Will we ever be able to connect our brains directly to the internet?

Question

What would be the ramifications of such a development? Would it result in a new renaissance for human civilisation, where trilliions of years of shared knowledge would be shared freely on a global scale, or would we all go hoplessly insane and/or catatonic?

Answer 1

This is already possible to a degree.

Recent experiments have produced completely electronic sight organs for some blind humans and a means of controlling a computer interface on apes. Though we lack the ability to directly wire things into the appropriate neural systems so that they work flawlessly on initial installation, we fortunately don't have to - the brain is fluid enough to re-wire itself to make use of certain implants if they are provided.

Given enough time for this to happen, this would essentially be little different than having extra senses and appendages. You would necessarily BE a different person just because you were hooked directly into the internet... you would just have the ability to see what's there and interact with it whereever you were (assuming your provider didn't go down).

If you're talking about something much more ambitious such as directly transferring information into a brain or augmenting it with completely new systems and ways of doing things... that's entirely speculative at this point. It may be that there is no way of doing such things at all, it may be that such people wouldn't really be 'human' any more, or it may be that more and more add-ons would just be like adding peripherals on a computer system without intrinsically changing the operation of the system itself. There isn't a good way to tell right now.

Still, some of the intermediary steps we MIGHT do look interesting...

Answer 2

First of all, why computer based Internet, as I understand from your question? Why there has to be an Internet of some sort of the other? This I pose on the basis of the fact that human mind is the most powerful and intelligent entity known so far, of which Internet and most powerful computers of the world are just faintest shadows. Why not consider possibilities of connecting the minds into forming a collective mind endowed with collective consciousness. Only then it could be possible to see a dawn of new Renaissance of information and knowledge. I can say that this could be possible as we are capable of certain emotions that address our collective needs, like, compassion, humility and concerns for other human beings. These emotions we do not feel just because we are good in our own self, we feel them because of the presence of other people around us, and some way of the other we are good to each other.

This raises the second question, why there has to be interconnection of minds for the purpose of information and knowledge? Why there has to be questions as primary purpose of communication? I have seen for instance that when people grow wiser and when they develop they tend to ask less questions.

Then there is question of needs, do we need so much knowledge and information? How much we need to know to live in peace? We needed to know, as we still need, about the world we live in. We get this information by the present media sources which is already proving to be too much. The development in information technology is due to purpose of fulfilment of these needs of ours. But what would be the needs making all that possible; they cannot be not just knowledge and information as that would lead us to a catatonic' state of mind.

I think further development would be in the areas of humanity, religion and the spirit that keeps us integrated in an otherwise dilapidated world of mere material existence.

Answer 3

What a horrid thought. If it ever did become possible I certainly wouldn't do it. The internet is full of nasty, pointless, stupid things and there's no way I'd let my brain be full of that crap, not to mention the possibility of having your brain hacked into. I prefer having a filter we can control, haven't you ever seen Johnny Mnemonic (yeah I know the film is pretty dire but the concept is true, you shouldn't let just anything into your head, I have enough trouble filtering the normal everyday stuff)?!
I'd rather have a pensieve like in the Harry Potter books, to take out stuff so you can clear your head when it gets too full. That would be far more useful than plugging your brain into the internet.

Answer 4

Yes, as long as there was a REALLY good firewall in place. It's not going to be too long at all before it's possible, either. Already there are contact lenses in the experimental stages that can function as monitors, and we're already doing a pretty good job of getting sound to our ears without much in the way of hardware. We're getting better and better at interfacing with nerve "circuitry;" when that's perfected, all bets are going to be off.

Answer 5

I'm not sure how well that would work. By that I mean, our minds wonder in thought so much some times. I wonder if it would jump from site to site as or thoughts change. How would the computer know which thought would be a command and just a thought as we look at something? Hope you understand what I'm getting at.

Answer 6

There are enough creeps with internet access that can type and upload the creepy thoughts they have in their minds, some things should be kept private. I don't want to live like in the movie THE NET.

Answer 7

This is already done for parapoligics.
They're hooked up to the internet, and can control the doors in their house, their wheel chairs, lights, all by thought.

Answer 8

Yeah one day we'll be able to store our dreams to HD then the Divorce rate will double over-night

Answer 9

No i don't think that that is a great idea. Knowing these scamps, they'd probably hypnotise us to buy whatever they have in their ads. They might get middle-aged dudes to buy lipstick and bras!

Answer 10

Insanity would be a blessed relief if all of this site had unfettered access to my head!