Brain Transfer.

I had an interesting conversation tonight. Technology someday may provide a means in which someone's entire knowledge and memories could be transferred into your own brain. Would you take advantage of this new technology? What if you could, say, transfer the memories of your grandfather, or the knowledge of a top scientist, into your own brain? Would you?

No, because it sounds dangerous.

Not to mention, a little morbid. I really don't want the memory of my grandfather losing his virginity in my head.

Originally posted by rooobarbcustard
I had an interesting conversation tonight. Technology someday may provide a means in which someone's entire knowledge and memories could be transferred into your own brain. Would you take advantage of this new technology? What if you could, say, transfer the memories of your grandfather, or the knowledge of a top scientist, into your own brain? Would you?

Sure, why not. It could revolutionise learning, prevent that nasty loss of productivity when someone with important knowledge dies (like the CEO of a big corp.) And for people wanting to write biographies. And so on.

Providing of course you could choose a bit what you want. Peoples heads are often filled with a great deal that is important to them and only them, I want the meat of the memories. The valuable parts to me, not all the filler that wont mean a thing to me.

Originally posted by Quiero Mota
No, because it sounds dangerous.

Not to mention, a little morbid. I really don't want the memory of my grandfather losing his virginity in my head.

But what if it meant you could now have the knowledge of a dying scientist, and then you could continue his work?

Originally posted by rooobarbcustard
But what if it meant you could now have the knowledge of a dying scientist, and then you could continue his work?

That line of work doesn't interest me. Give it to someone more deserving/qualified.

I'm pretty much in agreement with what others have said, I wouldn't want everything in someone's head, but if I could have a few pieces of important knowledge, that might be cool.

A parallel line of quesions has to do with something similar -

If brain transplants became feasible, and a healthy brain was transferred to a healthy body that happened to be brain dead, would the resultant person be the owner of the brain, the owner of the body, or some amalgam of the two?

Originally posted by docb77
A parallel line of quesions has to do with something similar -

If brain transplants became feasible, and a healthy brain was transferred to a healthy body that happened to be brain dead, would the resultant person be the owner of the brain, the owner of the body, or some amalgam of the two?

I am fairly sure the body would belong to the living, operational brain. Since ones personality, ones will, etc exist in the brain. The brain-dead brain's former personality and memories (that is what made them them) is gone, they would have no claim to the body. Just like with organ donation. If I had to get a new heart, and it was taken from a deceased person and put into me - it would be my heart then. It would belong to me. I wouldn't be an amalgam of two people. A full body transplant would be the same, just on a larger scale.

Don't see it happening though. People might be happy donating a few bits and pieces, but the idea of loosing their entire body on death and not getting a funeral/whatever seems unlikely. Far better, if it ever became possible, to simply clone bodies missing a brain. Then the body would never have belonged to anyone, and the living brain could simply be transfered in with no relatively messy moral issues.

only the vain and transparently power-hungry people would do that

Originally posted by Strangelove
only the vain and transparently power-hungry people would do that

How so?

The vain, because the smarter they are, the more 'attractive' they are, which feeds their frail egos.

The transparently power-hungry, because knowledge is power.

I think common people wouldn't because I believe most people prefer to experience life on their own terms, and gain knowledge through their own means, rather than taking the easy way out.

Add lazy people to those that would use the technology.

Originally posted by Strangelove
The vain, because the smarter they are, the more 'attractive' they are, which feeds their frail egos.

The transparently power-hungry, because knowledge is power.

I think common people wouldn't because I believe most people prefer to experience life on their own terms, and gain knowledge through their own means, rather than taking the easy way out.

Add lazy people to those that would use the technology.

I think there could be the potential for it to contribute to a number of fields though. As I mentioned - biographers, education and as others mentioned the sciences. Knowledge is very important, and sadly much can be lost when a person dies. If the useful parts of their experiences could be shared amongst others, well, it looks like a benefit. And I mean, think of the potential to actually be able to see the view of another, and understand it, as you have access to whats in their head. I could see ambassadors undergoing such a thing before a major summit, so they all understand where each will be coming from.

