Immortality: Can we upload human consciousness? | Michio Kaku, Michael Shermer & more | Big Think

Immortality: Can we upload human consciousness?
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Technology has evolved to a point where humans have overridden natural selection. So what will our species become? Immortal interstellar travelers, perhaps.
Scientists are currently mapping the human brain in an effort to understand the connections that produce consciousness. If we can re-create consciousness, your mind can live on forever. You could even laser-port your consciousness to different planets at the speed of light, download your mind into a local avatar and explore those worlds.
But is this transhumanist vision of the future real or is it a pipedream? And if it is real, is it wise? Join theoretical physicist Michio Kaku, neuroscientist David Eagleman, human performance researcher Steven Kotler, skeptic Michael Shermer, cultural theorist Douglas Rushkoff and futurist Jason Silva.
Read Michio Kaku's book "The Future of the Mind: The Scientific Quest to Understand, Enhance, and Empower the Mind" at amzn.to/3mjVGtA
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TRANSCRIPT:
JASON SILVA: Transhumanism is essentially the philosophical school of thought that says that human beings should use technology to transcend their limitations. That it's perfectly natural for us to use our tools to overcome our boundaries, to extend our minds, to extend our mindware using these technological scaffoldings. The craziness here is that we're finding more and more that our technological systems are mirroring some of the most advanced natural systems in nature. You know, the internet is wired like the neurons in our brain, which is wired like computer models of dark matter in the universe. They all share the same intertwingled filamental structure. What does this tell us? That there is no distinction between the born and the made. All of it is nature, all of it is us. So to be human is to be transhuman.
But the reason we're at a pivotal point in history is because now we've decommissioned natural selection. You know, this notion that we are now the chief agents of evolution, right? We now get to decide who we become. We're talking about software that writes its own hardware, life itself, the new canvas for the artist. Nanotechnology patterning matter, programmable matter. The whole world becomes computable, life itself, programmable, upgradable. What does this say about what it means to be human? It means that what it is to be human is to transform and transcend; we've always done it. We're not the same species we were 100,000 years ago. We're not going to be the same species tomorrow. Craig Venter recently said we've got to understand that we are a software-driven species. Change the software, changed the species. And why shouldn't we?
DAVID EAGLEMAN: All the pieces and parts of your brain, this vastly complicated network of neurons-almost 100 billion neurons, each of which has 10,000 connections to its neighbors. So we're talking a thousand trillion neurons. It's a system of such complexity that it bankrupts our language but, fundamentally, it's only three pounds and we've got it cornered and it's right there and it's a physical system. The computational hypothesis of brain function suggests that the physical wetware isn't the stuff that matters. It's what are the algorithms that are running on top of the wetware? In other words, what is the brain actually doing? What's it implementing, software-wise? Hypothetically, we should be able to take the physical stuff of the brain and reproduce what it's doing. In other words, reproduce its software on other substrates. So we could take your brain and reproduce it out of beer cans and tennis balls and it would still run just fine. And if we said, "Hey, how are you feeling in there?" This beer-can-tennis-ball machine would say, "Oh, I'm feeling fine, it's a little cold," or whatever.
It's also hypothetically a possibility that we could copy your brain and reproduce it in silica, which means on a computer, in zeros and ones, actually run the simulation of your brain.
MICHIO KAKU: The initial steps are once again being made. At Caltech, for example, they've been able to take a mouse brain and look at a certain part of the brain where memories are processed. Memories are processed at the very center of our brain and they've been able to duplicate the functions of that with a chip. So, again, this does not mean that we can encode memories with a chip, but it does mean that we've been able to take the information storage of a mouse brain and have a silicon chip duplicate those functions. And so was mouse consciousness created in the process? I don't know. I don't know...
Read the full transcript at bigthink.com/videos/can-human...

[@bigthink]

Would you want to live forever?

[@kudzie3215]

Yes. I would give everything

[@Craznar]

No, anyone who thinks they want to live forever is suffering a severe lack of imagination :)

[@DismantleHAARP]

Through god. Not some mad science theories. Most of science are theories.

[@kudzie3215]

@@Craznar that's one way to see it

[@DismantleHAARP]

@@Craznar I will live forever because i don't believe in the Sniffle19

[@ivanaviNiebla]

I was expecting someone to comment on the fact that we have to know first where is consciousness, if in the cells, the electrical impulses, or what, what is it that we are going to upload? Because this subject is always about making a copy of our brains, and that copy is the immortal one, not us.

[@danielsun55]

Would it make a difference if the copy of the consciousness is made after the brain dies? Let’s say that in the future we know what consciousness is and we’re able to copy a brain into the computer of an artificial body, but only after one’s natural death (assuming it is a destructive process). When the copy of your consciousness is booted up, you wake back to life in a new machine body with the last memory of you dying. Although it is a copy, it is also a continuation of you, what’s left of the original, transcending death. Wouldn’t that make you immortal as well?

[@ivanaviNiebla]

@@danielsun55 In a sense yes, but it is still the copy, you would still die without coming back. The copy would think it is you surving death, but in reality you didn't. I comment this because in this subject the words upload, transfer, and move, are used like if we will become immortal as individuals, as in we are moved inside the machine. But what is often meant is that we will become immortal as "species" as in we will be making copies of ourselves born in the machine. So, with the current understanding, we cannot become immortal with this process. There is still no coming back nor cheating death with this. The copy is the copy and we flesh humans die.

[@ivanaviNiebla]

@Sunday Sinkers What do you mean?

