By Nicholas West | Activist Post
There are a lot of outrageous claims being made within the halls of neuroscience and artificial intelligence. Whether exaggerations, wishful thinking, the dreams of the egocentric and megalomaniacal to be immortal, or just drumming up funding for a never-ending round of “scientific investigation,” the year 2045 seems to always be cited as a target date.
Related Article: Michio Kaku: “By 2045 Digital Immortality May Be REALITY!”
Ray Kurzweil popularized the notion of The Singularity – the threshold when computing power would match or exceed the human brain and human biological systems – in his 2006 book The Singularity is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology. In that book and subsequent articles, he theorized that 2045 would be the far end of when we could expect full integration of human and machine that would create immortality.
So far there have been indications that we are indeed proceeding in this direction. Beyond the gadgets we all use to augment our intelligence, each day seems to offer a new medical development that reads more like science fiction than reality. Just the other day there was an article in The Seattle Times that a new type of flexible brain implant could enable the paralyzed to walk again. We have robotic prostheses, humanoid robots, artificial human skin, and a range of nanotechnology applications used in medicine and the military that are quickly redefining life and nature itself. In fact, it’s been proclaimed by scientists that the era of cyborgs has begun.
Here are just a few of the articles that have sounded outlandish to those unfamiliar with the advancements being made which put into context what some factions of science are reaching for … by 2045.
- Robots to Breed With Each Other and Humans by 2045
- Humans Fully Outsourced to Robots by 2045?
- DARPA’s Top 3 Predictions for the Future – Visions of 2045
While immortality is often laughed off as manifestly impossible and/or never to be desired, the quest for immortality has been with the human race since its inception; anyone who maintains their health or has a medical procedure in order to extend their own life, or those whose faith incorporates a “life everlasting” engages in this pursuit. Now that recent advances make it a near-term likelihood, however, the ethical debates are ramping up.
Related Article: Michio Kaku on Uploading Consciousness, Digital Immortality, Telepathy, and Fukushima
A new artificial intelligence company called HUMAI is pursuing two avenues to usher in immortality: cryonics, which is the science of deep-freezing the brain to preserve it for transplant into another living vessel; and the even more radical notion of extracting a still-living brain and putting it into a robotic body before the brain can die naturally.
From their website:
We want to transplant your brain into an elegantly designed bionic body called Humai.
Your Humai will use a brain-computer interface to communicate with the sensory organs and limbs of your bionic body.
Artificial intelligence will be integrated into synthetic organs, so they can operate independently. Sensor technology will allow you to feel the essence of human experience.
As your brain matures, genetic engineering will help fight the aging process, while advancements in nanotechnology will offer extensive tissue repair and regeneration, including the repair of individual brain cells, one molecule at a time.
Nothing stated above is already a success in the laboratory, or being worked on extensively under multi-billion dollar government projects like the US BRAIN Initiative, or the European Human Brain Project.
The following TEDx video outlines other paths that could see us transcend biology:
The “problem” of immortality actually might not be how to get there, but what happens after. Aside from the complications of redefining consciousness, religion, and philosophy, there are some practical matters to consider.
For example, Dr. Rebecca Roache and her research team at Oxford apparently seek to correct the inadequacies of criminal sentencing applied to the most heinous acts. Dr. Roache penned an article titled, “Enhanced punishment: can technology make life sentences longer?” This “ethicist” goes on to argue for the wonderful opportunities immortality could provide for making the condemned suffer eternally right here on planet Earth … seriously. This at least should illustrate why there needs to be open debate taking place as rapidly as possible for what type of world awaits us if immortality is truly on the horizon.
Related Article: History-Making 36-Hour Head Transplant to Take Place in China in 2017
Whether or not immortality is ever finally achieved, it should be evident that there are people at the highest levels of influence and power who are preparing for the strong possibility that it will happen soon. Are you?
Nicholas West writes for ActivistPost.com. This article may be freely shared with author attribution and source link.
