What if in a couple years they discover a way to interact with the sleeping brain enough to build a device you keep next to your bed which allows you to get full restful REM sleep, but allows you to log on the internet, play games, or participate in multi-player chat rooms or game?
So you get ~8 hours surfing the nets, or whatever you could do on a computer. What do you do?
Would you work? Finish homework or study? Or would you spend time playing a MMORPG.
Would you use this device or are you opposed to using something like this? Why?
What if it was just one game / chat room like Simple Life. The Internet isn’t an option due to software incompatibilities, but you can move around in a huge virtual world built only for sleepers (can’t be logged into by other means). Would you buy this device then, or would it only be good if it could log in your computer or on the internet?
Also, do you think you would end up sleeping more?
On the first option, I would like to say I would spend that time doing something productive, such as finishing essays or creative pursuits, that I am usually too lazy to do during the day. (The practical side of me knows that would never happen and those hours would probably be spent searching for pictures of Antonio Banderas.) However, I probably wouldn’t buy that system in the first place; I quite enjoy some of the zanier dreams I have during my REM cycles. They make for great storytelling later.
Virtual reality systems are another story. I would probably spend every waking (oops, wait, sleeping) moment using one of those.
Do all my work while sleeping so I have my days free. Please invent this device, it will make coders the world over much happier. That is, until the powers-that-be implement the 16 hour work day.