Brain downloads 'possible by 2050'

LONDON: Rapid advancements in technology would make 'cyber immortality' a reality in 50 years! Said Ian Pearson, head of British Telecom's futurology unit, to UK's Observer newspaper.

Referring to the recently launched Sony's PlayStation 3 as a machine 35 times more powerful than the model it replaced, Pearson said it was a sign of things to come.

Drawing reference to the popular gaming device, Pearson said, "The new PlayStation is one percent as powerful as the human brain. It is into supercomputer status compared to 10 years ago. PlayStation 5 will probably be as powerful as the human brain."

As reported in CNN.com, Pearson said that brain-downloading technology would initially be the preserve of the rich, but would become more available over subsequent decades.

"We are very serious about it. That's how fast this technology is moving: 45 years is a hell of a long time in IT," quotes the Website.

Pearson also predicted that it would be possible to build a fully conscious computer with superhuman levels of intelligence as early as 2020, drawing comparisons to IBM's BlueGene computer which can perform 70.72 trillion calculations a second.

He also said that computer consciousness would make feasible a whole new sphere of emotional machines, such as airplanes that are afraid of crashing, reports CNN.

But at the same time, Pearson admitted that the consequences of advancing technologies needed to be considered carefully.

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