[@ricardomejias5808]

Exactly

[@JJDK485]

@@ivanaviNiebla very true. All this idea is about cloning people’s minds. The truth is you cannot cheat death.

[@yaminikathuria6077]

Can we first understand fully what is consciousness and then think of doing something with it? Anything before that is mere imagination!

[@vynlevil]

Agreed. And if consciousness can exist without its vessel. Copy-paste a consciousnes on a flash-drive or a moonwalking avatar isn't immortality; it's cloning, it's the ending of The Prestige.

[@jwasily]

thanks finally someone with a functioning brain

[@Jide-bq9yf]

Tell me about it . Our arrogance is eclipsed only by our dearth of self awareness .

[@asiansocrates]

You think it is a smart comment but it is really not. We know it exists and do not need to make the perfect definition to make it work in a different form. Being unable to define or understand a concept conceptually does not say much about our ability to handle it -- let alone its existence, as our problematic understanding of economics, time, or even the definition of obscenity show.

[@yaminikathuria6077]

@@asiansocrates I agree with you, I feel most of the people won't understand what my comment truly means. Yes, we truly don't understand what is light or neutrino let's say but over decades due to experiments we understood how to work with it even when we don't understand it. Think of this as Rutherford experimenting to understand structure of atom, similarly, we have just begun in the field of neuroscience to understand consciousness, just beginning our own experiments like Rutherford or Goldstein .... This analogy is being said by a lot of scientists and if you read research papers, I am sure you will understand it is true. Technology is what helps us to even understand what is beyond the skull, to capture electrical signalling. But really, we have a long way to go. My comment was not to demean the words of scientists, I have understood really a lot of things by reading works of Michio Kaku and David Eagleman. I guess you're not familiar with this field entirely, if you did you would realize the same people in scientific talks or conferences are cautious about it, they use their scientific approach of really saying that they don't know. Just few days back, I attended an event where David Eagleman talked about" how these questions about memory, consciousness etc are being asked or framed in new ways that were never asked before. We don't know what happens inside neurons when we talk about memories. Is it just about different kinds and patterns of signals? We only been following the models and theories that happened back 30 years ago.'' These were the words of David Eagleman. That being said thinking of sending consciousness to Mars by laser wasn't accepted by me, since I come from same field. I think imagination is a powerful tool, it helps us to harness the power and understanding we have currently but before that, the object or phenomenon we are going to work with, we should know little about it. We have just begun on that talking about consciousness. I would recommend you Big think's another video about consciousness where Prof. Adrian M Owen talks about how a few of coma cases I think 4 out of 28 responded to cues, their brains were active, Tells us something more about consciousness. I feel it's not about good comment or bad or whatever, I come from the same field, my interests belong here in memory and consciousness, Believe it or not we are still at infancy stage and it will be a huge scientific challenge. Currently we only have devices to read signals that too not upto great extent, they are evolving continuously and that's good. The day we can handle or use consciousness, it has huge promise, let's say in comatose patients. We have huge medical challenges going on, consciousness is just one of them, consider autoimmune diseases for example. We don't even know about consciousness being a function of how many areas in brain. We have a long way to go. I am happy you pointed towards it in your comment. But right now we have a lot to work to understand it really, and I mean it. In the words of Richard Feynman" It doesn't matter how beautiful your theory is, it doesn't matter how smart you are. If it doesn't agree with experiment, it's wrong."

[@lleleah]

All of these concepts were really captured in the show altered carbon and it’s so amazing

[@skipperofschool8325]

that's so dope

[@neo9082]

izzz legit wakeuppp the whole planet all the media everything is run by the devil

[@Kareem-Ahmed]

The best TV show ever, cuz it respects science.

[@strauss7151]

Thanks for the recommendation. Will check it out.

[@TriggeredJelly]

Thanks for presenting both points of view on the issue! This is the kind of thought-provoking content I subbed for.

[@Noble570]

Imagine everybody get uploaded in a giant computer, then a cat passing by, trips over the power cable and disconnects it...Sh****t

[@IkeReviews]

The internet exists we would be in the internet. Like in borderlands your character is digitally immortal.

[@MrKoalaface]

Could be the importance of the blockchain

[@mercybywilds2338]

We would even be able to teleport.. into different android like bodies by then

[@mercybywilds2338]

Who would need god when we can be all gods ourselfs. We die in an android? No worries. The data base will just sync us to a new android body.. our human bodies is a shell for us to break put of one day. Its weak. And its full of flaws...

[@banegadofficial5]

😂😂😂y yuh mek mi laugh

[@DarrylLearie]

Michio Kaku is going to be that scientist that documentaries will refer to a hundred years from now in the already done theme of, “What scientists a hundred years ago thought 2120 would be like.”

[@cosmoetica]

Yes, and he will likely be 100% wrong. Dig that jet pak?

[@KasirRham]

A difference existing between simulations and naturally occuring things does not make simulations somehow bad.

[@miguelchippsinteligente6072]

Tesla referenced human energy 🌬👻jesus christ referenced living waters 💎👨‍🎓👩‍🎓science described water memory 🌊👩‍🎨👨‍🎨existence reflecting psychologically, psalms16:24 k,j 👻💎👨‍🎓👩‍🎓🗽🤍💖🧮🛡🗡⚖☄🌪🌬

[@xxBLKSNXxx]

We don't even know what consciousness is let alone be able to upload it.

[@resonatingtruths]

We don’t know what these scientist know.

[@XetoWilder1]

wait until 2040s success Science.

