AXEL.org

Tech

The 21st Century Bid to Become Immortal

There are three knowns in this world: we’re born, we live, and we die, but some tech extremists are trying to add a fourth known after we die.

The incredible evolution of technology has meant that, in the not-too-distant future, we’ll have the capabilities of living forever.

In 100 years, the four knowns in this world might look like this: we’re born, we live, we die, and then we become immortal.

There are already thousands of studies on cryogenics to preserve the human body once it’s dead, but the physical body is just a small part of what makes us human. The biggest part of what makes us “us” is our brains; a mass of an organ that’s built up of networks and neurons from our experiences.

Back in 1994, a feature article in Wired magazine highlighted the subculture of Extropians, a group of people in California who wholeheartedly believed in transcendence. Followers of the movement strived to become “more than human” and saw a future where human brains as well as bodies could be downloaded and preserved.

This was in 1994, so you can only imagine how much more advanced this theory is now. It’s advanced so much, in fact, that it’s no longer just a theory.

Eventually (and we’re talking as soon as sometime within the next century), there will be the technology available to copy every single bit of data that makes us “us” and upload it to a computer. When it’s there it can be studied, picked apart and, perhaps most disturbingly, downloaded.

If you’ve seen the San Junipero episode of Black Mirror, you might have an inkling into what this could look like. Throughout the surprisingly optimistic episode, we see Yorkie and Kelly exploring the fun-loving town of San Junipero, only to find out at the end that they are actually elderly women who are prescribed visits to the virtual town once a week via a digital headset.

The episode left a lot of viewers with a warm, happy feeling, but would it really all be sunshine and unicorns?

Or, perhaps the better question to ask is, what’s the point?

Why would we need to upload ourselves into a virtual reality and create an entirely new world when we have a backlog of our own memories and experiences to draw from?

Are they not enough?

This is where the obsession with becoming immortal comes in.

It’s not enough for us to be born, live, and die anymore – well, not for a lot of people. Instead we’re always wanting more; one lifetime isn’t enough.

Why Are We Obsessed with Being Immortal?

At some point in the past, our ancestors began to question our existence. Whether it was millions of years ago or thousands is unknown; all we know is that there was a time when a human like us considered why we were put on this planet.

And this thought pattern continues today. We need to know that there’s a purpose for us here in this world otherwise, really, what’s the point? It’s the reason we go to work, build families, and do stuff we love. We’re on a mammoth quest to live meaningful lives to answer the ever-present question of why we’re here.

We do the things we do in the hope that we are more than just our biological parts; more than just a sack of meat sleepwalking through the eighty years we’ve been given.

This is where the fascination with immortality comes in.

Our bodies are just a vessel, but our brains – those ugly lumps of gray matter – are us, and the thought of us not being around forever is an incredibly difficult pill to swallow.

So, Why Not Live Forever?

Startup Nectome has reached into the pit of the human soul and tapped right into this desire for more.

Founded by a pair of MIT AI researchers, the company plans to offer a commercial way for “everyday people” to preserve their brains using a process called aldehyde-stabilised cryopreservation.

Essentially, the brain is turned into glass and the data that’s captured is stored on what can only be described as a very advanced cloud system.

So far, so good.

Except there’s one catch: in order to have your brain preserved in this way, you have to die. For the upload to be successful, the process has to be carried out right at the moment of death. Or, rather, the upload process has to be the cause of death.

The “patient” has to have the natural blood flow to their brain replaced with the embalming chemicals that preserve the brain and its neuronal structures.

It’s the ultimate way of saying “I want to live forever so I’m going to die now.”

Nectome’s aim is for the uploaded brain data to be used later on as part of a computer simulation – much like in San Junipero. The chemical solution used is able to preserve body parts for thousands of years so that, one day when the technology is available, scientists will be able to scan the frozen brains and upload them to a computer system where they can live out their new reality.

Someone – though not an entirely human “someone” – somewhere will be able to retrieve your memories and your experiences.

Which begs the question: are Nectome’s customers dying to preserve themselves or further advance transhumanism and the technology involved with it?

Let’s go back to what makes us “us” for a moment. We’re a combination of our brains, body, voice, experiences, and everything else in between. By simply uploading one part of that – the brain – are we really capturing us? Is our brain in someone else’s body, whether that’s a computer system or a real-life body of flesh, still us?

For now, Nectome is working with terminal patients in California under the state’s End of Life Option Act, but who knows how far this trend will spread in the future.

