Skip to main content

Week 10 [11.01-17.01] Upload your mind

 

Nowadays technology is going further and furter, it’s impossible that at some point humanity will reach level that will allow us to play with human conciuosness and eternal life. I would like you to watch a video about this and discuss this topic. 




1.       Do you think that human mind is made for immortality? Have you ever thought how would your life look like if you were immortal?

2.       Do you find uploading your mind to a computer ethical?

3.       If you could upload your mind to the INTERNET, would you do that? Why?

Comments

I think human mind is not build for immortality. There are many brain related diseases, that attack brain cells when person is getting old, such as Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, Parkinson, strokes etc. But on the other hand maybe the reason that for those diseases are not inherit in brain itself, but in blood and cerebro-spinal fluid. The lack of quality of theses fluids can induce brain malfunction and in consequence – a disease.
My life would be many times better if I had conviction, that I were immortal. I wouldn’t worry too match about my education, health, life style and work related staff.
I see nothing wrong with it, but I do not think it will be really my mind anymore. It could have all the thoughts and quirks I have, but I wouldn’t be in control in it. Nevertheless it would be interesting for family I would left behind, after my death. They would still be able to communicate with me, even when I am not around anymore.


The fundamental problem with mind uploads isn't actually the mechanics of the task itself, it's the question of continuity. Say, if creating the copy didn't require destroying the original brain. Your brain is scanned perfectly, and a perfect copy is created in a virtual environment. There's now two of you, but each one feels like the original, and they do not share their mind. So, what happens when the original, organic brain dies of old age or other causes? Is this not true death for the original, even if there exists a copy that feels like it's the original?

There actually is a significant problem with the mechanics of brain uploads as well, and it's the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. A significant portion of our minds is not just the neurons of our brain and the chemicals in the synapes, but the electric signal being sent and looped around within. In other words, we'd need to scan the position and momenta of electrons with great accuracy, and this is fundamentally impossible due to uncertainty. Making a perfect copy is an impossible task, and if the copy isn't perfect... is it really that person?

From a biological point of view, the question of "were human minds made for immortality" has a definite answer, and it is "no". We, like all mammals and the vast majority of animals, have evolved senescence, likely as a mechanism of maintaining sustainable population numbers and ensuring a high rate of evolutionary adaptation by forcing populations to breed to replenish their numbers. This continued adaptation is crucially important, because humanity and all animals are in a constant evolutionary arms race with viruses and bacteria and other pathogens. It's likely that the common cold, now a trivialty of a disease, used to be a huge health risk to ancient humans, and it's this high rate of evolutionary adaptation which has changed this.

This is not to say that human minds cannot function as immortals, just that they were certainly not made or designed to.

The ethicality of mind uploads rests largely on the continuity question which has no definitive answer, therefore it's undecideable. If the copy has no continuity of the original, I'd have to ask the question... why make it?

I'm not sure what uploading one's mind to the internet would denote or mean. Generally speaking, I'd consider a direct interface between the internet and a mind to be a massive security threat for the mind.
Leya Chechyk said…
1. I believe nothing in this world was made for immortality. It may sound quite unoriginal, but the essential condition for life to exist is the presence of death.
I would probably lose any motivation for doing anything. I would stop considering my life as a process, as it would lose its natural end. It’s quite frustrating, even more, than understanding, that one day I am going to die.

2. It’s sad and fun at the same time. It seems to imitate immortality, but we are never going to achieve it. It’s probably feels like the old photos with people who are no longer here. It could feel awful as it’s always strange to see the actual evidence of someone’s existence.

3. I would do that. I have no problems with ethic regarding myself. Nevertheless, I think it would break someone’s heart, who was missing me. It would not be true me, just a comfort illusion. May be it’s a bad idea and my mind should disappear in the Universe as my body would do.

Polina Rybachuk said…
I think that it’s a strange question. Made by who? As an atheist, I think that people are just a product of evolution, so our mind just as suitable for being immortal as another animal’s mind is. The only question is the possibility and necessity of such treatments. For a religious person, our mind is already immortal, so the answer for this way of thinking is yes, our mind is made for immortality.
I don’t know how my life would look like if I were immortal. In cause, if immortality is possible, mind scanning will rather be a luxury service for the richest. Life for a middle and lower class would be definitely worse. Also, I don’t want to become immortal. Because my life is short, I want to get as much experience as possible. If I was immortal, my life would be meaningless.
Without body most of our hormones are meaningless. Adrenaline and Cortisol, for example, (hormone of stress) are necessary just to safe our body before death or pain. Without body we don’t need any hormones, so we won’t have any emotions. Is it ethical? Hard question to answer.
No, I won’t do that. It’s too much for me. I think that now we already show too much our life on the internet.
Roman Dubovyi said…
1. People become crazy very soon, I'd say living up to 80 years make you a grumpy old man in the end. So no, human mind is definitely not designed to live for hundreds of years.