[@Ronson_Lau]

If my consciousness had been uploaded , please delete all copies of it including all back up copies because I'd rather cease to exists forever than to exists in a computer or as an uploaded consciousness

[@CoolReptiles70]

same, i'm completely fine with death...after all, that is the path that every person and organism has gone, including the greatest men in history.

[@Ronson_Lau]

@Idk ___ some people want it some people don't , it depends on individuals , not everybody wants to exists like that

[@strawberrymilk2532]

@Idk ___ let me explain having your existence put in a computer is a horrible idea because you legit are trapped forever

[@offzard]

@Idk ___ Yeah,of course because u already tried It

[@theoalpin480]

funny is also: michio kaku looked exactly the same 12 years ago and wore the same suit on the same channel. 😅

[@Julian-bm9sx]

I certainly dont want to live forever, but if i can live to see avatars of astronauts chillin on the moon, i will die with no regrets

[@smartspiritsergzh9892]

Depends how do you define fullness of Life:))) WHO knows? If you mean this life of corruption like we have IT IS one thing.... If you and US be like Christ,than IT IS wonderful:) Just be creative and Loving and free!

[@tendatonda1634]

Unless we certainly know what happens after death, im more inclined to be immortal than to gamble on an unknown future.

[@Helpsmallbusinesses]

I love Michio Kaku's theory on alien technology. It's awesome.

[@aqoonsahmiye6699]

I was already asked my self this fiction it can be reality

[@traknologist]

For the last 10 years I've been thinking he is an alien or in communication with them.

[@BrennanMorris]

I've been going through a bit of a crisis. I'm 17 right now. I was told I'm not gonna live past 50 but I still have that yearning for a long life. I want to see my friends grow old and successful. I hope this technology comes soon, because maybe then I have a larger than life chance at seeing everything I want to. Also. 666th comment.

[@Caligrl1044]

This is not the intention for our creation, we were created to be transformed and live eternally but with God. The bible written over 2000 yrs ago says that during the end of the period of humanity, Revelation 9:6, NIV: During those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them. God gave you a free life, your consciousness cannot be hacked, you are owned by no one, your thoughts are private seek God and only God. Do not conform to the science of AI coming from the world.

[@prinzbeutaux8169]

The bible was written 2,000 years ago The modern human is around 125,000 years old 🤷🏼

[@MarceloRamos-uk8cd]

​@@Caligrl1044 why are you here in the comment section talking about god, if you don't have any relevant thing to talk you should just shut up, with al due respect

[@coolbeans1998]

@@Caligrl1044 I love how instead of consoling the kid, you cram God down their throat.

[@coolbeans1998]

Hopefully! It's been 2 years since you wrote this comment and now we're making progress with AI. And it's rapidly growing!

[@euclid9492]

Here’s my main issue with this. If I upload my mind to be recreated on the moon, how could that still be me? If for example I was perfectly cloned and every brain synapse was the same, I still wouldn’t personally experience that clone’s consciousness even though all the wiring in it is equal to mine. I think I would just die and a copy of me would live until it decides to upload itself again. What is the essence of a consciousness that makes them experience their reality first hand?

[@Chris-dj5wv]

Ive been experimenting with lucid dreaming these last few months, and I've recently had an epiphany: What actually AM I, when I dream? I look down and see I have a physical form, and I'm conscious within said form, but what actually am I? I'm not controlling my real body, and I'm traveling somewhere deep within my mind. I exist as electrons, energy, flying around in the brain. I'm in a space, and I'm aware of myself being there, but it's not in the typical, physical plain of existence. My actual consciousness isn't a physical thing, it's more a form of constantly stored energy. That energy, is me. The brain merely houses this energy and allows it to work upon itself. Therefore, having experienced this unique feeling and having came to this understanding, I therefore believe that transcending the human body into a more non-corporeal form is possible, at least in terms of the self being able to handle such an existence.

[@umblnc]

Michio Kaku: "...I think laser porting is the way that we will ultimately explore the universe." But he said that we will need an avatar that we will upload the information to. So there is no way to explore the universe just by laser porting, we could only explore places that we already physically sent avatars to.

[@finconomy3684]

@Honey Dew What he is trying to say is that at the other end you would still need physical transportation of infrastructure as the receiving end of the laser. Emails cannot be sent to the moon without a computer there .. similarly you cannot laser someone to a plant light years away without the transportation of equipment there

[@darrendwyer9973]

while it is entirely possible to simulate a human mind inside a computer or machine, the personality in question may want to be biologically immortal instead. to me, it would be better if we did not die from biological existence, but instead lived immortal as biological rather than silicon machines.

[@Noname-uk9mu]

Earth is a prison planet a soul farm for our energy why would you want to live here forever that’s retarded.

[@rujimasiri5195]

Yes this makes more sense

[@MarceloRamos-uk8cd]

I agree, i think mind upload have to join cryonics, because one of the principal things that lack is a perfect brain preservation, in what they have in mind upload

[@calebhaines3794]

You can try to determine what your brain is doing on your own or you can introduce innerskullquantum channelling for copying/transferring consciousness

[@123Ragnar]

"Women are scary" -Douglas Buzzkill

[@theSimao123]

I was just about to comment that

[@anshulsharma9424]

indeed

[@Me__Myself__and__I]

What an uninformed, useless perspective - why did they even include him.

[@goprodan]

Moisture too

[@The_Tiffster]

@@theSimao123: tbh, I can't deny it....

