Human minds could be downloaded into robots

[Still Waters 52,480]

Human minds could be downloaded into robots within 10 years, allowing human beings to 'live forever', says the Russian entrepreneur who heads a hi-tech research project called 'Avatar'.

Itskov, a media entrepreneur, claims to have hired 100 scientists to reach this goal - and is now looking for other scientists to help with the project.

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[StarMountainKid 9,494]

There's the idea that you send your clone on the long journey to our Martian colony, download your mind into a computer, send your mind data by radio transmission to a computer on Mars, upload your mind data to you clone's brain, and your clone/you has a nice holiday on Mars.

Reverse the process, and the real you wakes up on Earth with all the fun memories your clone had on his/your vacation.

Then there's the Jewel (Duel) science fiction story, where at birth a small computer is inserted in your brain that absorbs all your thoughts, emotions, experiences and learns to manage your bodily functions. Then, when you reach the age of 21, anytime you wish you can have the Jewel connected to your spinal cord and your biological brain is removed. From then on the Jewel functions supposedly identically as your original brain would. The Jewel is immortal, so when your body wears out, it's placed in a new body, and you live forever.

The only problem is, the sampling rate of the Jewel is slightly slower than the rate of output of your biological brain. So, before people switch to the Jewel they often wonder how much of their original selves may be missing. They'll never know once the Jewel takes over, of course. This is the main element of the story. Are Jeweled people really totally human, and does it matter?

[Rlyeh 17,601]

Reverse the process, and the real you wakes up on Earth with all the fun memories your clone had on his/your vacation.

So you'd overwrite your original memories you had on earth?

[StarMountainKid 9,494]

So you'd overwrite your original memories you had on earth?

No, the fun memories from Mars are just added to all your other memories.

[Rlyeh 17,601]

No, the fun memories from Mars are just added to all your other memories.

How would your brain cope with overlapping memories?

[StarMountainKid 9,494]

How would your brain cope with overlapping memories?

Ahah! Now I think I understand what you mean. I'm a little slow, sometimes.

While the copy of your mind has been transferred to your clone on Mars, you are anesthetized here on Earth, so that you're not two you's. Although each would be independent of each other, I'm not sure it would be ethical to have several you's running around on different planets.

As you've pointed out, there would be a problem uploading your clone's mind with its new remembered experiences back into your brain. Your original mind is already in your brain!

Perhaps only your clone's new memories would be uploaded into your mind. It's just an idea I read somewhere in some science magazine or in a book. Maybe I've forgotten the details, or maybe there were no details there to read.

Anyway, I thought it was an interesting idea.

[Abramelin 4,444]

This sounds like a science fiction novel I read ages ago: "Nul-A" by A.E. Vogt.

[Mr Supertypo 220]

I think the best way would be, at least as "first step" to connect real time with a robot. Connecting your brain to the body of the robot (via wireless technology) so you have the illusion that YOU are the robot. Walking around and interacting with the enviroment in the artificial body. A littlebit like Bruce Willis surrogates. Offcourse you cant use this tech to visit other planets. But there is so much else, you can do.

[Erikl 159]

This is the smart way to conduct space travel, enabling light speed space travel after these robots have reached their destination.

Couple that with nano-technology (molecular assemblers), and you can accelerate these nano-factories close to the speed of light, directing them to the location, and then building these robots over there.

If this Russian is successful, expect the real space age to start, with Mars and the Moon being colonized by the mid 21st century, and Alpha Centauri reached by the end of this century.

[Wickian 3,895]

Well, an AI with your memories might live on, but I doubt you yourself will. Until we can determine what consciousness is and how to manipulate it, I won't let my memories be transferred.

I would say a more practical application for this technology would be for people who suffer from memory degrading illnesses.

[FlyingAngel 265]

In another word, it's like a dream. When you dream, your brain is connected in real-time to another consciousness in a different realm of existence (the dream realm). Everything you learn in a dream, will be eventually uploaded to the main body.

