X-Message-Number: 1048
Newsgroups: sci.cryonics
From: tolman% (Kenneth Tolman)
Subject: The virtual choice
Date: 22 Jul 92 11:31:04 MDT
Message-ID: <>

  It is conceivable that cryonic reanimation would take place in a society
short on resources.  The society could opt for reanimation into virtual
space- where resource consumption would be extremely low for the newly
revived patient.  So it may become a choice- reanimation now into a virtual
place, or waiting for a future with more resources- how would you choose?

  Virtual space reanimation means that a person would come back to life and
have all of their neurons hooked into a computer system.  A human would only
consume energy for driving their brain, and the cost of driving the host
computer.  The synthesized experience would be at least as good as todays
technology- which can perform with incredible realism in high end systems.
Possibly, the synthesis would be as good or better than "reality".

  Such a revival would allow a person to hook into any accessible information
flows.  Thus, on a space station one could instantly look out any of the
telescopes or exterior cameras, even seeing whatever wavelengths were being
recorded (such as ultraviolet).  One would of course be able to monitor
local information traffic, such as television, radio, networks, etc.

  Many other revivals (and probably citizens) would be within the computer
network- meaning one could hang out with old friends and enemies, play them
games, learn and teach with them, and even punch and wrestle.

  If you are interested in learning about the current state of virtual
reality, a good book to read is Howard Rheingold's "Virtual Reality".
Even if a cryonic revival doesn't have to choose virtual life or continued
suspension- they will come back in a world where this technology has
been well developed and have great social impact.

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