...
What about brain implants to enhance intelligence? Sensory stimulating equipment? Stress and emotion oppression at will? Nanotech disease control? Automatic hair trimming? Athletic enhancements? Permanent identification? I could go on for hours! It'll probably all be possible somewhere in the (near) future.
What do you think? Would we want this kind of a future?
Yes, that has been the subject of much debate. I personally agree with you. In my opinion the only way to really get *you*, not just a consciousness identical to you, into a non-biological medium (computer) is something along the lines of having nanobots go to each of your brain-cells, learn to duplicate their composition and chemical input-output processes, and then take the place of that cell. Eventually, theoretically, all the cells would be replaced by nano-devices functioning in the same patterns as the original biological cells. (This process is sometimes referred to as "soft" uploading, as opposed to "hard" uploading, in which the pattern is simply copied into the computer leaving *you* either stuck in your biological body or dead from a destructive scanning process such as the brain-slice method.)
One of the reasons I think the gradual method is better is because your own biological cells are constantly replacing themselves and yet one doesn't have an end of one's consciousness due to the gradual replacement. Like the "if you gradually replace every part of a car (or computer), it's still the same car (or computer)" thing. By replacing the neurons gradually, with functionally-identical technological counterparts, the other neurons could incorporate the replacements into the functioning of the brain, and hence one's consciousness, until the last biological one has been replaced and *you* are still there but with a non-biological brain.
The gradualness is what makes the difference, in my opinion. Another possible method of "soft"-uploading, although even more theoretical, is that if/when direct neuro-computer interfaces become available, there is something of a possibility that if someone were to spend enough time with their mind joined with the computer, their consciousness would gradually "spread" to the computer and remain active even once the original biological brain becomes inactive. (All totally theoretical for now, of course.:-) ) But once again, the gradualness of the process is what I think is the key to *you* being the one in the computer and not merely a duplicate of you. Just my opinion.
Pardons, the nanotechnology link was intended to point to the Foresight Institute's website, but I was in a hurry and didn't notice until too late that the wrong address was linked. Oops:-)
I know some of those people planning to freeze their heads when they die, and they do have some reasons-- by isolating the head, the freezing process can be conducted more carefully with less body mass to mess with in the limited timeframe before the body decays too much after death. And they expect that the level of nanotechnology neccessary for the cell-repair functions needed for proper 'reanimation' will also be able to either create a new body for them or 'upload' their consciousness into a non-biological state. For further information on cryonics, you can visit Alcor Life Extension Foundation's site (they do head-freezes) or the Cryonics Institute (they only do whole bodies).
Nope, this one's the real thing. This is the fourth annual conference (97, 98, 99, and now this one) and it hasn't turned into another media-hype event yet.:-)
traced to human error.. Somebody left a database open
Geez... either stupidity/carelessness, or intentional. Not to sound conspiracy-ish, but there is some, however unlikely, chance that the 'somebody' did this on purpose.
DrEldarion wrote "They've already done experiements where they put electrodes on a guy and he was able to move a cursor around the screen just by thinking about it... (sorry, I forgot where I read that... no link:/ ) "
" Anyways, I'm sure that eventually you'll just have a DataJack in your head (just like in ShadowRun!) where you'll just plug in a cable and you're all set. "
Yeah... That's the same sort of thing people were complaining about on the post recently about Jon Katz's new book... how people with the jonkatz filter enabled still had to see stuff about Katz because he wasn't the person who posted the article. I can see how that could be rather annoying....
Check out the cover booklet from the Garage Inc. CD! They say so right in there!!
"I would stay over at his house for days making tapes of his records and sleeping on the carpet" - James Hetfield, talking about the early years with Lars from the liner notes of the Garage Inc. CD
"Your plan isn't nearly invasive enough. What we need is a "Matrix" like connection to the brain. Plug in your noggin and it will feel just like the real/unreal thing. With a direct connection we can manipulate all possible senses."
Slashdot Mirror
Considering it's only intended for the spambots to 'see' it, I don't think the artistic design of the output page was a primary consideration ;-)
---
Nope.
