In some ways it's hard to distinguish reality from a computing environment, because you could argue that the laws of nature and cellular automata that make up our reality are a complex computing system in their own right.
I think it was Konrad Zuse in his pioneering book, Rechenden Raum ("Calculating Space" e.g. space that computes) who made a good point about it. I like this idea, because it doesnt dumb this idea down to suggest that reality is running on a supercomputer in an office somewhere.. but an abstracted and intelligent computing space based on cellular automata comprising our reality.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calculating_SpaceIn a lot of ways this is very intuitive to me.
At any rate, I'd like to sit down and give a stern scolding to the cosmic game designer about the design decision behind things like the Department of Motor Vehicles, George Bush or reality television.