2. It's not you, it's just a copy of you. After that what do you do with the original mind? Kill it? So no, it's not ethical, plus it won't be you digitalized, it'll be a copy.

3. I wouldn't do that. Because internet is the place where stupid people talk too much.
1. Do you think that human mind is made for immortality? Have you ever thought how would your life look like if you were immortal?
I had read an interesting book about it few years ago. There was a hypothetical question what if we could be immortal. Many people says that our life would be less worth rather than it is. However in my opinion there are a lot of aspects. If I am the only one who is immortal that would be better than everybody is immortal because, the space on earth probably will be fully obtained. On the other hand I would feel lonely to see every people deaths, that could be sad. Also I am wondering what about my health, because older people often have some health troubles.

2. Do you find uploading your mind to a computer ethical?
Yes, I find it ethical to do it. When I see people who are sick to dementia or other diseases I find it very sad. Moreover I don't see anything wrong wich uploading our mind and doing copy of it to some virtual machine. It is just a piece of us which is not real, but we can always go back to it and remember beautiful memories.

3. If you could upload your mind to the INTERNET, would you do that? Why?
I think for now I would not do that. I am happy and I don't need to transfer my knowledge, memories and share it with someone else. In my opinion it could be dangerous. For example somebody could hack my virtual mind and check all the passwords to my accounts or just see things which are my secrets.
Kacper N said…
It's a very hard question. After watching the video I dont think the people mind is made for immortality, it's rather to make us unique and differentiate each other. I think at the beginning it would be a pretty cool experience, but after many, many years I assume we could get bored of everything or even get some psychological problems after seeing all that fast development.

I think that would not be ethical, and also I would not do this if it would be possible.
1. Do you think that human mind is made for immortality? Have you ever thought how would your life look like if you were immortal?
It's hard to tell. I think every one of us knows that many older people have, to generalize, problems with their "minds". Now we need to ask ourselves a question whether it's a case of brain tissue decaying and becoming less effective over time or the ungraspable human psyche being not strong to bear the weight of many long years. In my opinion, there's hope for us, there are many cases in which people lived to the age of 100 and more whilst keeping full control of their mind and bodies. Because of that, let's assume that humand mind is capable of immortality. Now, the other question is, what would happen with your mind. As I see it there are two possibilities, the first one being: Every one of us would have an artificial body, an avatar if you please. Life would go on similarilly to the one we have right now, except that once in a while you'd have to go for a maintenance of your body just as you'd do with your car. Assuming that the part containing your 'self' is not damaged you could live on basically forever. The other possibilities is that we upload ourselves to some sort of network. Life then would be extremely different. Would your mind have to live in digital habitats? Or could it perhaps traverse every network and every connection, basically making the whole binary world its' new habitat. Could you copy yourself in that form? The possibilities are endless and so are the questions.

2. Do you find uploading your mind to a computer ethical?
In my opinion, yes. I think it would contradict with beliefs' of some people, but as I see it, noone would be forced to digitalize themselves. It would be a choice as many other things in like. Assuming that we could have only a digital form, the bigger problem i presume would arise, is that many of the orthodox people wouldn't consider "digitals" as proper human beings with rights.

3. If you could upload your mind to the INTERNET, would you do that? Why?
Tough question. To be honest, I don't know. It depends on what it would like look in details. Could i traverse the digital world the same way i traverse the normal one? Could I learn and take in more information than in my human form? Would I be able to contact my human friends as well as digital ones? As long as I don't know answers to these questions, I don't have an answer.

By the way, if any of you would like to watch a great show based on a principle that humans can upload their minds, i recommend Altered Carbon on Netflix :)
1. I don't think immortal life is for everyone, but certainly, some people would find it comfortable. As a fan of fantasy and science fiction, I fantasised about the immortality many times. However, in those speculations, I always thought that all my loved ones will die and I will be forever alone. If the brain mapping would be a common procedure and we would all live this long it would become more bearable and more people would embrace it without psychological problems.