[@ShutUpAndListen79]

I have a feeling there would be something that acted like me so well people believe it works but that inner awareness wouldn't be there.

[@giomatucenio4816]

exactly! maybe it's possible to upload and download our brain but consciousnesses is kinda unbelievable.

[@munum1]

its not acting like you its you, not someone else.

[@banegadofficial5]

For tha fact that I hear all this what would happen when the machine stop working that means we cease to exist....nice elaboration from all our great minds

[@Ronson_Lau]

I hope it stops this instant , happiness in existence is not meant to be in a machine

[@jedics1]

Kaku tells it how it will be, consciousness will become light to explore the universe only using avatars to interact with the physical world when necessary and who is to say this hasn't been achieved in the universe already. It also explains why we haven't noticed other intelligent life yet, we are looking for it in the physical universe which needs to be transcended before you can properly see and know it....

[@nirhghs9783]

Consciousness is not simple memory or neurones signals, it's far away from whatever we have now.

[@aivarasabromaitis3870]

Fun fact: we don't even know what consciousness is.

[@JB52520]

Actually, that's the most depressing fact there is.

[@parabellum4622]

*_Yes we do._*

[@musicenthusiast19]

@@parabellum4622could you explain? Thanks!

[@parabellum4622]

@@musicenthusiast19 Consciousness is the collection of synapses and neurons in your brain that singularly are ineffective, but given millions create the sum of the whole. Once there's enough activity within those synapses and neurons they create a system to continue on processing information. Eventually they become self aware as much as relatively aware. Then behavior patterns manifest, habits all based upon stimuli within your environment and of those your consciousness interacts with, becoming experience. I'm short on time but that's the short answer.

[@pi9745]

@@parabellum4622 if you tried to submit your research in a peer review I guarantee you wouldn't recieve a Nobel peace prize, consciousness is far more complicated then just the mechanics aspect of how scientists think our brain works. Nobody knows what consciousness truly is or why it emerged

[@NEVR_A]

Honestly digitalizing our brains and getting on different planets should be our main priority because if our consciousness is able to be put into a artificial body that makes us almost immortal which in return allows us to live longer and with our brains being digitalized it allows for a computer to learn and improve on what we know to increase our intelligence by thinking of things we naturally can't which in return can be uploaded to different brains through a network which starts pushing us towards interstellar travel

[@Caligrl1044]

AI was not the purpose for our creation. In the bible God has this to say about the end of time of humanity... .Revelation 9:6, NIV: During those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.

[@Noname-uk9mu]

Nope that’s dumb. Our consciousness is already immortal and we don’t need a form.

[@Noname-uk9mu]

@@Caligrl1044 Religion is a deception set up by the Archons the ones who keep us here and want to keep us reincarnating here for our loosh energy or soul energy. We need to break the reincarnation cycle and escape.

[@criticalthinker1521]

Its not you being put into a clone, it's your photo album of memories coming to life and doing its own thing wtf, the whole universe is within yourself we can transform worlds but you would rather become less then what you truly are, we have the power within ourselves. Real recognize real trapping yourself in a clone only makes one really fake. Don't be scared to move forward, they making death scary and us machines to hide its not to move forward they taking us out of ourselves, now where they do that at and people don't question why they trying to put the real inside the fake. Your either natural or natural and think about that in terms of what you would put in your body. Don't fall for this unnatural concept of life. Peace

[@tzenmatteo]

@@Noname-uk9mu no it's not.

[@jonneye]

Amazing interviews

[@ZotoZen]

According to some whistleblowers of the SSP, Secret Space Program, concious transfering was done and possible.

[@manuelvale3996]

Despite all the flaws, uploading our consciousness to a computer has, if it is the only path to immortality, we will take it.

[@Caligrl1044]

do no take it the bible written 2000 yrs ago states during the end of humanity.... a warning which is this... Revelation 9:6, NIV: During those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.

[@Noname-uk9mu]

No we won’t also our consciousness is already immortal so there is no point

[@Godsmessenger333]

Really ? You want uploaded to a fucking game? Christ !

[@bzd-ts7bm]

i feel consciousness is a organism in the brain and every thing else is just a piece of its vessel

[@MazDconDecepticon]

The hardest part will be to keep the self that was in the original human body rather than make a copy. I really hope that will be possible. So that the consciousness that is currently you doesn't go away.

[@supriyasahu2202]

Thanks for these videos ❤

[@makeracistsafraidagain]

Too late for me but I wish you a happy and VERY long life.

[@Hshjshshjsj72727]

Ty

[@vigirlioblanco6217]

If this is what you call "get smarter", you can have, we are either meant to be smart or not so smart. Smart to serve a delusional system is another matter.

[@marcdefaoite]

Now I remember why I stopped watching Big Think videos.

[@gar_desu]

But once we manage to get our conscience into silicon, it can be copied. We could send a copy to the moon and another to mars and the entire galaxy. But then comes the hard question: Which one of those copies is really you? And so after making a copy, would they be in sync making you omnipresent? Or would each become its “own identity”? And that’s where I think the tale The Egg from Andy Weir becomes truth. Thanks for making this video!

[@jayebailey9332]

For now I think we should just go the physical route and transfer our brains to a life support unit with our brains in a preservative substance and work on a way to get our spinal cords to bond to a mechanical body.

[@matthewmatthewson7436]

Or heavily invest in longevity technology to live longer so that we can get a point when stuff like this is possible.

[@Noname-uk9mu]

That’s dumb

[@jayebailey9332]

@@matthewmatthewson7436 agreed

[@jayebailey9332]

@@Noname-uk9mu Do you know a better way?

