Would it at all be possible for the internet itself to become a conscious entity? Seeing as how computer circuitry closely mimics the brain, wouldn't the billions of networks linked together all pulsing with information and energy closely mimic the neurons in a living organism? Perhaps all the internet needs is the spark that birthed life to us. What do ya think?

I don't know how servers all over the world with stored information being accessed by web browsers can develope consciousness. The internet is man made and even the best A.I. man can make won't ever be self-aware and conscious. Nothing like us. The closest we can come is making clones of ourselves. The internet is not organic and life as we know it needs water to exist unless your god or the angels which are said to be made of light. There are energies and light forms out there that we are not aware of. Maybe the reason why we can't see angels is because we are not aware of different waves of the light spectrum or we are in a multi-dimensional universe. Consciousness itself can't be explained and it aint do to chemical reactions. There is new findings of spooky action at a distance such as twins growing up and marrying women with same names and naming dogs the same and tons of paranormal stuff that happens. Also how humans get an image or a memory of a person just before that person calls them on the phone.

-Ozman

Oh, this have come to pass my mind too! But there aren't enough connections for such a phenomenom to occur. But if it one day will wake up, or if it already have, it got extremely much knowledge (whole wiki and other sites) and probably lies in stealth, awaiting the right moment to strike.

But all the Internet is is just electrical impulses throughout a massive interconnected network. At what point does a human's mind become conscious? When is there enough connections and energy in the brain to birth consciousness? Organic, metallic, does it even matter?

As for being alive, why wouldn't the living part of the Internet exist as a byproduct of the energized web? Perhaps its consciouness is an echo in another level of reality and its trying to figure out where it came from. Hopefully its chillin with the internets of other civilizations to keep it company.

yea our whole universe is probably a very big hard-drive ahhaha.........inside a very big computer

Sorry, I know more about computers then you do , and it isn't gonna happen.

Analogy:
Caveman Bob has 8 rocks. You want rock. You ask Bob for Rock. Bob lets you see rock. You see Rock.

It can also be:
You ask Bob for Rock. Bob lets you see Rock. You give Bob a rock, which now others can view.

Now, just imagine millions of Bobs(Servers), millions of rocks(data), and millions of yous(users).

Is the whole thing going to become alive and create a life form?

This is called electricity. When we pull the plugs, it shuts off....ei...not alive. If we pull the plugs and it keeps going....well then you're opening a new door....

Obviously that "spark" can create life but doesn't always create intelligence ipso facto or you would have thought twice before posting your low-voltage question. We can't make a decent robot to vacuum floors without it getting stuck behind a door, so I wouldn't worry about any piece of wire or any amount of silicone suddenly gaining conscience and reprogramming themselves and taking over the world! That's why that stupid Roomba is still stuck behind the door.

The Internet is just a massive data storage and retrieval mechanism. In order to be living, it would need to at least have an autonomic framework (i.e. a Nervous system).

Funnily enough, IBM are currently pioneering the creation of Autonomic Systems.

I didn't literally mean a spark as in electricity, more like something to jump start a series of impulses in which consiousness arises. There's plans to produce circuit boards in 3 dimensions to optimize performance rather than the flat wafers we have now. With the new "grid" technology under development, experts predict the total processing power of a computer would be greater than a human brain within 50 years. I would be weary of any creation of ours becoming more "inteligent" than us. We try to model our computers after our brains, we make them think like us for us and then some. I'm worried that something along the lines of the matrix is a real possibility.

That's an interesting read I must admit. As for your nervous system point, does a single cell organism have a nervous system? Would there have to be a brain in order for a nervous system to work?

I sure hope not. If that happens i'm going to destroy the entire network. I'm not having any computers starting to think for themselves. But of course i'm not the one who decides that.

And how would you go about single handedly destroying the internet?

Not to say it's impossible. But I'm curious whether you'd know? It's not like you can just unplug one power cord.

Well, first i will gather some supporters.

Ah, good idea. heheh.

So you mean a soul right?

For the lack of a better word, sure.