What is Mind Uploading?
Mind uploading, also known as whole brain emulation, mind transfer, or simply “uploading” (never “downloading”) is the hypothetical act of simulating someone’s brain in a computer so well that the simulation possesses all the same intelligence, memories, personality, identity, and consciousness of the original person. If successful, this could allow human beings to live for an extremely long time, as it would be much easier to heal health problems and the effects of aging if it required little more than changing a few lines of code. The ethical implications of mind uploading have been explored at some length in science fiction and in certain branches of philosophy. Some people strongly object to the notion that mind uploading is even possible, as the qualities of human intelligence are often considered inseparable from their biological substrate. However, the concept of uploading is entirely compatible with causal functionalist philosophies of mind, popular among brain scientists, whic