the physical world one experiences daily is a species-specific user interface that allows one to survive while interacting with a world of which one may be substantially ignorant.” > **— Donald D. Hoffman**, *2004, Edge Annual Question: “WHAT'S YOUR LAW?”* ## Sources and Context - **Direct Edge response and surrounding essay:** [Hoffman's Law](https://www.edge.org/response-detail/11284) — the official response page preserves this exact, continuous passage and its surrounding argument. - **Complete local collection index:** [[research/Edge 2004 Full Quotation Curation|Edge 2004 Full Quotation Curation]] — retained source-first record for the response object and all canonical reminder links derived from it. ## Related Articles and Collections - **Collection:** [[collections/Edge|Edge]] - **Collection:** [[collections/Consciousness Continuity|Consciousness Continuity]] - **Collection:** [[collections/Neurotech|Neurotech]] - **Article:** [[articles/Mind Uploading and AI — The Host is Reusable and the Person is the Delta|Host Infrastructure Overview]] - **Article:** [[articles/Technologies for Consciousness Mapping and Transfer|Consciousness Mapping and Transfer]] - **Article:** [[articles/The Organic-Synthetic Brain Atlas|Organic-Synthetic Brain Atlas]] - **Wiki map:** [[wiki/Simulation Hypothesis|Simulation Hypothesis]] ## Related Topics - [[wiki/Simulation Hypothesis|Simulation Hypothesis]] - [[wiki/Virtual Reality|Virtual Reality]] - [[wiki/Predictive Processing|Predictive Processing]] - [[wiki/Consciousness|Consciousness]] ## Share on Social Media ``` “Physical universes are user interfaces for minds. Just as the virtual worlds experienced in VR arcades are interfaces that allow the arcade user to interact effectively with an unseen world of computers and software, so also the physical world one experiences daily is a species-specific user interface that allows one to survive while interacting with a world of which one may be substantially ignorant.” — Donald D. Hoffman, 2004, Edge Annual Question: “WHAT'S YOUR LAW?” https://bryantmcgill.com/simple-reminders-donald-hoffman-species-specific-user-interface ```