More Dangerous Ideas

In the virtual world, anything is possible. Let's explore that statement.

It has been predicted that we will in just a few decades be able to upload our consciousness to computers(Ray Kurzweil, Futurist, Inventor). To give up our physical bodies in exchange for immortality. No more diseases or physical pain. Death will no longer be the end of the line, but instead just a problem to be solved. But what will our digital eternal life be like? Would it be an improvement to the real thing? Will we actually feel alive or be defined as living if in a machine?

Yes, it seems for every question, another pops up. So I'm going to write down a list of questions I find most interesting and elaborate on them.

Will we prefer the virtual world, if any, or would we try to get back into the real world and live again as robots? As Bill Gates has mentioned before, robots will in fact take most of our jobs eventually, perhaps in our lifetimes. I'm saying we might come back as those robots one day.

Bill Gates explains how we will be replaced by robots in the workplace, and adds his own predictions.

This question sparked an idea in my head. Imagine an old man, working in a factory or workshop. Working with his hands, and he's really good at his craft. And he loves it. He loves his coworkers. He's always smiling, waving and welcoming his coworkers as they arrive to work or anyone for that matter, because he's always early. But one day, he is let go. Replaced by robots that can do his job better, for longer hours, and cheaper.

This was his life. It was all he knew. He won't apply for a new job anywhere else. He retires and grows older and weaker. He is ready to die. But one day he sees an advertisement on a billboard. "Escape Death. Live Forever. Exactly How You Want It. - Upload Your Consciousness Today!

The man takes all his savings, considering he will never need money again, and uploads his consciousness and leaves the physical world. But, he makes a special request. To return as the robot that took his job.

And there he is, still waving as you come in.

To start life where it stopped, or start over entirely might be an option someone wants to choose. Something like that could also be a decision made by a future society for everyone. But what about those who opts for an entirely new world, the virtual one?

One could construct places from memory, or imagined worlds where the laws of physics can be broken or doesn't exist at all. If you want to guarantee your place in "heaven", you could probably have that as well.

You may chose to live in a world described in your favorite books or movies. As a famous actor, singer, artist or a historic figure in a time long passed. Perhaps not even human.

As this clearly resembles ideas presented in "The Matrix", may I suggest another pill, instead of the red and blue. A pill that doesn't require you to give up the best bits about the "real world" nor does it require you to become a traitor to the entire human race. The green pill that lets you create worlds you control. To become a god of your own universe.

But if we could construct our own versions of heaven or the after life... Could we construct a hell?

What would something like that be good for? Wasn't life on earth hell enough, some might say. Well, I'm not saying I support the death penalty, but there are those who do. Entire nations actually. I'm talking about forcibly uploading the consciousness of a convicted criminal on death row, into a virtual representation of hell. Then it would be no denying that the criminal is going to suffer for his/her actions. And it would probably be an effective way to demotivate criminal acts if everyone knew for a fact that a hell exists. It seems rather crude for me to even write this, but hey it answers the question doesn't it? Hopefully it doesn't come to that. Mostly because governments would most probably control it, which would make some uncomfortable powers available to the uncomfortably powerful. Governments aren't always right either. Nor morally correct in their policies.

Boy, that escalated quickly. That worker story might be a good story for the graphic novel I am currently making. So would the "virtual hell" when I think about it. So far I have only dubbed it "Project Bianca". Written about 50 frames worth of story. Drawn some sketches as well. It's about some of the aspects I touched upon in this post. I'll share some of it when it starts to look like something.

Another thing, lately I've been feeling kinda good. Something must be terribly wrong.