Downloading The Mind

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Posted by Hemos on Sunday October 20, 2002 @11:19PM from the place-it-in-your-databank dept.

bluemug writes "The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's popular science radio show Quirks and Quarks aired a piece this weekend about Ray Kurzweil's ideas on downloading human minds to silicon. (The interview is available in MP3 or OGG.) Kurzweil figures we'll have strong AI by 2029 and be able to copy a human mind about a decade after that. Book your appointment now!"

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Sure! by Koyaanisqatsi · 2002-10-20 23:24 · Score: 5, Funny

Book your appointment now

Yeah, I'll go check it out on my flying car, while the robot takes care of things at home.
1. Re:Sure! by troc · 2002-10-20 23:30 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Flying car?
  
  That's soooo last decade. Surely you will be using your household teleportation booth?
  
  You could combine it with a trip to the tactile 3D hologram suite.
  
  At least tell me you have a subspace communications port or how else will you download the 1Tb bug updates to Microsoft Windows XXXP with "use this browser or else" Interuniversenet Explorationer?
  
  Not that I am doubting there's enough silicon out there for a few brain dumps, no, of course not. And anyway Skynet will protect us from the Matrix.
  
  Troc
  
  --
  Troc's dubious podcast and blog: http://www.trocnet.net
After being copied by Anonymous Coward · 2002-10-20 23:26 · Score: 4, Funny

All subjects will be forced to spend a day with themselves before they are allowed back in the general population.
Floppy minds by Glanz · 2002-10-20 23:44 · Score: 5, Funny

Well, most people I know could put their minds on floppies, and it would still leave enough space for a nice copy of FDISK........... [fmind?]

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Brain Dump! by irn_bru · 2002-10-20 23:45 · Score: 5, Funny

Wow. A literal brain dump. Just don't use Eproms or you might loose your mind...
Just my luck by jjohn · 2002-10-20 23:56 · Score: 4, Funny

I'm sure that when I'm copying my mortal soul to the hard drive, that's exactly when the Windows box will blue screen. :-/
I wonder how tech support is going to field that problem?
Re:Eternal life? by FTL · 2002-10-21 00:03 · Score: 4, Funny

> It wouldn't work like that. Imagine that the copy of your mind is uploaded into a new body before you die. Do you think your consciousness would suddenly transfer to the new body? All the copying could do is create a new consciousness in the new body, your old one (ie, you) would still grow old and die in the old body, never to return.
> This is also the argument against Star Trek transporters. You die each time you use one but a new person is created at the other end that thinks it's you. You don't know anything about this, of course, you've just been disintegrated!
I don't have a problem with this. When I go to sleep, my current consciousness is discarded, and when I wake up a new consciousness (with all my memories) is created. This fact doesn't keep me awake at night.
Good night. Sleep well...

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Re:Wow! what a new idea! by agentZ · 2002-10-21 00:03 · Score: 4, Funny

Eh... you can have the ROM personality construct. I'm still waiting for the chick with the razor blades in her fingertips.
A decade after 2029? by BluBrick · 2002-10-21 00:08 · Score: 5, Funny

But the world ends at GMT 03:14:07, Tuesday, January 19, 2038!

Uhh, pencil me in for the 18th... just in case.

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Re:Eternal life? by Washizu · 2002-10-21 00:12 · Score: 5, Funny

None of the atoms present in our bodies right now, were there 10 years ago.

Please explain how tattoos last longer than 10 years.

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OddManIn: A Game of guns and game theory.
Old News by BoBaBrain · 2002-10-21 00:18 · Score: 5, Funny

We've been making partial brain dumps for years. They're called "Books".

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I am a Karma Library.
Anyone got a potato? by The+Famous+Druid · 2002-10-21 01:23 · Score: 4, Funny

By 2039, you'll be able to download what's left of my mind into a potato.

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Quidquid Latine dictum sit, altum videtur (anything said in Latin sounds important)
And just like that by Rumagent · 2002-10-21 02:27 · Score: 4, Funny

Blue screen of Death took on a whole new meaning.