What do computers, cells, and brains have in common? Computers are
electronic devices designed by humans; cells are biological entities
crafted by evolution; brains are the containers and creators of our
minds. But all are, in one way or another, information-processing
devices. The power of the human brain is, so far, unequaled by any
existing machine or known living being. Over eons of evolution, the
brain has enabled us to develop tools and technology to make our lives
easier. Our brains have even allowed us to develop computers that are
almost as powerful as the human brain itself. In this book, Arlindo
Oliveira describes how advances in science and technology could enable
us to create digital minds.
Exponential growth is a pattern built deep into the scheme of life, but
technological change now promises to outstrip even evolutionary change.
Oliveira describes technological and scientific advances that range from
the discovery of laws that control the behavior of the electromagnetic
fields to the development of computers. He calls natural selection the
ultimate algorithm, discusses genetics and the evolution of the central
nervous system, and describes the role that computer imaging has played
in understanding and modeling the brain. Having considered the behavior
of the unique system that creates a mind, he turns to an unavoidable
question: Is the human brain the only system that can host a mind? If
digital minds come into existence--and, Oliveira says, it is difficult
to argue that they will not--what are the social, legal, and ethical
implications? Will digital minds be our partners, or our rivals?
