Definition
Plain language
The simulation's own yardstick for distance, with no fixed real-world size.
As stated in the literature
An arbitrary internal length scale in a simulated environment; measurements such as peak throw height are reported in these units and are only meaningful relative to one another.
Also called: world units
Why it matters: It keeps comparisons honest: progress in the simulation is measured against earlier attempts in the same world, not against real-world distances that were never defined.
For example, saying a throw peaked at twelve world units tells you nothing about meters, but it does tell you the throw went twice as high as a six-unit one.
Heard on the show
“Standing, its recorded peak is about twenty world units.”Episode 288 — An AI Agent Given Thirty Hours and No Goal, Then Tested on What It Learned