[trancelikestate 155]

The guys ambitious I'll give him that. I have to agree with wickian tho. Even if you can copy your entire brain into another vessel it's probably not "you," just a machine that thinks its you. It is interesting to think tho that if this is successful we've finally created artificial life. We'll become gods in a way, creating life in our own image. hmmmm maybe this has happened before...but thats another thread

[StarMountainKid 9,494]

Even if you can copy your entire brain into another vessel it's probably not "you," just a machine that thinks its you.

How about copying your mind into a robot's AI computer and sending it off to your place of employment to do your job, while you stay home and relax? When it comes home from work you upload it's work experience for that day into your computer, then switch the robot off or put it into sleep mode.

You can then browse it's day's activities on your computer, then relax some more.

That is, if the robot will let you switch it off. Or, it may get wise to the scheme and protest. The ensuing argument between the two 'you's' would be interesting to think about.

[CRIPTIC CHAMELEON 449]

When your dead your dead this will just be a bunch of memories, mind you it is intriguing.

[The Unseen 157]

How would your brain cope with overlapping memories?

Has any one seen the movie "TOTAL RECALL".

[Eldorado 57,477]

What's the file system the brain uses these days? Is it still FAT32?

[fatalcharm 0]

I have always had a fascination with futurism and transhumanism and believed that it was more possible for humans to upload their minds into computers and robots than it was for humans to create AI that has the capability for creative thinking.

There is problems with humans uploading their minds into robots though. Large solar flares can interfere with technology and they do happen every so often. If a solar flare was big enough to completely wipe out technology and everything electrical then these human minded robots wouldn't be living forever now would they?

Part of me feels sad and part of me is amazed about the way our future is headed.

Personally I would choose to keep my human body. It is the most amazing machine of all, although it may be a biological machine and eventually ware out.

[Spectre1979 8]

cool, I doubt it would mean the robot becomes you or even concious but still fun.

[Zaphod222 1,610]

I don´t even want to start parsing the ethical implications of this.

[Kludge808 1,373]

My daughter is terminally ill - seven years if we're lucky. She's also a techno-geek like I am and I know would be willing to give this a shot so she can live on even if it is in a computer. But then, I'll be 67 in a few months and would be happy to give it a go when I'm closer to my own demise.

I see a lot of comments about it being a computer that thinks it's you - or us, in this case, but think about it. That's all we are, bioelectric machines that think we're us.

[AbsurdistMe 1]

In part, I'm interested because I somehow expect something horrific to come out of this whole thing. You will either have a robot with human data (minus human emotion, and empathy) or a human trapped in a robot who is slowly going insane.

[and then 47,159]

In the case of my brain....it would be a waste of good hardware.

[Taun 20,145]

Okay... so my 'mind' goes on vacation to Mars in a robot (or a clone)... Then commits a crime... Who gets punished?...

What about paternity issues?...

I see a whole new wide open vista for lawyers and 'litigation tricksters'...

[RockabyeBillie 531]

Only if I get downloaded into a Transformer...

[H.H. Holmes 30]

Kludge, I am deeply sorry for your daughter's condition. That must be very difficult to deal with and I hope that this technology might give her some hope to live on outside of her ailing body.

With that said, I don't believe that we can truly "live on" in a machine. It could be a complete doppelganger of the person that it replaced, but that person would still be dead. Their consciousness would not live on in the robot, it would simply be a very accurate copy of the person's personality.

Just think about the implications of downloading a brain into a robot. If you can download consciousness like a file, then you could theoretically make copies of that file. This is where the whole theory of transfer of consciousness starts to make no sense to me. If you could copy your neural pathways and install them into a robot without yourself being dead, then there is no transfer of consciousness. When you die, you will still die. You will just have the convenience of having a robotic imposter take your place. Again, death would still be a certainty.

I think whole brain tranplants would be a better route, given that the brain itself isn't diseased. An army of clone bodies could be made to accomodate a transplant.