Even today, thousands and millions of years after we first questioned our existence, we’re still fighting for meaning and the answer to why we were put on this earth.

But, with the leaps and bounds technology has made since then – and since Wired magazine’s feature on Extropians – we’re now closer than ever to becoming immortal.

Nectome is, without a doubt, one of the most controversial startups to come out of the US in the past few decades, but we could argue that it’s simply tapping into a want, a desire, and an obsession that humans have.

So let’s leave it at this: Nectome might just be giving the people what they want, or it might be a high-tech religion preying on people’s fear of death and their obsession with living forever.

Quantum Computing Will Change Cybersecurity – If We Can Figure Out What It Is

Quantum computing is the next type of computing that is going to be important. How do I know? Because people throw the term around in casual conversation the way they add a cloud, machine learning, or blockchain reference to statements to make themselves seem smart. It’s like, fine, you know I can’t argue with you now because I don’t know what you’re talking about, but do go on.

Now I don’t have a STEM background at all, but I still think that I should be able to understand WTF everyone else is talking about. So I’m setting out on a quest to understand quantum computing. Please join me as I demystify this mysterious new technology, and try not to laugh too hard.

First stop: Google.

I thought I could start by just Googling what quantum computing is. I thought wrong. The definition uses words like “superposition” and entanglement,” which sound vaguely inappropriate and specifically confusing. Google also helps me out with this little nugget: “A quantum computer is a device that performs quantum computing.” Oh do go on.

Upon further reflection that included stuffing a bunch of popcorn down my gullet and singing half of a Mariah Carey song loudly, I come to the realization that quantum computing is somehow different than regular computing. Oh wait – that’s in the definition I’m staring at.

But, wait, I see the word binary – that’s a word I know. Ok so quantum computing doesn’t rely on zeros and ones. Interesting…..

This reminds me of those characters in Star Trek, the Bynars, who communicated exclusively in binary. They were cool little guys. In the TNG episode “11001001” the Bynars even upload all their binary into the Enterprise’s computers. Could this be a clue to quantum computing? Perhaps I should rewatch this episode to find out!

Four hours and five episodes later…………………

Ok, I’m back. That episode is really good, and I had forgotten that the Bynars travelled in pairs. So cute. I am no further from solving the mystery of quantum computing, and I think on some level I knew that I was only making up an excuse to find temporary reprieve from my perilous quest. But no! For the sake of everyone reading this, I won’t give up so easily.

After further research, I’ve encountered a promising definition from Forbes:

On a scientific level, quantum computers work within the world of atomic particles and subatomic particles. In this world, the particles exist in multiple states at a time, allowing a quantum computer to operate in those same multiple states. This goes beyond the laws of physics and operates in an entirely different way than the one state of time that we exist within. It’s easy to immediately feel confused by this concept because human beings don’t know what it’s like to exist in multiple states of time.

What fresh hell is this?

I am beginning to wonder if an altered consciousness is necessary to unlocking the secrets of quantum computing. I really thought Forbes would help me out here, as it’s geared towards business-oriented people like me. If business-oriented people sat at home eating popcorn and singing Mariah Carey on a Tuesday afternoon, that is. It’s my life, and I don’t want to talk about it.

Actually when I read on, Forbes does make a few good points: quantum computing conserves energy, vastly improves cyber security, and is great for processing large data sets. So basically, quantum computing will solve all our problems by completely bypassing the laws of physics. NBD.

I’m getting sort of a Wizard of Oz vibe from this whole thing, to be perfectly honest. Some magical man behind the curtain will solve all my problems as long as I don’t pry too deep into how, exactly, he will do this.

Sounds like a steaming heap of something that came out of a horse to me.

Perhaps if I watch The Wizard of Oz, I can gain more insight into how mysterious entities like wizards and quantum computing function….it’s worth a try.

……………………four hours, one movie, and two naps later………………………

I’m back to finally crack this quantum computing nut once and for all! The Wizard of Oz didn’t really help me out, and I got sidetracked thinking about how hard Judy Garland’s life was. Now there was a talent snuffed out too soon. Perhaps if we were all Bynars, life would be less difficult. We’d always have a little buddy that’s just the opposite of us….or, no, that sounds like having a cat. Did Judy Garland have a cat?