[@Lp-ze1tg]

How to define that is my real Consciousness (uploaded) or just an A.I pretending to be my consciousness using my uploaded data?

[@viveksharma9566]

Delos

[@mr.ditkovich6379]

Cause if it's an AI, you will be dead

[@barbudania]

Maybe if you can pair it while alive. Imagine you can sense your body and your virtual self at the same time. You could turn the virtual self off and check it is still you. And you could like sleep and check in the virtual reality that it still is you. And when you are awake, if both still feel the same and know the other was off, I think you know if it's not just a copy.

[@Lp-ze1tg]

@@barbudania only if it is doable then yes.

[@iamscherzo]

The mind/consciousness is not a set of data that you can upload, copy, or past. This is not a file, it's an entire operating operating. In order to run a brain simulation, you'd probably need some sort of "exotic" computation, then build the entire operating system from ground up, and it's such a daunting task that not even A.I or Quantum computing alone would achieve. it'd require far more scientific researches and probably even more than what we have already made combined. We would essentially become gods : Immortal, eternal, and capable of everything.

[@911review]

... what would YOU be, if you cant feel love, or pain, or happiness, sadness ? these are chemicals... serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, oxytocin , estrogen..... if your "consciousness" were to be put into a computer (it CANT happen) you still cant remember (or experience) these feelings... remembering a feeling turns on these neurotransmitters. you wouldnt know what ANY of these felt like, even in memory.

[@torresbrayan12]

Michio said that there is already a laser beam highway transporting consciousnesses. If that is so, then it is possible that our current lives are manifestations of that stream of consciousness. Each time somebody is born, somebody hops into the laser mean highway and transports their consciousness into the newborn human.

[@hunterkudo9832]

probably. And the one in charge is God

[@MarceloRamos-uk8cd]

​@@hunterkudo9832 yeah, god really knows about science, hence the noah arc mith makes total sense in peoople like you that believe in fairy tail

[@gregmartin4125]

"people are scary"... what's scary is these scientist sitting around with bongs watching the syfy channel and going "whoa, we can do that'......

[@Hshjshshjsj72727]

Lol

[@christinegreene1986]

😂

[@javanpoly4901]

Living forever would give us the chance to "Chart the unknown possibilities of existence ,"as Q said...

[@goalhorn2012]

Q as in Impractical Jokers?

[@janedawson1398]

This is the best video on this topic out there.

[@oneloveal]

If that last dude says quarky one more time....

[@barbrasosi]

Even my philosophical channel is on the cyberpunk 2077 bandwagon!! Unbelievable

[@Dctv999]

U people plz invent an instrument that can be attached to our bodies and can aware us about silent heart attacks and strokes very early so that lives can be saved😭😭🙏🙏 plzzzzzzz

[@smartspiritsergzh9892]

Exactly!!!!!!!!

[@monnamar2478]

copying yourself doesn't mean it is still you. even if it is possible to copy my brain 1 to 1 and even if it is conscious - doesn't mean that it is still "my consciousness". it would think it is, it would be acting like it was - but would it be "me"? it would be the copy while i am.... where ? still in my body ? dead?

[@monnamar2478]

edit: also space is pretty unfriendly to computers...

[@booJay]

Just wanted to point that everyday people create new conscious beings all the time without understanding the process or consciousness itself. Even without full comprehension of what we're doing or how to do it, I wouldn't be surprised if we brought a conscious being into existence through non-traditional methods that didn't involve egg and sperm.

[@strauss7151]

Great point.

[@rlcutie2693]

exactly. we manifest entities via only our thoughts all the time. assuming the multiverse theory is true, and quantum immortality, we can bring an entire universe into existence only by thinking of it.

[@jackmoser]

If we can upload our consciousness to a computer chip, we could teleport to work, over seas etc and have robots waiting to be used at stations kinda like those e scooters

[@circlemover]

What is our consciousness and where can I find it?

[@collinparker2674]

Technologies that will always be impossible until the end of time and that are eternally impossible NOT just temporarily impossible are: 1) Creating ancestor simulations or simulating realities 2) Simulating consciousness 3) Making uploaded minds conscious 4) Making robots conscious 5 )Making beings in a computer, video game or simulator conscious All other technologies might be possible in the future excluding the 5 types of technologies mentioned above. .

[@rlcutie2693]

@@circlemover we have no idea what our consciousness is as of yet - some people believe it is some medium that exists on another plane of existence, thus making it impossible for it to be computable, whereas others believe it is physical, something that can be found in the structure and wiring of our brains. the latter is what most people refer to when speaking about mind upload. either way, what most people agree upon is that consciousness is the state of being aware of one's surroundings, and aware of one's existence. this spirals out of control very quickly however, because it can be confused with self-awareness, which is a quality many other animals other than humans display. human consciousness is a complete mystery to us right now.

[@Tom_Mroz]

The super real time connected world that we've become - thanks to technological breakthroughs - is changing mankind into a special form of Quantum Computer. As we interact with each other on a limitless basis, we enable exponential growth of new ideas. As Steve Jobs once said (I'm paraphrasing) "when two people bump at each other, magically new ideas get created". Nowadays we all bump at each other basically continuesly. --- My point is: we will see amazing technologies a lot faster than we currently imagine possible. Solutions to the problems will simply pop up there somewhere in the internet.

[@allenwhipps1233]

Has anyone mentioned 'Altered Carbon' (Netflix)? Consciousness is in your 'stack' that can be transferred to another body blank grown for you.

