A jaunt into Posthumanity

LoptrLoptr
edited February 2015 in Everything else
So, where do you folks think we are on the path to escaping? What I refer to is our fleshy clunkers which nature saw fit to put us in. I mean the two options that seem most realistic atm would be the physical brain transferred to a life supporting, perhaps android like, platform or that of brain uploading.  From either option the possibilities seem endless. We would be free to alter ourselves from there in any way we see fit; although, the physical brain would still have many more limits than uploading to a more powerful synthetic platform.  But I digress.  Where are we on this?  I don't live my life predicated on predictions of immortality within my lifespan, but I can't help but be hopeful.

Bonus Question:  Let us say that brain uploading is the way to go. Could a mind be actually transferred directly to a new platform or would it be a copy? Can our consciousness be transferred in whole like taking an apple from a basket and placing it in another?  Is there a neuroscientist in the house?
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Comments

  • dezie_mmdezie_mm
    edited October 2014
    I should become a neurologist/neuroscientist in about 5-7 years. I will answer your question then.
  • LoptrLoptr
    edited October 2014
    Lmao. Thanks, I'll eagerly await your answer. XD
    Going for a degree? If so I wish you good luck on your way.
  • AmmonRaAmmonRa
    This forum is not really the place for these questions, there are many other places on the web for armchair transhumanism, here, we do stuff.

    But... I've give tl;dr answers anyway.

    Brain transplant is not really going to help you escape, the brain is made of bio tissues, it gets diseases and dies just like the rest of the body. sure, you might avoid many of the common causes of death, but I don't think you'll get much beyond 2x normal human life span.

    uploading is much better, though it's still not immortality. you can still die from accident or murder. and if not, bitrot will still get you eventually.

    uploading is a transfer or copy? sigh, this is a noob question, it comes down to your personal definition of 'consciousness'.

    read these:
    http://lesswrong.com/lw/nz/arguing_by_definition/
    http://lesswrong.com/lw/np/disputing_definitions/
    http://wiki.lesswrong.com/wiki/A_Human's_Guide_to_Words

    basically, do you think of consciousness as a "soul"? or as a pattern? if you believe in souls... I can't be bothered trying to help you. if you agree that the mind a pattern, then you'll probably agree that you can have multiple instances of the same pattern.

    read the rest of lesswrong, and understand why it's reasonably likely humans won't even exist by the end of our lifetime, so dying of old age is the least of our worries.
  • LoptrLoptr
    I'm aware of many Transhumanist communities online. Maybe I'm interested in this community's take on this subject? I mean what is the endpoint of grinding if not becoming more than human? I am an Atheist and skeptic to sate your curiosity. Last evidence I saw supported consciousness being the experience we ascribe to the electrochemical reactions in our heads. Our sense of self is likely the result of a sort of "neural committee" formed by separate neutral systems interacting. We are some fancy chemistry, but chemistry nonetheless. And, yes, I am painfully aware we are largely fucked as a species. Last, but not least, I am indeed new to the community; however, I was expecting a bit better than having my queries dubbed noob for asking how people think of an issue. I "believe" it to be a copy as far as far as brain uploading goes, but I have no monopoly on truth and given how fallacy prone our minds are I like to get other points of view. As far as being a "doer" goes just don't discount a lil far off thinking. This community of all should appreciate that today's science fiction is often tomorrow's science fact. I do appreciate the attitude of trying to get things done though, so good on you for that.
  • ThomasEgiThomasEgi
    @Loptr current technological level http://www.openworm.org/
  • LoptrLoptr
    edited October 2014
    Pretty amazing potential there. Wasn't even aware of this project. Most of what I've delved into as far as neuroscience is stuff from Prof. Steven Novella and Kevin Warwick, the later of which I'm sure has been discussed to death here. Kind of surprised Warwick doesn't come here for volunteers. Also, the openworm led me to the OSB (opensourcebrain.org) project. Thanks @ThomasEgi
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