Anyway. I’m reading a new article now. It’s telling me that quantum computers use a thing called qubits, and that, in contrast to conventional computer chips, these super computer chips can be both zeroes and ones at once. That’s cool and all……But why would they want to? (I mean technically, the answer to that question is because it’s faster, but existentially, I’m not sure these scientists can answer that.)

Apparently the qubit must be kept very cold to work properly. And also, this is how it’s described: “This 1-inch-long wafer is made of synthetic sapphire topped with a 100-nanometer-thin layer of printed aluminum.” Why synthetic sapphire? Was the wafer born in September? Everything about this description is wild, and I am coming to realize that I will never be able to understand this thing without first having a solid grasp of at least grade 10 physics and possibly a PhD in whatever this is.

To be honest, it sort of seems like the scientists are just making things up to mess with us at this point, and I really don’t blame them. At this point, they probably just want us to stop talking about blockchain. They’re not wrong.

As I make one final attempt to figure out what quantum computing is, I come across another Forbes article. Fool me twice, Forbes….

Ok so apparently once quantum computing becomes the norm, all of our security protocols will be rendered useless, and the only way to prevent this is — you guessed it — quantum resistant cryptography. And thankfully, “This encryption cannot be broken mathematically because it is protected by the laws of physics.” Good?

Now this is starting to seem like the world’s most terrifying game of rock paper scissors: STEM wars edition. Physics trumps mathematics, but what trumps physics?

I’ll tell you what trumps physics: Mariah Carey’s beautiful voice. And my voice too when I sing her songs, but in a different, viscerally painful for others type of way, sort of like when the rock mangles those defenseless scissors. So I’m going to get back to that and hope you learned something today. Let’s see, to sum up, essentially quantum computing exists, it’s extremely elaborate, and nobody will ever understand it, probably not even the people working on it. The Bynars can’t save us now.

Why Free Will Cost You a Fortune

Everyone loves a good deal. Whether it’s an amazing discount or a sale, we experience an endorphin rush when we get a good deal. Things only get better when we hear those magic words we love…“free.”

Nothing gets people more excited than when something is offered for free. If you’ve ever seen a store offering something for free then you know what to expect… a lineup around the corner.

This philosophy gets amplified when we talk about anything offered on the Internet. It is commonly accepted that any services offered through the Internet should be free.

And many websites are happy to oblige. Facebook is free, YouTube is free, Twitter is free…you get the idea.

The thing that no one seems to be asking anymore is “what’s the catch?”

In the real world we usually have an idea about why something is being offered for “free”; maybe they want to get you into the store to buy something else or they want to get you hooked onto the product, but there is always a reason.

Unfortunately we aren’t so inclined to look for a catch when it comes to “free” services online. It’s understandable that people expect online services to be free but it’s important to know why it’s being offered for free.

There is always an ulterior motive for something to be offered for “free” and there is always something that is being compromised in exchange for the “free” service. The level of compromise involved will depend on the service being offered.

Some compromises will be harmless, such as when a service is offered with limited features. However, often, the compromises made are more than the user bargained for when they signed up in the first place.

Ultimately the more we understand about why a service is being offered for “free” online, and the compromises that come with it, the better we can make a decision on whether to proceed with becoming a user.

Awareness is the best defense to ensure that we don’t end up in a situation where something we thought was going to cost nothing (“free”) ends up costing us an arm and a leg (and some other important body parts).

Let’s cover some of the reasons a product or service is being offered online for “free”, along with their level of harm:

