In a few decades time it will be possible to scan a living brain at the resolution of individual neurons: cell bodies, dendrites and axons. The next step will be to ‘parse’ such a ‘bitmap’ into a computerized functional model of your brain – your virtual – which will allow a copy of yourself to live an identical life in virtual reality. Early steps in this future R&D program were explored in Greg Egan’s novel ‘Zendegi’, reviewed here at sciencefiction.com. The ability to copy your own self into virtuality will bring many advantages: immortality, for example, will be there for the taking. Travel, even interstellar travel, will simply be a matter of transmitting your brain state – sending bits rather than atoms. Assuming we can build an android type of synthetic body, your virtual could even be re-implanted into the real, for example at a remote destination. Yet every technological advance has its dark side. Here are three case studies from the criminal files of the future. — Case 1: The Self-Erasing Murderer In life, Albert Fish was one of the most vile murderers and pedophiles of all time. After his brain was scanned and uploaded into virtuality he orchestrated […]
Read original article at: Science Feature: The Perils Of Mind Uploading