Do I think mankind should desire immortality? What kind of question is that. The opposite is death. Hmm, let me think about this!
The answer is too obvious.
It is not through medical monstrosities that one becomes immortal.
What the hell ,leave nature do its thing .
Someone that is trapped in a body that is dying or totally paralyzed or has a debilitating disease like Lou gehrigs I think if the brain is capable of living on then give someone a chance
To me, immortality is not living forever in my current mortal earth body in this current world, but transmuting my body so it can function perfectly in Love and Light and Beauty, Joy, etc., in worlds of higher dimensions than we can’t even imagine now. Death is a gift ticket out of this body of pain and world of suffering until we can master that transforming by the renewing of our minds.
My thoughts exactly … thanks for sharing <3
You would have a body without the memories of the person. Memory forms a personality. Without memory you are not fully functional or reasonable.
Oh hell no…
What could go wrong?
Lie!!!!!!!!!!
It’s someone elses brain… it’s not the same.
Let’s try it out on our GOP candidates and see if it can bring back the live.
They first need to have a brain to qualify for a transplant.
THIS WILL NEVER EVER HAPPEN <3
Yes! we can now choose to live forever and be better than a vampire sucking blood.
Thanks obama
I want to live forever, fuck dying
If u want total seperation from GODS HOLINESS. Keep doing what you’re doing. Because Eternal life is already available. You can only access it by 1means only. GODS GRACE. Considering the LORD is soon to return. You all best STOP sinning and get prepared.
Some strange shit.
These guys are actually n ecrophiliacs, obsessed with matter
Somebody definitely needs one now. 😛 😉
No, it will not happen , we’re already immortal , just different phases
Agree
I’m sorry, I think the population is out of control enough without bringing back the dead. I don’t believe humans were meant to live forever …. I don’t believe Members of Congress and the Senate were meant to hold office forever, either….all this madness has to stop somewhere. How about rather than bringing back the dead we educate people about the dangers overpopulation poses to our environment and how to use birth control? Between the Government and medicine/health care in the U.S., things are pretty messed up. Brain transplants, immortality…stop it.
Well I think they already have the tech and are gonna release “ungodly technology” asap by 2025…but..only for the preferred few who are ready to give up everything to create a artificial life far away from reality!As it is 95% of us are programmed on pre emptive instructions orders and conditioned to tons of subliminal messanging!Now it will be sent straight to our heads…Whatta ya think I-Robot or Resident Evil Extinction?which one its gonna be??
No soul no life.
No, one must eventually die anyhow
It would be horrible. Imagine family holiday annual gatherings 500 years hence. It would be a blood bath.
Fooling innocent, not possible. What is the value of post dated cheque…
Just stupid.
Nutters. The over weighed ego self would drive for immortality. My question is, the more we try to keep ourselves where we are, is it possible for growth mentally, physically or spiritually. The more we force things, the more things go wrong. Im having trouble believing it is necessary to see a doctor. From previous experiences, it seems safer not to see them. They are really providing an opinion. Do we stop ourselves from being where we should be by prolonging death?
Who the he’ll would wanna come back to this he’ll? Not me smdh
What is that brain comes by and take a look in a mirror-?
Bullshit ! Playing God is the reason why the world is fucked up .
No, don’t think should live forever in their mortal bodies at all, as June says, for me, our physical death is a gift, we go back to our source, and learn many valuable lessons about our time on earth, in a place of beauty and peace. Also, the earth benefits in a sense from our physical death, as it cannot sustain that many people here for that long.
not necessarily the same soul.. and God help us if occult sneaks in and two occupy one body.
Thanks but no thanks! Once im dead, leave me that way!
Mankind would be alright but not womenkind as we worked enough already and would not want to be brought back to do more.
When life span limited, one wants to live forever. Once life span unlimited, one may wish not to live forever. Life is about making the best of right now. After all, all you do every day, ends up being all your life.
I guess that would be a miracle. Otherwise, its better to let nature take its course the way it is. More of those cyborgs and its disaster for humankind.
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