  • Trial Versions/Upgrade Incentives: No different than when a product is offered for “free” in a real life setting, the company wants you to continue using the service (at a cost, naturally) once the trial period is over or upgrade to a paid tier. This is relatively harmless unless the company asks for your credit card to start the “free” trial and will charge you automatically. Then you need to have a good memory or set your calendars to not get charged.
  • Advertising: Similar to watching TV, a website may offer you a “free” service in order to ratchet up the hits and collect ad revenue. Unlike TV, ads on the internet are ridiculously annoying (TV ads are just mildly annoying). Between popups and flashing banners, some websites are just not worth visiting. This category falls into the “harmless but frustrating” section.
  • Micropayments: Typically with a service that relies on micropayments, the base tier is “free” but has very limited features and in order to expand the features you have to make some sort of minimal payment (think .99¢) that seems insignificant…at first. However there are many features that need to be unlocked and each one of them will require its own micropayment. In a way micropayments are like a faucet that has a drip. At first you might not think it’s so bad since you only see a drop of water falling at a time, but then you get your monthly water bill and see that it’s triple the usual amount. This is definitely one of those categories that can get out of hand very quickly and cost more than you expect if you aren’t too careful.
  • Data Mining: Now we’re getting into some bad territory. Data mining is when the service you’re using is harvesting information about you to use for other purposes. Have you ever booked a flight to a city and then seen a bunch of ads for hotels in that same city?…it’s not a coincidence. Sometimes data mining is used only for advertising (relatively harmless) but other times the company wants to collect a profile on you based on the websites you’ve visited, who you interact with, and even your spending habits. Needless to say, depending on the level of privacy you crave, this can be pretty harmful.
  • Malice: I did say the motives may not be sinister in nature, but sometimes they are. As a wise man once said “some people just want to watch the world burn”. I would be doing you a disservice if I didn’t mention that some “free” online products/services come with lovely add-ons such as viruses, worms, spyware, and malware or they might be used to extract personal information from you, such as your online banking login information. Needless to say, this is the most harmful form of “free” you get online and a good reason of why you need to be very careful about who you trust.

As you can see, not everything that is being offered for “free” is actually without any cost to you. It’s important to take a step back and ask yourself why the provider is offering it for “free”. What’s in it for them?

Do appropriate research and make sure that you aren’t putting yourself in a situation that can be harmful to you or cause you to expose more about yourself than you want.

So, yes, we all love to get something for free…just make sure it doesn’t end up costing you a ton in the end!

The Future of Digital Storage

As we rush out to the store to grab the latest and greatest smartphones and bask in the glory that is our never ending thirst for all things media, a thought occurs . . . ”where are we going to store all of this stuff?”

I mean, sure, we proudly flex the muscle of our portable devices, capable of producing 12 megapixel images or shooting full motion video and effortlessly streaming it to our 4k-capable retina display . . . but where is all this data going to be kept?

A cursory glance at the storage market tells us that any portable devices with any real storage capacity come at a premium.  Ok, we get that, so we begin to seek other avenues to store our wealth of media that will still give us instant access.

Naturally cloud storage is the first and most viable option. So we immediately enter our email address, create a quick password, and hop onto the internet to store our digital world.  Initially it’s great!  We can get our stuff from anywhere, and many of the services give us a couple of GBs of space in the cloud for free . . . but at what cost?

The cost equation for the storage of your digital world comes down to “ease of access” versus “control of content”.  Anyone who has read the terms and conditions of the typical cloud companies can tell you that you’re virtually giving up all license and all control of your content once you enter it into a public server.

The cost of your “free 5 GB account” is that your content is no longer in your direct control. Sadly, the only real alternative seems to be spending a significant amount of up-front cash on devices that have more built-in storage, or going to the store and buying one of those cloud boxes that you put on your desk at home and try to configure for remote access.  It’s clunky and costly, but it’s safer.  So how do you decide?

The plot thickens when you realize that every smartphone that is introduced is capable of generating even larger files, videos, images, and media content, yet the storage spaces on these devices continue to remain the same.

So what can be done to enable us to take advantage of all the powerful features of our smart devices without giving up ownership and control of our digital content?

Technology will continue its furious pace towards integration of content and expansion of storage components.  How will that future look and who will win that race? Smart money says that the folks developing smartphone, laptop, and tablet technology will continue to lead.  Why? The answer is simple really.  These devices are not meant to be kept forever.

Look at the typical release cycle for new smartphones and tablets.  Just when you get comfortable with your new device, a bigger-better-faster-smarter alternative hits the market.

And how long do you typically keep your tech devices?  1 year?  2 years? Longer?  Are you the type that has to be on the train to the latest-and-greatest device available? Or are you still carrying around your series one Motorola flip phone?  Don’t worry, there is no wrong answer. But, the fact remains that technology will continue to steamroll ahead whether we’re ready for the “next big thing” or not.

So where does that leave us with our original question about storage and ownership of our content? Will storage manufacturers be able to keep up with the ever-growing needs of the social media networks?

What will the online cloud providers do when they see a market where people still want privacy and control over their digital lives?  Will companies like Amazon and Google own your content in an endless sea of server farms? Or will your network evolve into one that you and you alone control?

As it stands today, we’ve got far more questions than we have answers.  Once thing is certain in all of this commotion . . . technology won’t stop, so keep your eyes on the horizon and together we’ll see how the innovators answer these growing concerns.