2050 - and immortality is within our grasp: an extraordinary vision of life in the next 45 years

Guardian UK ^ | May 22, 2005 | David Smith

[BlazingArizona]

Whatever sits in the computer, it sure ain't YOU. It may think like you and have your memories, but YOU die and IT sits there.

But what happens when the technology advances to the point where the Turing test cannot distibguish between "you" and a copy of you serialized into a computer?

[cubreporter]

He believes that today's youngsters may never have to die





Well, that shows how ridiculous that is!

[kittymyrib]

And by 2000, we were all going to live in domed cities and have our personal backpack helicopter to get around. Of couse, the "futurists" in the '50s never conceived of the computer. These predictions are fun but worthless.

[HereInTheHeartland]

In the year 7510
If God's a-comin, he oughta make it by then.
Maybe he'll look around himself and say.
Guess it's time for the judgment day.



Great song, was the first single vinyl I bought when I was about 12.

[Lazamataz]

But what happens when the technology advances to the point where the Turing test cannot distibguish between "you" and a copy of you serialized into a computer?

Not sure I care about that. ME, that which presently percieves the world, will cease to be. That's not immortality. Not to me.

[marktwain]

Futurists have historically understated the changes that occur. I believe that these changes are likely 20% faster than he is stating.

What we will see is not strict AI overcoming humans, but a melding of human intelligence and computer technology into something new and more capable than either. Call it enhanced humans, if you like.

While every individual will eventually die, even if it is because at some point the multiple safeguards all fail and their starship falls into a black hole, very, very long lives of centuries or millenia are certainly possible.

[stylin19a]

"I'm sorry Dave, I can't let you do that."

[LibFreeOrDie]

...download your mind into a machine, so when you die it's not a major career problem...

Sounds about as exciting as being one of Futurama's head-in-a-jar characters.

[Dutch Boy]

Speaking of Star Trek - I remember an episode where all desease had been erradicated and nobody died. Millions and millions of inhabitants milling around with nothing to do, almost stepping on each others feet. They tried to highjack donors from the Enterprise in order to re-introduce sickness and death into the population. It was spooky.

When I saw that the first thing that popped into to my head was., "Where are the bathrooms????"

[Enterprise]

It's an interesting concept. Death has been defeated. Ok. So just where in the hell we going to put all those people?

[Fitzcarraldo]

Bootstrapped-Brain Early Warning Station

[billorites]

"by 2050 we would expect to be able to download your mind into a machine"

By 2051 we would expect the RIAA to start issuing the first lawsuits for copyright infringement.

[Maceman]

If I'm on an aeroplane I want the computer to be more terrified of crashing than I am so it does everything to stay in the air until it's supposed to be on the ground.

Hopefully it won't become paralyzed by panic.

[Tunehead54]

All I want is my flying car everybody's supposed to have by 2005!

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;-)

[glorgau]

Sounds like a one way transfer. The real test will be to see if you can get transfered back into a clone. Can't see that happening for at least a hundred years.

[BlazingArizona]

Sounds like a one way transfer. The real test will be to see if you can get transfered back into a clone. Can't see that happening for at least a hundred years.

Think of this as a higher-tech version of what Ted Williams did. I'm sure that after we achieve the ability to "back up" a human mind, a long tome willl pass before we gain the ability to "restore" it. But unlike the frozen head of Ted Williams, that digital backup will always stay in the same condition, barring disintegration of the physical storage media.