Caution: Singularity Ahead

Part I: Backups Being generally paranoid and a father, I was worried about Caspian while driving home the other day. Which led to a few thoughts in the “consciousness uploading” space. First off, backups. Many novels explore this concept, from Varley’s “Eight Worlds” to Doctorow’s Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom – which probably represent my first, and then most recent fictional exposure to the subject. The concept is that either as a consequence of uploading technology, or just as a step along the way, or just as far as humans are willing/able to go, it’s possible to save a backup copy of a human brain. The copy includes whatever is necessary to restore one’s “self” in case of some catastrophic event – like total destruction of the body and brain. Anyway, it got me pondering about backups of Caspian, and how it’s just… primitive… that we don’t have such things available. An accident could snuff him out instantly. Sure, that was depressing. But now, the intriguing spin. If...

Wow. My little brother has moved out of my parent's house and - with his girlfriend - bought a house. And my little sister has moved out to an apartment of her own as well. Admittedly, I was living at home until I was 23. But still, it's hard to believe they're finally out on their own! Congrats, Nathan and Gillian!