As for the common people - explain the enormous popularity of escapist literature, soap shows, trashy tabloids and gossip. I think there would be a massive number of people who would love to get a fix of their favorite stars memories and mental processes. A even I, who don't go in for that kind of thing. I am never going to climb Mount Everest, but I would love to know what was going through the minds of the first explorers to reach the summit. Of through the minds of the first man to step on the moon.

And then there is the potential for unity and trust amongst people. I could almost imagine new couples going to a sharing ceremony where they give their partners their experiences and receive their partners in turn.

Originally posted by Strangelove
only the vain and transparently power-hungry people would do that

If the technology were available, the consequences would be so varied. Terrorists could quickly transfer their plans into each others brains, making sure everyone knew it. Would school be necessary? Could we go from youngster to individual research with a single transfer of knowledge. Would it speed up our progress?

On the other hand, when you take someone's knowledge, you lose the fun of discovery, the multitude of small victories you would normally make on your own.

Would this make us an automaton society, everyone with the same memories, knowledge?

Originally posted by Imperial_Samura
And then there is the potential for unity and trust amongst people. I could almost imagine new couples going to a sharing ceremony where they give their partners their experiences and receive their partners in turn.

Come on now, would you really want to know what your wife or girlfriend experienced while you had sex with her? Do you really want to know from a first hand perspective how sucking penis or taking one up the tail pipe feels? Somethings I'd rather just not know...

But considering what you said about picking and choosing, I agree with you that this hypothetical technology would be utterly valuable in certain fields.

hmm, it would be interesting to have the choice but for me the same caveats exist as exist for everyone above.

it does raise an interesting question: if we COULD transfer a lifetime's worth of memories into our brains, could our brains . . . hold them? is there a limit to the brain's storage capacity? memories are (theoretically) formed by interconnecting neurons. a scent may bring out a memory because physically the 2 neurons are 'connected'.

so . . . would all the 'transferrred' memories simply create 'instant' neurons?

fascinating questions, but i really can't imagine the technology ever actually coming to fruition -- at least not for a LONG time. the brain is still very much an unknown, though in the last few years a lot of knowledge has been gained. even still, AI is still a LONG way off. not sure i'm ready to believe we could transfer someone else's memories into our brains.

Originally posted by Robtard
Come on now, would you really want to know what your wife or girlfriend experienced while you had sex with her? Do you really want to know from a first hand perspective how sucking penis or taking one up the tail pipe feels? Somethings I'd rather just not know...

Oh, I agree. Don't think I'd be into it. But you know how some of these couples are about sharing. I think there would be more then a few out there who'd buy into it. Maybe if the technology was sufficiently advanced you could put together a sort of "mental photo album" to share. Just the best bits. Put the right romantic spin on something, and you'll get people interested.

But considering what you said about picking and choosing, I agree with you that this hypothetical technology would be utterly valuable in certain fields.

Indeed, indeed.

It is possible processes like these than show the importance of morality...and morality stems from religion...

Originally posted by Imperial_Samura
I am fairly sure the body would belong to the living, operational brain. Since ones personality, ones will, etc exist in the brain. The brain-dead brain's former personality and memories (that is what made them them) is gone, they would have no claim to the body. Just like with organ donation. If I had to get a new heart, and it was taken from a deceased person and put into me - it would be my heart then. It would belong to me. I wouldn't be an amalgam of two people. A full body transplant would be the same, just on a larger scale.

Don't see it happening though. People might be happy donating a few bits and pieces, but the idea of loosing their entire body on death and not getting a funeral/whatever seems unlikely. Far better, if it ever became possible, to simply clone bodies missing a brain. Then the body would never have belonged to anyone, and the living brain could simply be transfered in with no relatively messy moral issues.

Originally posted by Flamboyant4Life
I thought that personality was a combination of genes that exist withing chromosomes. I think that the brain should belong to the previous body if all these chromosomes are intact. Correct me if I'm wrong.

No, I feel fairly confident that ones personality is not the product of genes, and is the product of the mind.

Personality likely has a basis in genetics; almost everything has a basis in genetics. But it isn't predominantly shaped by genetics.

This reminds me of DarkCity for some reason.