[Reflection 5: Who Wants to Live Forever?—The Science of Whole Brain Emulation]

What if the end wasn't really the end? What if science and technology promised us life after death via the digital transference of your mind? That is the premise of Whole Brain Emulation (WBE) or "mind uploading." Specifically, WBE is the hypothetical copying of a person's consciousness, including personality and memories, into an artificial digital device or wireless network. Proponents argue that within our lifetime we will have the capability of electronically transferring our minds beyond a physical body. If this indeed becomes a reality (and there are many who say it is not), how would it affect how we define our own humanity? Is a human still a human when he or she is no longer contained in a flesh and blood vessel? If humanity has grappled with the question: "What does it mean to be human?" for centuries, then how does WBE reframe the discussion? And would death have the same meaning for us if we knew we had an electronic out? Finally, if WBE were available today, would you opt to transfer your consciousness into a machine at the time of your "death"?

Include at least two of the following in your discussion:

• "'Transhumanists' are planning to upload your mind to a memory stick…" (Daily Telegraph)
• "The Strange Neuroscience of Immortality" (Chronicle of Higher Education)
• "You Might Never Upload Your Brain Into a Computer" (io9) 
• "Could You Transfer Your Consciousness to Another Body?" (IFLScience)
• "Scientists Discover how to 'Upload Knowledge to Your Brain'" (Daily Telegraph)
• "Uploading the Mind: Could a Digital Brain Feel Pain?" (LiveScience)

Requirements:

• MLA Style
• 1.5 pages in length
• Works cited page

Due: We 3.23