According to some sources brain in a vat is used in a variety of thought experiments intended to draw out certain features of our ideas of knowledge, reality, truth, mind, and meaning. Based on the idea that a scientist, machine, or someone else might remove a person’s brain from the body, then suspend it in a vat filled with sustaining liquid, and connect its neurons by wires to a supercomputer would provide electrical impulses identical to those the brain receives. In that way, the computer would simulate reality and the brain would continue with its normal conscious experiences.
Can you imagine live in a virtual world? Well, let’s be honest some people live in a virtual world every single day when they connect to their social networks, but when I read this thought experiment a lot of movies came to my mind: Matrix, The surrogates etc. and it is incredible how this idea has been in our mind since forever. For instance, in “The surrogates”, the argument is that people afraid of getting old and to get hurt by an accident etc decide to live a life through a machine.
I don’t know what you think about it, at least, in my opinion I think it is pointless “live” if you don’t feel something directly, perhaps nothing of this is real, and all of this is inside our minds and what we call “to be alive” is just a dream. We’ll never know.
If you are interested in checking the movie, here is the trailer from the movie "The surrogates"
When I read you entry, the first thing that popped in my mind was that I have, in a certain way, thought of this, but differently.
ReplyDeleteIf you think of a machine controlling what you next move is going to be, what your thought is to be, what your "feeling" (I wouldn't called it feeling anymore) will be, it isn't so far from wht we are experiencing nowadays.
Think of it; if everyone was controlled by a machine, whatever benefit it may bring, there HAS TO BE SOMEONE in charge of all of us; in other words, a master mind, a controller who decided what all of us experience.
My friend, that has happened from the beginning of time, I don't have to wait until a technology revolution for someone trying to control my thoughts.Think of television.
Indeed, we all know the great influence that television has in our lives, and how is controlled by a master mind -just as the thought experiment "brain in a vat"-.
ReplyDeleteI think this goes beyond from what you mention earlier, I guess that you are right, if we were controlled by a machine, then it wouldn't be a feeling at all.
But, what I'm wondering is: if we are really living in our bodies, or maybe these are just implied memories, I don't know...it came to my mind another movie -jajaj sorry about that-: The island (Scarlett Johansson, Ewan McGregor) or what happens to people who suffer from schizophrenia. Maybe they aren't sick at all, they found the truth, or something like that, and they are ok, meanwhile we are here stuck in an alternative reality...
ufff honestly I think this is topic is soooo complicated.
I agree with matias when he says that if we were controlled by machines, then we wouldn’t be able to feel anymore. Probably if this new way of living came to be, we would be controlled by our governments or by the richest people and companies in the world. This could be the new division of social classes, for sure the ones who have more money will have access to this kind of technological advantage, and the ones who can’t afford it would be the new generation of slaves, and they would be extinguished as they finally create a superior race, who knows?. Regarding what Dominique said about reality, I’ve always asked myself the same questions, am I dreaming? do I really exist or am I just one of the thousand reflections of a superior entity? is this real? are the people we call crazy the ones who are right? are we slaves of our own brains?. Nevertheless, I’ve tried to find and follow what is true for me in order to feel my feet on the ground, and to enrich my spirit everyday to someday reach a higher level of understanding that could lead me to the purpose of my existence on this earth.
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