"Avatar" project aims for human immortality by 2045

[dale]

Fodder for discussion?
Russian media magnate Dmitry Itskov is heading "Avatar," a tremendously ambitious and far-reaching multidisciplinary research project that aims to achieve immortality in humans within the next three decades. He plans to do it by housing human brains in progressively more disembodied vehicles, first transplanting them into robots and then, by the year 2045, by reverse-engineering the human brain and effectively "downloading" human consciousness onto a computer chip.
http://www.gizmag.com/avatar-project-2045/23454/

[jenujacob]

i have been reading a lot about the human consciousness and spiritual awakening lately. Eckhart Tolle and Maharishi Vethathiri from South India are some of my biggest influences. Infact, upto a certain degree the experiments at CERN relating to the Higgs Boson had already been explained in a primal form by Vethathiri.
According to many spritual teachers, the human evolution is at the brink of expansion and with more people becoming conscious, the critical mass would soon be achieved to herald mankind into the next gen Neo Humanism!

[mitcorb]

Ok, for what it's worth, I have pondered this- and I am sure it is full of "holes":
I woke up one morning thinking:
The mind is obviously deeply entangled/interdependent with the body. The mind directs the body as the body informs the mind. They grew up together.

I think Mr. Itskov recognizes this in his plan to move the mind progressively from organic to "inorganic"?

[EscapeArtist]

I don't think it will happen. Ever. I think the body and mind are linked as you say, and growth, change, time and interaction with the environment places the mind in a constant state of change. It rearranges connections, kills some and makes new others. Others are lost with age. This gives humans a certain irreplaceable quality, call it what you will, a "soul" or whatever, and it cannot be replicated or preserved by a machine. It would be "you" frozen in time, your self-awareness or "soul" would be gone.

[Mike Lucey]

I'd read that article a few days ago and have been thinking about it and have come to the conclusion that I probably wouldn't go for it even if given the opportunity ...... then again, when I'm on my last legs gasping for breath, I may well change my mind

Its all very far fletched but I would be slow to rule it out in a in 1000 years time. If a person living back in 1012 was shown some of the high tech stuff we have these days they would probably erect the stack and start gathering kindling!

I have a funny feeling our friend C could be paying us a visit ..... better get ready to dive for cover

[mitcorb]

Very interesting to read the comments at the bottom of that article. I made my first statement on the basis of your post, Mike. I just finished reading some of the comments, largely either neutral or detracting in the first 10 or 12.
One day someone had the wacky idea to put a man on the moon. One important outcome from that effort is the spinoff technologies. If nothing else "Avatar" may generate new discoveries.

[Marian]

I doubt they'll do that by 2045, but it might facilitate technology that communicates directly with the brain. It would make for better prosthetics and may be the advent fo the mind controlled mecha I always wanted

[iichiversii]

Either way the mind dies when the body dies, what results from this if it ever happens is only a copy of your mind, a download and that's it, it will never be you, you as you are now will be dead, I also read about this and I believe 20% of the mind can be downloaded at present but the complications if the human brain there is still a lot we don't know, would you really like to live for ever, really?

[dale]

I can't help but thinking the thought of immortality is intriguing. But, to be human,is to be a part of a cycle. That age old cycle concludes with death, and the evolution of your genetics embodied in your offspring.
This would in essence put a stop to that cycle, and therefore evolution.
Also, there are many "human" things that machines have not yet been able to emulate.
So, although, it may be technologically possible for the avatar to become a repository for your "information", I can't see how it could actually be the "conscious" you.