I was told that people are like computers. We have biological hard drives in our brain, we perform computations (sometimes we’re incorrect –ask my algebra teacher), and we can crash every now and then. The next logical step is to integrate human computers [brains] and traditional computers. British Telecom’s futurology department projects that in 2050, we’ll be doing just that. “Download your brain to a computer” is what they are projecting. I wonder if this is for a complete system restore, or more of a swap out of operating systems. Can you reformat a human brain? Better yet can you overclock one! I can just see those propeller beanies coming back into style but with a 90mm PC fan mounted on the top to dissipate extra heat.
They also noted that Playstation 3 is 1% as powerful as the human brain, and Playstation 5 will be as powerful as our brains. But then I’ve heard we only use 10% of our brains, did they factor that in? I don’t know how comfortable I am knowing my console video game player is more powerful than me.
Alright, time for me to geek out. I was a philosophy major at U.C. Berkeley. One class I took (and hated/loved at the same time) was philosophy of the mind with Prof. Searle. Searle is famous for his “Chinese Room” thought experiment (and being a jerk), which more or less makes the case that brains (the things we can download) are not minds. There is no comprehension in A.I., and congitive science (the post above being the greatest fruit of that science) is a failed effort. It’s a good read, give it a google.
Point is. We might be able to download the physical happenings in the brain, but what does that really get us? Maybe its not a digital point of view, but us philosophy majors can really get strayed in our thoughts sometimes.