# Brain downloads by 2050! Woohoo! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 25, 2005, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-downloads-by-2050-woohoo/305374 "2005-05-25T02:17:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Patty\_Chuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/76d3ee/32.png) [@Patty\_Chuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_Chuck)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-downloads-by-2050-woohoo/305374/1 "2005-05-25T02:17:48Z")
[http://edition.cnn.com/2005/TECH/05/23/brain.download/](http://edition.cnn.com/2005/TECH/05/23/brain.download/) > [@](#): > > London, England – By the middle of the 21st century it will be possible to download your brain to a supercomputer, according to a leading thinker on the future. > > Ian Pearson, head of British Telecom’s futurology unit, told the UK’s Observer newspaper that the rapid advances in computing power would make cyber-immortality a reality within 50 years. > > Pearson said the launch last week of Sony’s PlayStation 3, a machine 35 times more powerful than the model it replaced, was a sign of things to come. > > “The new PlayStation is one percent as powerful as the human brain,” Pearson told the Observer. “It is into supercomputer status compared to 10 years ago. PlayStation 5 will probably be as powerful as the human brain.” > > Pearson said that brain-downloading technology would initially be the preserve of the rich, but would become more available over subsequent decades. > > “If you’re rich enough then by 2050 it’s feasible. If you’re poor you’ll probably have to wait until 2075 or 2080 when it’s routine,” he said. > > “We are very serious about it. That’s how fast this technology is moving: 45 years is a hell of a long time in IT.” Can’t wait! ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-downloads-by-2050-woohoo/305374/2 "2005-05-25T02:24:22Z")
I’m going to jump in my flying car and head right over there to be the first in line! ---
**Author:** ![mcott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@mcott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcott)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-downloads-by-2050-woohoo/305374/3 "2005-05-25T04:59:47Z")
Download my brain into a machine? I don’t think so. On the other hand, does anyone remember [Strange Days](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114558/)? I think I could go for a memory download to myself - welcome to the ultimate in VR porn. You know that the adult industry will pour billions into this if they think it’ll work. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-downloads-by-2050-woohoo/305374/4 "2005-05-25T05:16:02Z")
just make sure microsoft has _NOTHING_ to do with this if it comes to pass, would _you_ trust your brain to a microsoft based OS, not me, then again, i’m not entirely confident Mac OS XVIII (or whatever it’ll be up to by then) would be capable of it either, you’d need a very reliable, multiple redundant backup OS to store the BrainImageFile… then could we download our brain into a robot body? i want big chainsaw hands, RZZZZZ! ---
**Author:** ![Imasquare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Imasquare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Imasquare)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-downloads-by-2050-woohoo/305374/5 "2005-05-25T07:10:39Z")
I don’t want to be a machine. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-downloads-by-2050-woohoo/305374/6 "2005-05-25T07:23:11Z")
[Neat](http://perso.numericable.fr/~netoyeur/divers/mangas/ghost-shell_front.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-downloads-by-2050-woohoo/305374/7 "2005-05-25T07:52:39Z")
Wow, I can’t believe a scientist made attention-grabbing claims to the paper like that. :rolleyes: How many people here are planning to be rich in 2050 or alive in 2080? I may have to leave my house on Mars to visit Earth if this actually happens. ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-downloads-by-2050-woohoo/305374/8 "2005-05-25T09:18:12Z")
Nooo! Not my _brain!_ ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-downloads-by-2050-woohoo/305374/9 "2005-05-25T09:52:03Z")
I’d do it, if only to be able to playback my dreams, and only if I’m the sole viewer. Adam ---
**Author:** ![Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spatial_Rift_47)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-downloads-by-2050-woohoo/305374/10 "2005-05-25T13:59:00Z")
> [@MacTech](#): > > just make sure microsoft has _NOTHING_ to do with this if it comes to pass, would _you_ trust your brain to a microsoft based OS, not me, then again, i’m not entirely confident Mac OS XVIII (or whatever it’ll be up to by then) would be capable of it either, you’d need a very reliable, multiple redundant backup OS to store the BrainImageFile… Unix. > [@](#): > > then could we download our brain into a robot body? i want big chainsaw hands, RZZZZZ! Totally what I want to do (except the chainsaw hands part). I may not want to live forever, but I sure as hell don’t want to kick off after less than a century. This is why I’ve been getting so excited about all the recent articles about bionic limbs and implants in the brain. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-downloads-by-2050-woohoo/305374/11 "2005-05-25T14:02:07Z")
Sadly, some folks will only require very small hard drives. ---
**Author:** ![Uvula\_Donor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e19adc/32.png) [@Uvula\_Donor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uvula_Donor)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-downloads-by-2050-woohoo/305374/12 "2005-05-25T14:05:31Z")
I’m not trusting my brain to some idiot who doesn’t know the difference between _uploading to_ and _downloading from_ a computer. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-downloads-by-2050-woohoo/305374/13 "2005-05-25T14:26:21Z")
And when I hack the system, I shall achieve Total World Domination! Bow down to your Future World Emperor. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-downloads-by-2050-woohoo/305374/14 "2005-05-25T17:41:09Z")
Wake me up when the technology allows uploading data _to_ my brain. Or, better yet, just let me sleep while all the world’s knowledge is pumped in. Then let me sleep some more. g’night. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-downloads-by-2050-woohoo/305374/15 "2005-05-25T17:45:54Z")
Good idea. I want to upload the kung fu program first. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-downloads-by-2050-woohoo/305374/16 "2005-05-25T19:02:36Z")
Man, nobody would _want_ to have my brain on file. Trust me. 🙂 But that idea is seriously and wickedly cool. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-downloads-by-2050-woohoo/305374/17 "2005-05-25T19:24:25Z")
> [@Imasquare](#): > > I don’t want to be a machine. How do you feel about being dead? ---
**Author:** ![brownie55](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f14d63/32.png) [@brownie55](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brownie55)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-downloads-by-2050-woohoo/305374/18 "2005-05-25T19:44:16Z")
> [@iamthewalrus(:3=](#): > > How do you feel about being dead? I could live with that…