*Thought Experiment*
An acquaintance of mine recently proposed an idea of how to transport
human consciousness from one area to another, rather than copying the
consciousness and destroying the original. For, in the event of teleporting
a human, the question remains; Are they truly the same being as they were
before, or are they just a copy with exactly the same memories? I won't get
into the religious things, like souls, though that may be an easier way to
explain it.
Anyway, he told me that human consciousness resides in both hemispheres
of the brain. When you sleep, the consciousness drifts from one part to
another, often crossing the bridge connecting the two hemispheres of the
brain. His suggestion was to create an artificial brain (maybe just a
dormant cloned copy), manufacture some sort of "bridge" between the two
brains, and destroy the original brain while the subject sleeps. The end
result is intended to be that the consciousness moves from the original
brain into the cloned brain, thereby continuing its existence without itself
being copied and destroyed.
Would this work? My friend wasn't exactly an expert in neuroscience,
though he has quite familiar with the subject. What kind of problems would
occur? (everything from obvious to obscure). And if it were possible, how
could one actually construct a "bridge" between two brains that are some
considerable distance apart? It's an intriguing subject, as this problem has
nagged at me for two or three years. Thank you.
- Doug -