[@BueSoftVideos]

Software that writes its own hardware. We're in the matrix.

[@miguelchippsinteligente6072]

Tesla referenced human energy 🌬👻jesus christ referenced living waters 💎👨‍🎓👩‍🎓science described water memory 🌊👩‍🎨👨‍🎨existence reflecting psychologically, psalms16:24 k,j 👻💎👨‍🎓👩‍🎓🤍🗽💖🧮🛡🗡⚖☄🌪🌬

[@ayushrawat3431]

If consciousness can be uploaded.. what if tony stark already uploaded his before the time heist and we can maybe see an ironman movie in future but without him , it would be only his consciousness that will run the stark industries and control all of his suits. Just Imagine

[@manuelvale3996]

How would that laserporting to alpha centauri work, if there's nothing there to receive the transmission?

[@Present4]

This was very well done. Balanced.

[@chinookvalley]

Trying to talk to a doctor about how the brain works is terrifying. They really don't know squat. I've sustained 3 severe concussions in my 60+ years. I learned more from the movie: "Concussion", with Wil Smith, than from the dozens of specialists I've seen for the serious, long-term complications resulting from head traumas. More is not better.

[@christopherchilton-smith6482]

10:49 Someone needs to sit down and have a talk with Aubrey De Grey.

[@7616lydeth]

We may be able to upload our consciousness and understanding to computers, but that's a copy of us, not us. When we die and that thing lives on, it's that thing that lives on, not us. So don't use the word "we'll live forever".

[@Grifondorzo]

To me the Chip idea is just a way to make copies: if you take our memories (even assuming we will know what consciousness is), or the whole brain processing to print it on a drive, or we'll find a way to download a brain-data to a flash drive/net, that does not mean in any way that your mind has transferred a single thought, just that the silicon material/chip has acquired it, which is very different, and surely transferring a mental process to any tool or net doesn't imply your actual brain must stop its functions, like in Hollywood movies. What remains printed in it are data and memories copied of what your brain was at the moment of the acquiring, practically a copy-pasted brain, maybe even an AI with your personality, but surely not yourself or your "soul/spirit/consciousness", and not an upgrade but a totally different creation which will start using your way to think from that moment on

[@Jonylino]

As always with these scenarios of mind uploading; you will never be able to load up YOUR mind, sure maybe one day we can scan a brain in such a way that we can create a functional silicone copy of it; but even if that is possible- it's a mere copy of your mind. Sure that would be something aspirable for the more narcissistsicly inclined, but I dont see the point of creating a perfect copy of myself that will then live on for ages, while I myself still die and am dead in the end. If the point is to become immortals and be the ones that walk on Mars, it is useless to have copys of us do that. I'd rather bet on nanotechnology that would monitor our health 24/7 and that would repair any damage that might happen; an idea that is within reach and that would possibly elongate our own lives and not the lives of our silicon copys

[@hunterkudo9832]

maybe we dont have to upload a human brain, maybe we can just upload the brain of a computer, and let it come back with the information.

[@KevinP32270]

freaking epic. I WOULD upload my brain and travel the universe.

[@KevinP32270]

@@Raphswondersbeats we may be in a simulation now. i'm sure there will be a way to make sure we are in the real world lol.

[@KevinP32270]

@@Raphswondersbeats why? feel sorry for yourself. smh.

[@deleteduser8949]

@@Raphswondersbeats What's wrong with what he said? The is a possibility we live in a simulated world.

[@KevinP32270]

@nottoday son maybe. no one knows.

[@Noname-uk9mu]

You’d be trapped forever. Our consciousness is already immortal you can travel the universe.

[@wheat_snipes]

This video blew my mind..

[@jan-marcfurer3387]

thank you Rushkoff for being the only sane person in the room!

[@Etaoinshrdlu69]

Before this becomes possible for human brains I'd like to see it tried on bug brains.

[@lakhyee7781]

They did it on a worm

[@DomainAspect]

@@lakhyee7781, really? I thought they just changed a few cells and made it live longer.

[@lakhyee7781]

I believe they made a copy of a worms brain and put it on a small robot with wheels.

[@thethoeby]

@@lakhyee7781 Yeah, they did - but they didn't 'uploaded' the mind of the worm, but copied the wormbrain by sequencing the connectome and then kinda 'rebuilt' it. Whats amazing about it is that it worked and the robot behaved like a real worm

[@thegoodlistenerslistenwell2646]

Look up brain to brain communication. This stuff has been out for awhile.

[@BritishBeachcomber]

Actually, there are three areas of the brain involved in explicit (consciously recalled) memory: the hippocampus, the neo-cortex and the amygdala.

[@MikhaelYacobMalechNisan5742]

It's already done from his hands with mud & clay The wonders of his hands we do not know And that which he creates will never rust

[@Ink_Floyd]

Only 2 ways to truly become immortal. This is one them....

[@robertoalexandre4250]

All this talk reminds me of what seems to me one of the biggest flaws in our current scientific mindser: looking at the brain with algorithm, information system and software analogies. This is like those (neocreationists) who see "intelligent design" in nature (as if it worked like our engineered systems) or "information" in genetics and postulate some cosmic engineer called God...the one of their religion, of course. It's understandable, because that's what it seems...but nature is much more a dynamic of different relationships that we have no idea about: i.e. what's the bridge from physics to chemistry to biology? Nature contains its own agency, maintenence, propagation, evolution, and cycles of entropies and recycling. Sure, call it a system...but it seems seemingly infinite because it works at so many levels. So, just mapping the brain perfectly with all the connectomes will only be scratching the surface... Touché, Dr. Douglas Rushkoff!

