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Old 09-06-2012, 12:35 PM   #23 (permalink)
someonecompletelyrandom
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I find it more likely that computing power will advance so far so as to eliminate biological bodies altogether, transfer consciousness to software, and explore space uninhibited by time. The first step will likely be, as mentioned, "biological machinery" (cyborgs, deliberate genetic mutation, artificial life extension and artificial intelligence. Given the current speed of progress, it's actually feasible to me for this kind of guided evolution to occur within 100,000 years.

Another interesting "step along the way" to this possible future is the transference of the conscious human mind to an exact software (or some combination of software and hardware) virtual replica inside a computer. Before our death, a new "us" may be copied for the future generations to interact with and learn from. Our original conscious mind will, of course, be lost -- but our computer copy carries our essence for as long as there is society to maintain the programs. Even within our lifetimes, our brain may be copied to a computer system which will allow us to, quite literally, speak with ourselves.

Guided evolution by means of technology and scientific advancement is a fascinating concept. There are, however, alternatives which could play out in the event of some kind of massive societal collapse. If human beings, for lack of a better expression, "returned" to the "natural" world, evolution by means of natural selection could once again take hold of our species. Isolated populations living in regions with increased flooding could realistically be expected to develop webbed hands and feet within 100,000 years. I suppose the problem with this is that humans are so intelligent, they tend to form into societies, tribes, groups to survive. It would take something very turbulent and drastic to change this behavior.
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