2. Why wouldn't it be? I'm just not sure if the uploaded version of me would be me. If my copy would exist simultaneously then it is not me, right?

3. Depends on the terms of such an upload. Mostly I would, however, as said in the previous answer, if it would involve killing me and pushing the copy to the internet then I wouldn't be so eager about it. However, if it would work that way that I upload myself for some time and then come back to my body it would be beyond awesome. I love VR and that would be like another level of immersion. I would walk the whole world, I would swim with dolphins before breakfast and then participate in class while on a beach in Sao Paulo. It's a dream.
Jakub Parteka said…
1. Do you think that human mind is made for immortality? Have you ever thought how would your life look like if you were immortal?

I do not think that our minds are made to be immortal, I think what is crucial in every species and also common throughout species is mortality. It may sound weird but think a little bit what would happen to all humanity if people would not die, there would be no need to reproduce and it could even be banned because of overpopulation.

2. Do you find uploading your mind to a computer ethical?

It is hard to say because for now we have no idea on how it could look like, we have no answers for questions like: would mind keep it consciousness? Would it keep all memories and what it learned in life? Would it have feelings?

3. If you could upload your mind to the INTERNET, would you do that? Why?

I think I would not do it, I can think of so many throwbacks like boredom or slavery as a program and cannot think of almost any advantages. What could I do as a program? Only think and not be able to feel? Or could my feelings and senses could be stimulated somehow? If they could then I would consider it.
1. I think this is a good idea. After all, digital immortality is pretty close ... There are two types of immortality: digital and biological, and it is curious that we are very quickly developing technologies in both directions. If we talk about biological immortality, then scientists already know how to rejuvenate cells. The 2012 Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to a scientist who took an old cell, changed four genes, and gave it back its youth. That is, it is already a fact: we can control age with the help of genetics.
With regard to digital immortality, we will be able to read all the information in the human brain within the next twenty years. Everything that you remember, love, what you are afraid of - we can write it all down and transfer it to a new medium.

2. Yes, there will remain things that we cannot physically possess. For example, the entire universe cannot be settled in the center of one city. But this environment can be easily simulated. For example, in the virtual world.

3. Yes, definitely. People are like that. We are always afraid of new things and worry. But I think the world only gets better as it develops. We are already living in one of the most peaceful and richest eras. People are getting smarter, we have more and more information. I think this trend will only continue. Therefore, I am not afraid of artificial intelligence. Think: our computers, phones have already made us a little smarter, but AI will make us smarter significantly. And this is only for the best.
Hmm that's interesting it reminds me a book called "Head of professor doyle", I think there was mentioned kinda way for immortality.

1. Do you think that human mind is made for immortality? Have you ever thought how would your life look like if you were immortal?
I don't think that human mind is made for something t e immortality or something else. However people can do that I mean they have a choice. I was interested earlier in this topic, I thought it could be really interesting if someone's or even mind can be stored somewhere separate from body. As I mentioned earlier there is book about Professor Doyle head I think he could be call as immortal because his body was dead but scientist could rescue his head. Moreover head could talk and think like a normal.


2. Do you find uploading your mind to a computer ethical?
I believe this kind of thought is not a new in nowadays, so I would say it is normal.
And as I mentioned I would do that

3. If you could upload your mind to the INTERNET, would you do that? Why?
The reason why I would that is my curiosity and I would love to leave a mark on history. Also any kind of experiments are very good for science
Jakub Kisiała said…
1. I think the human mind can be immortal. People mostly die from circulatory problems or other problems. Neurologically, people seem long-lived.
2. I think it would be difficult to describe people's mind by program. Neurons are able to be in a variety of intermediate states, while a bit has only two states.
3. I don't understand why load my mind on the internet. And I don't understand what it means.
Jan Bryński said…
1. Do you think that human mind is made for immortality? Have you ever thought how would your life look like if you were immortal?

I believe that human mind isn't meant to be immortal both on physical and metaphysical level. As a child I used to wonder how it would be like to possess immortality and knowledge about everything but I quickly came to conclusion that it propably would be a very cool experience. Today this idea still fascinates me but I think it could also lead to insanity.