[@gisele__________________]

love this

[@thomaspeden9511]

Looks like someone played cyberpunk 😉😉

[@bzd-ts7bm]

@Omni Almighty hopefuly they wrk the bugs out tho hahaha

[@imradioactive0309]

i loved that story.

[@braydintoia2437]

What about natural functions of breathing? Feeling? Tasting? To think? How could all of these natural functions of consciousness be coded into a mere micro chip and run the hardware of a host to function correctly to have a sense of “consciousness” I think we should figure out our brains first before stepping into the twilight zone The concepts great but the science is still up in the air

[@matrixkt8673]

U are so behind the 8 ball!!

[@braydintoia2437]

@@matrixkt8673 explain to me how it’s possible then, with our current knowledge. Instead of a one liner with no context.

[@meditativemind1264]

"Because of the signs it was given to perform on behalf of the First Beast, it deceived those who dwell on the earth, telling them to MAKE AN IMAGE OF THE BEAST that had been wounded by the sword and yet had lived. The second beast was permitted to give breath to the Image of the First Beast, so that the Image could speak and cause all who refused to worship it to be killed." -Book of Revelation 13:14-15; Holy Bible

[@bsalldhg8964]

Start with spirituality and move towards consciousness 😊

[@DzaMiQ]

Rofl

[@circlemover]

What on earth is spirituality...please define or enlighten me.

[@vimalcurio]

@@circlemover you never heard of!? are you living inside the rock?

[@offzard]

@@circlemover U certainly have heard about dictionaries.

[@Caligrl1044]

move forward with God.

[@luizaquental9524]

I thought an important perspective that was missing from the video was the idea of the embodied mind, the idea that the mind is inseparable from from the brain because it’s embodiment is part of what makes it what it is. All of the brain emulation theories sit on a whole bunch of assumptions about what the mind and consciousness are. They take it as an already solved problem, which it is not. I would have liked to see mor balance in this video, more viewpoints.

[@qdesigner10]

Are you a scientist? How many years have you studied this for?

[@carriersignal]

Exactly, the first thing I thought about was Donald Davidson's thought experiment from the 1980's, which I have always found to be an interesting take on the matter.

[@prinzbeutaux8169]

Quip we’re all scientists M, researching daily - that’s what conscious does allows us to react and interact with our natural surroundings, we’re scientists because we’re living in the experiment right now - life

[@mavortius8388]

A good recent video on the subject by Dr. Barry Smith: The Impossibility of Digital Immortality.

[@anatolydyatlov963]

Uploading our consciousness is one thing - there won't be much doubt about how to treat it. A problem arises when we'll start to create new digital consciousnesses. I mean, we can map our brain and effectively create a digital copy of ourselves, but what if instead of copying, we'll create a digital brain from scratch? Will these entities have the same rights as humans and their digital copies, or will they be treated differently? Is creating a digital brain from scratch equivalent to giving birth to a new person? It's bugging me...

[@LunatiqueRob]

How many people realize that when you digitize yourself and beam/teleport to another location then get reassembled there, you're not actually travelling to that new location--you're actually making a copy of yourself? That new copy of you is walking around with your memories, while you, the original, have ceased to exist. So every time you do it you're basically committing suicide, and a new version of you lives on.

[@MrHyonD]

Have you heard of the Ship of Theseus ? You are touching a specific philosophical topic : does consciousness and does "me" exist? Or is it only the continuation of several states that gives the feeling of a whole entity?

[@xyz-hv2iw]

but the person on earth is avtar and person on moon is avtar and avtar is just a robot . we can turn it on/ offf. this video also has a great assumption that consiousness is just memory of brain.

[@xanbell7723]

Well meat puppet is not a very nice thing to call that wonderfully evolved miracle that gets you around and allows your consciousness to experience physical existence.

[@nviolet152]

"Wonderfully evolved" meatbag that can barely even last a century, lol.

[@user-zx5wj3lk2p]

Like the way when Douglas Rushkoff said babies are scary I mean just look where he was looking at when he said that

[@XxCrunchyPillow69xX]

it’s possible. we are in a simulation. what is existence? thinking of life as a simulation has helped me in life. i workout often and having the want to make the most of this life.

[@Singularity2060]

Yes it is a Simulation!

[@spoismael]

Best Big Think video to date.

[@miguelchippsinteligente6072]

Tesla referenced human energy 🌬👻jesus christ referenced living waters 💎👨‍🎓👩‍🎓science described water memory 🌊👨‍🎨👩‍🎨existence reflecting psychologically, psalms16:24 k,j 👻💎👨‍🎓👩‍🎓🤍🗽💖🧮🛡🗡⚖🌪☄🌬

[@guest_informant]

Q: Can we become immortal? A: No. Heat Death of the Universe, for instance.

[@vernongrant3596]

Build a new universe.

[@warrnj4300]

If we can survive that long.

[@jeanv3266]

How do you explain the immortal jellyfish species?

