We begin with a simple non-quantified observation: when things are released into the air they fall to the ground.
They progress to intuitive speculation: it is obvious that the heavier an object is, the faster it must fall faster because of the greater force exerted on it.
At some point the intuitive speculation is confronted by a crisis: a bowling ball and a ping-pong ball are rolled down an inclined plane. They both arrive at the bottom simultaneously! WTF!!!!! (Why, That's Funny)
Now actual experimentation is done to measure this unexpected result and construct a mathematical model that will predict other analagous situations. When a method of making new predictions in order with the observed anomaly emerge, a new theory is born. Although it conforms with new observations, it may no longer solve old problems. It may not be grounded in truth, but only be an artificial construct that is useful for answering questions. Newton's law of gravity is one such analogy which in no way explains the reality of what is going on there.
This useful theory or paradigm continues until a new crisis emerges, requiring yet a new way of describing reality which answers a new set of questions.
Simulation progresses along the same line of wow this is great, I can do this to oh, shift I can't do that, to complete rewrite and new hardware back to the beginning. Each crisis results in a totally new underpinning of the simulation. But never will the simulation be reality. It will always be no more than a mathematical model, a mathematical description of reality. It will always have problems needing to be solved and problems that cannot be solved with the present paradigm.
OK, I'm finally done so everybody
WAKE UP!!!!!!!