Volume 4, Issue 2
December 2009


What Life Might Be

Martin O'Dea

Page 4 of 6

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Prof. Sir Roger Penrose (2007)
http://en.wikipedia.org/
Erwin Schrödinger (1933)
http://en.wikipedia.org
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Again, this argument may well be teased out in much greater detail in the realms of physics and philosophy, but one line of thought arising herein would be the asymmetric origins of matter, as perceived in the field of physics and the origins of differentials in informational codes rising from this minority of ‘asymmetrical’ matter. Within fields, forces, and elements then the interaction o33of differing informational coded units could be pointed to as an origin of evolution; and in the vast numbers evidenced in the cosmos the iterative process of interacting and adapting may be traced to that most complex organ of environmental interaction and adaptation which we now wish to emulate, the human brain.

It may also be speculated that even the complex brain is something that has evolved from a simple original base. Much of what we can observe currently seems to operate along a neural network that has vast interconnectedness in its neural network and may have synapses that have weightings and strengths of connections that vary from one to the other within their number of approximately one trillion, but even with all of this it seems unlikely that this has encountered at some point a moment of ‘magic’ that we will not in the end be able to replicate on its journey from order to matter to element to organism to brain. Magic and spirit may well be seen as methods of categorisation for the as yet unexplained. Indeed, the only ‘magic’ may well be that there is no magic; and the marvellous opportunity that this offers.

This leads to an ancillary point regarding the appropriateness of any mode of recreation and the possibility that this in some ways interferes with a ‘natural’ order of things. What may be highlighted here is that an electronic realm, while perhaps not absolutely impenetrable to negative occurrences should by design be a safer environment in which the organ of the human mind might inhabit; and, as such, this might be seen as akin to many other developmental interactions, be it early tools, electronic computation, or seeking shelter. One might also point to any manner of examples such as from the use of fire to illustrate the inherent dangers in any developments that we as humans interacting with their environments may incur and so the need for caution as part of our learning mechanisms should not be overlooked. Many people will disagree with proposals such as those contained herein and should not have their disapprovals dismissed.  

It can also be pointed out that evolution required organisms that died. There would not have been sufficient stable mutation allowed in one never-dying organism to support evolution and the vast number of o22generations that were required would not have been sustainable within the resources of each time. Again, here the electronic realm may provide the requisite breakthrough; as the resource limitations that we are so familiar with begin to disappear; leaving a whole universe of potential for each individual.

So we may see that we have evolved to die, and so would undoubtedly rail against any proposal that we do not need to die intuitively as being wrong. This is as ‘hard-wired’ perhaps, as procreation. However, the reasons for the finality of death, other than the psychological just outlined, are just that we could not alter ourselves or our environment to such a degree that it was no longer inescapable; this is changing and changed.

Clearly there is the issue that the vast majority of people living currently believe in an afterlife from a religious base and as such could only see this endeavour as a form of insurance policy, in the knowledge that if this is so then this work can become somewhat unnecessary for them. This is not something that is required as a major driver in this project; though of course, all opinions on the religious connotations, if any, are to be welcomed as contributions on any other number of categories.

In obstacle 4 there are similarities in nature to the speculative element of obstacle 3 as it would not currently be agreed as irrefutably evidenced one way or the other.

 

 

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