[@DallasTechie]

Michio Kaku to Thanos, " you're not the only one cursed with knowledge *

[@thisperson6655]

I think it's possible, but we don't know how yet. But we have dying bodies. If we replace our dying bodies with robotic parts and mind, what is life worth? What about the end of time and space itself? What if we are living forever to then? What fun is that? Torture? What if we then have no way to end our life after transferring our life? If we are in a spaceship, and time and space ends, if we still exist, what will we do? Everything has died except us but we are surrounded by nothing

[@METAMORA6329]

Can we download love? 😘

[@creativeclub2023]

😀👍 perfect

[@HardKore5250]

Anything

[@inspirex1831]

Lol yes

[@calebhaines3794]

Big Data for emotion via Brain scans.

[@calebhaines3794]

The guy in the blue button down shirt can leave

[@TechGamesAU]

Jason Silva talks so much rubbish. He's just a person who learned how to exaggerate words in normal sentences.

[@miguelchippsinteligente6072]

Tesla referenced human energy 🌬👻jesus christ referenced living waters 💎👨‍🎓👩‍🎓science described water memory 🌊👩‍🎨👨‍🎨existence reflecting psychologically, psalms16:24 k,j 👻💎👨‍🎓👩‍🎓🤍🗽💖🧮🛡🗡⚖☄🌪🌬

[@TechGamesAU]

@@miguelchippsinteligente6072 the fuck are you talking about

[@googleisacruelmistress1910]

He's the guy who gives these concepts a bad name by talking too much about things he hardly understands far too excitedly while simultaneously sounding like a nutjob

[@googleisacruelmistress1910]

@@miguelchippsinteligente6072 dude, what drugs are you on, I want some of those too...

[@miguelchippsinteligente6072]

@@googleisacruelmistress1910 facts defines ,science biology education

[@rickkowalchuk6391]

We are about to welcome something dangerous yet most amazing with an infinite capacity to evolve ourselves!!!! Optimistically, Love will be the conquering factor to the entire process!

[@grimm8223]

Everyone mentions the whole immortality or escape from life aspect of it but honestly those are two things I couldn’t care less about. I don’t want to be immortal, I don’t want to live forever. Sure maybe longer than your average person but once I’ve accomplished all the things I want to accomplish I’d probably just shut myself off until needed or delete myself after uploading a detailed catalog of my findings. It wouldn’t really be to escape either because I’m fine with my life sure it’s not perfect but that’s what it’s all about. Life gives you challenges and you take ‘em in stride and figure things out. Even if I become a program I’d probably just seek out more challenges like… well, whatever a human program could do to challenge itself, like aiding in colonizing other planets and systems or inventing new machines or programs or dedicating myself to research. I think a good example would be the book series “We Are Legion (We Are Bob)”, though of course that’s only fiction and there would certainly be major differences.

[@JamchesterBoozle]

Some of these computer engineers are completely overlooking the mystery of consciousness - they're just thinking about the technical aspects of how you could upload a human brain. That carries a huge assumption that consciousness is in the brain, I don't believe it is. I believe that we have all the hardware to 'tune-in' to consciousness. But as a matter of experience, for anyone, consciousness is not inside the head. Just use your eyes to see that. I really don't like that these silicone valley geeks are leading the charge of the next step of human evolution. They need to wind the tape back a bit and eat a slice of humble pie. Playing God with a computer degree.

[@100sheniece]

I totally agree

[@JamchesterBoozle]

@@100sheniece 👌

[@HighStakesDanny]

I'll miss this. Oh well. Life is short, enjoy it while you can.

[@jnlsportsnewsandupdatesjsn5614]

False life is the longest think you experience and you never really know when it will end, so try to relax and be happy and extend your life

[@No-mf3lg]

@@jnlsportsnewsandupdatesjsn5614 thank you for this

[@goalhorn2012]

We're over here listen to the future of life extension and or "immortality" and you're over here telling us "life is short." How old are you? You still believe in that nonsense? Oh my God, shuuuuuut uuuup!

[@goalhorn2012]

@@jnlsportsnewsandupdatesjsn5614 right?

[@Simon_Electric]

Would it actually be us? Or just a copy? Would we die and and a copy live on? Can we transfer the soul? If so would we in turn be creating our own hell? Imagine being trapped in a lifeless robotic body for eternity never being able to die. if you are taken offline/shut down, would the soul be trapped?

[@nothingreallyexists7580]

maybe kaku's ideas are being ridiculed by many idiots. but for me i think he has a very strong point.

[@Z1BABOUINOS]

This sounds more like a "Johnny Got His Gun" situation. Or maybe, it was an uplifting romantic comedy, and I didn't get the movie... 🤔

[@ghada.El.Khoury]

Douglas Rushkoff is the only one who makes sense of everything that he's saying.

[@rendapayinvestmentget3time107]

The thumbnail image of this video looks so much like the head of the Accident One, in Marvel Dr Strange

[@Kaligod3]

Uploading our brains is called death …. I believe it’s what happens you transcend the body and go on as pure consciousness

[@djjfive]

WTF? BT are working on it? They can't even get my broadband to work.😂

[@JavaScriptJolt]

😂🤣😂

[@OakTrey]

‘There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.’ Proverbs 14:12

[@francescadarien-hydellbma2958]

Whilst humans are cognizant of our mortality (Ecclesiastes 9:5), and now via AI and chatbots etc, it is possible for a deceased human to have its entity cloned and for humans living to be able to communicate with chatbots as if they are living entities. Immortality is a reality via the supernatural (1 Corithinians 15:50-55) and humans have already attained to this outside of the earthly realm in the heavens (Genesis 1:1). I love Rushkoff's sense of humour - we do deserve a place!!! Thank you for this informative video - FDH LL.B MA

[@outterboxthinker]

Everything we do becomes a library of memories. That’s all there is.