Whole Brain Emulation

The process of mind uploading, which is also known as whole brain emulation (WBE), is a futuristic process of scanning the physical structures of the brain to create an emulation of the mental state. This includes both the long-term memory and "self" and subsequently, copying that to a computer where it can then run a simulation of the brain's information processing, allowing it to function like the human vessel prior to the emulation where it can respond in the same way as the original brain and experience having a sentient conscious mind (Sim Bamford, 2012).

The Attraction of WBE

Brain emulation can help researchers to understand the brain better. It also sets an ideal test bed for neuroscientific experimentation and study.

From an ordinary human looking to extend their lifespan, brain emulation or uploading their consciousness into the cloud could be a potential way of living forever. Dr Ian Pearson, a futurist, argues that by harnessing the power of technology, humans might be able to fuse their minds with machines and eventually make our bodies obsolete.

"One day, your body dies, and with it, your brain stops, but no big problem. because 99% of your mind is still fine, running happily on IT, in the cloud. Assuming you saved enough and prepared well, you connect to an android to use as your body from now on, attend your funeral, and then carry on as before, still you, just with a younger, highly upgraded body"

With the advent of projects like Neuralink, the future of complete symbiosis with an artificial intelligence is no more than a few years away. Neuroscientists are already advancing far into WBE and large corporations are exploring into the realms of eternal life.

Life on the Cloud

"The Mind will be in the cloud, and be able to use any android that you feel like to inhabit the real world," says Pearson.

Let that sink in. Existing on the cloud means that one can literally travel to anywhere they want in the world in the matter of micro seconds. Where ever there is connectivity, you can exist.

In such a future, the need for a physical body becomes less as well. So much so that corporations may begin to develop android or synthetic bodies where "people" can rent for a day or two. This is so they can experience what it is like to have a fleshy body again.

Having your consciousness on the cloud would mean that even if your body gets destroyed in an accident, you mind is still alive and thriving. You can exist in a multitude of bodies and will never have to fear of dying in the physical realm.

The Metaverse

The prefix meta means beyond and verse relates to the universe. The term Metaverse surfaced in the 1992 science fiction book called Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson whereby in his story, people wore Virtual Reality (VR) headsets to interact inside a game like universe.

The Metaverse depicts a non-physical world in which individuals can thrive and interact through different kinds of virtual technology. For instance, it could allow people to meet up and go on a virtual vacation despite the fact that they are hundreds of miles apart. Individuals linked to the metaverse would be connected at all times and will not be impeded by factors such as physical distance.

In the metaverse, the way we consume art such as music will change drastically.

“We’ve been working hard to develop a community that’s both positive and inclusive, where all are welcome. Soon artists will be able to use our platform to reach all their fans at once, and these physical, man-made boundaries won’t have so much power,” said Aaron Lemke, Co-founder of Wave which is a startup based in Los Angeles that have been hosting music events in the metaverse. The company has been hosting a series of virtual music events where they first brought DJs into virtual reality to play for audiences around the world.

In the pandemic stricken world of today, this seems like the more attractive option for both struggling musicians as well as fans who are looking to share music. A realm that exists on the internet paves way for the enjoyment of live music beyond borders. Existing in such a realm would not only allow people to enjoy music without physical limits, it also allows people to experience the music in a whole new visual and experiential way.

Founded in 2010, Naxs.corp is a Taipei based creative agency that creates immersive audio visual experiences by combining different art practices while focusing on the transformation of contemporary senses, body, desire, ritual and internet aesthetics.

Over the years the agency immersive, virtual reality experiences where users can embody custom avatars, wander around in a dystopia like world and listen to DJ performances. In April 2021, they recently worked with HOR Berlin to organise a full virtual rave featuring artists such as Final Boss, Tenga Babe, Meuko! Meuko!, Jon Du, GIL, Why Be & Mobilegirl.

In the years to come, such events will continue to thrive as the physical world becomes less interesting to live in. The boundlessness of the internet continues to remain attractive to many creators and soon, we may approach what is called The Singularity.

The Singularity

As technological advancement grows exponentially, we approach a point termed as "the Singularity" where man will coexist with machines (Ray Kurzweil, 2005). Soon mankind will transcend beyond the limitations of the biological body and thrive in a digital world, one where we share a symbiotic relationship with artificial intelligence and live harmoniously on the cloud.