2. Do you find uploading your mind to a computer ethical?

I think it is quite hard to estimate wheter it is ethical or not for me, since I'm not fully aware of consequences of such action. Nevertheless, I think I would happily store my mind inside a copy for later use, just in case anybody needs me after I die.

3. If you could upload your mind to the INTERNET, would you do that? Why?

I definetly wouldn't. Being connected to the internet, means exposing yourself to a strong influence, often negative, even in case of "traditional" connection. I try to use internet as a tool for studying, to minimize it's impact on me. Therefore I wouldn't be happy to have my mind plugged directly into the web, as it would be very risky.
Jakub Dzień said…
1. Do you think that human mind is made for immortality? Have you ever thought how would your life look like if you were immortal?

I don't think it would be healthy for humans. It seems to me that this could lead to problems with a normal functioning mind.

2.Do you find uploading your mind to a computer ethical?

It's a very interesting idea and I don't think there is anything non-ethical about it, but I would rather not choose it.

3.If you could upload your mind to the INTERNET, would you do that? Why?

I would rather not choose something like this. At the moment, I can't imagine how I could function without a physical body. Moreover, I would not like to spend eternity on the Internet.
1. In my opinion, the human mind is not made for immortality. I think immortality would weigh on us, because we would lose the meaning of life, everything would be postponed. In my opinion, it would also be impossible because of the overcrowding that would accumulate very fast .
2. in my opinion, sending your mind is ethical, but not very safe.
The information it contains is very confidential and in the event of an accident such as breaking into a roller coaster crossing a big haos in our lives.

3. I would rather not take such a risk, because in these times the technology is so advanced that anyone could easily use it against me. I consider it a terrible idea and I would never agree to it. What my mind hides would probably be useful to others, while in bad hands it could do a lot of damage to me and others.
@Polina Rybachuk

By saying "made for immortality", I didn't mean any HIGHER ENTITY that planned or created humans by it's desire. I was thinking more about the builds of our body's and this whole life cycle, but as an atheist you should consider that our brains were made by nature. That's what i meant.

@Robert Gawryś-Poniewierka

I think that if there would be more and more people in cyber-space, we should consider making new laws for those.

@Marcin Łukaszuk
Can't deny, death makes life meanigfull.

Popular posts from this blog

Week 12 (12.01-18.01.15) Are you an early bird or a night owl ?

Owls are nocturnal creatures. They’re wide awake at night and they sleep during the day. If this sounds like bliss to you, then, like about 20 percent of the population who find themselves most active at around 9 pm, you may fall into the same category as our feathered friend. Night owls often have difficulty waking up in the morning, and like to be up late at night.  Studies of animal behaviour indicate that being a night owl may actually be built into some people’s genes. This would explain why those late-to-bed, late-to-rise people find it so difficult to change their behaviour. The trouble for night owls is that they just have to be at places such as work and school far too early. This is when the alarm clock becomes the night owl’s most important survival tool. Experts say that one way for a night owl to beat their dependence on their alarm clocks is to sleep with the curtains open. The Theory is that if they do so, the morning sunlight will awaken them gently and natura...

Week 11 [03-09.06.2019] The problem with ecological cars emission in UK

The problem with ecological cars emission in UK Since the adoption of the European Emission Allowance Directive in the European Parliament, all car makers have tried to submit. Since 1992, the Euro I standard has been in force, which limited the emission of carbon monoxide to the atmosphere. The Euro VI standard currently applies, which limits the series of exhaust gases. These include: hydrocarbons, nitrogen and carbon oxides, and dust.   The most significant change was brought by the Euro IV standard. For the first time it introduced the limitation of nitrogen oxides, which are responsible for the harmful compounds of smog.   What is smog?   Smog consists of sulfur oxides, nitrogen and carbon. In addition, solid substances such as suspended dust (PM). Dust suspend in atmospheric aerosols may be in liquid and solid form. These can be particles of sea salt, clouds from the Sahara and artificial compounds made by people. These compounds...

Week 4 [06-12.11.2017] This is what happens when you reply to spam email.

James Veitch is a British comedian. In today’s Ted Talk James with characteristic for himself a sense of humor shows how he deals with spam emails and why responding to junk messages may be sometimes dangerous. Questions: What do you think about James’s  way of dealing with spam? Why are junk messages legal, even though it sometimes may be a fraud? Dou you have a problem with spam? How do you deal with with it?