---
Not *all* of them are repelled ;-)
---
I agree :-)
---
The 1974 song "Kung Fu Fighting" by Carl Douglas. See the original lyrics here.
---
What about brain implants to enhance intelligence? Sensory stimulating equipment? Stress and emotion oppression at will? Nanotech disease control? Automatic hair trimming? Athletic enhancements? Permanent identification? I could go on for hours! It'll probably all be possible somewhere in the (near) future.
What do you think? Would we want this kind of a future?
FSCK yeah!!! Bring it on! :-)
---
One of the reasons I think the gradual method is better is because your own biological cells are constantly replacing themselves and yet one doesn't have an end of one's consciousness due to the gradual replacement. Like the "if you gradually replace every part of a car (or computer), it's still the same car (or computer)" thing. By replacing the neurons gradually, with functionally-identical technological counterparts, the other neurons could incorporate the replacements into the functioning of the brain, and hence one's consciousness, until the last biological one has been replaced and *you* are still there but with a non-biological brain.
The gradualness is what makes the difference, in my opinion. Another possible method of "soft"-uploading, although even more theoretical, is that if/when direct neuro-computer interfaces become available, there is something of a possibility that if someone were to spend enough time with their mind joined with the computer, their consciousness would gradually "spread" to the computer and remain active even once the original biological brain becomes inactive. (All totally theoretical for now, of course. :-) ) But once again, the gradualness of the process is what I think is the key to *you* being the one in the computer and not merely a duplicate of you. Just my opinion.
---
Pardons, the nanotechnology link was intended to point to the Foresight Institute's website, but I was in a hurry and didn't notice until too late that the wrong address was linked. Oops :-)
---
I know some of those people planning to freeze their heads when they die, and they do have some reasons-- by isolating the head, the freezing process can be conducted more carefully with less body mass to mess with in the limited timeframe before the body decays too much after death. And they expect that the level of nanotechnology neccessary for the cell-repair functions needed for proper 'reanimation' will also be able to either create a new body for them or 'upload' their consciousness into a non-biological state. For further information on cryonics, you can visit Alcor Life Extension Foundation's site (they do head-freezes) or the Cryonics Institute (they only do whole bodies).
---
Nope, this one's the real thing. This is the fourth annual conference (97, 98, 99, and now this one) and it hasn't turned into another media-hype event yet. :-)
---
Geez... either stupidity/carelessness, or intentional. Not to sound conspiracy-ish, but there is some, however unlikely, chance that the 'somebody' did this on purpose.
---
Sorry about that!
Impossible means no one's done it yet.
Here I have a whole bunch of links to further information about wearable computers and "enhanced reality" for anyone interested:
Impossible means no one's done it yet.
DrEldarion wrote "They've already done experiements where they put electrodes on a guy and he was able to move a cursor around the screen just by thinking about it... (sorry, I forgot where I read that... no link :/ ) "
Here's some links to articles about that:
Also, a Slashdot article:
" Anyways, I'm sure that eventually you'll just have a DataJack in your head (just like in ShadowRun!) where you'll just plug in a cable and you're all set. "
Sounds like fun to me! ;-)
Impossible means no one's done it yet.
Yeah... That's the same sort of thing people were complaining about on the post recently about Jon Katz's new book... how people with the jonkatz filter enabled still had to see stuff about Katz because he wasn't the person who posted the article. I can see how that could be rather annoying....
Impossible means no one's done it yet.
Check out the cover booklet from the Garage Inc. CD! They say so right in there!!
:)
"I would stay over at his house for days making tapes of his records and sleeping on the carpet"
- James Hetfield, talking about the early years with Lars from the liner notes of the Garage Inc. CD
Why, the fscking hypocrites!!
"Your plan isn't nearly invasive enough. What we need is a "Matrix" like connection to the brain. Plug in your noggin and it will feel just like the real/unreal thing. With a direct connection we can manipulate all possible senses."
:)
Sounds like fun to me!!!!
There's a bunch more links to this sort of stuff here
"Never underestimate the flesh. Please, let's be realistic and just shoot for cybernetic augmentation."
:)
I'll 'just' settle for that any day!