) most ems work in teams; they are made for a purpose and enjoy fulfilling it, then retire when no longer needed.

) most ems work in teams; they are made for a purpose and enjoy fulfilling it, then retire when no longer needed.  Read Less

With enough fidelity in scanning and emulation, the emulated brain (“em”) would think and feel just as the original human did, ...  Read More

With enough fidelity in scanning and emulation, the emulated brain (“em”) would think and feel just as the original human did, with its nerve inputs and outputs connected to a virtual reality simulation.  Read Less

This software system also becomes a point at which global regulations could be decided and enforced, which hanson generally ass...  Read More

This software system also becomes a point at which global regulations could be decided and enforced, which hanson generally assumes cannot be made to work.  Read Less

At the end of their shift they clock out, are erased and replaced with the version of themselves that started the last shift.

At the end of their shift they clock out, are erased and replaced with the version of themselves that started the last shift.  Read Less

Speed and the price of memory storage are considered.

Speed and the price of memory storage are considered.  Read Less

This process can be repeated as many times as you wish, at a cost of only the processing and storage charges to run the new ems.

This process can be repeated as many times as you wish, at a cost of only the processing and storage charges to run the new ems.  Read Less

The fact that an em, in the prime of life, can be copied at almost no cost will mean that the supply of labour, even the most s...  Read More

The fact that an em, in the prime of life, can be copied at almost no cost will mean that the supply of labour, even the most skilled and specialised, will be essentially unlimited.  Read Less

But since most ems will live mostly in virtual reality, subsistence need not mean penury: most of their needs and wants will no...  Read More

But since most ems will live mostly in virtual reality, subsistence need not mean penury: most of their needs and wants will not be physical, and will cost little or nothing to provide.  Read Less

Even if we should expect a much less than 50% chance of hanson's scenario becoming real, it seems quite valuable to think about...  Read More

Even if we should expect a much less than 50% chance of hanson's scenario becoming real, it seems quite valuable to think about how comfortable we should be with it and how we could improve on it.  Read Less

If we decide neo is 'the best of the best' at something, we might copy him a trillion times, and erase his competitors.

If we decide neo is 'the best of the best' at something, we might copy him a trillion times, and erase his competitors.  Read Less

One can argue that we have more "data on eras" now, but, alternatively, the very power-laws these data seem to obey, could be u...  Read More

One can argue that we have more "data on eras" now, but, alternatively, the very power-laws these data seem to obey, could be used to argue precisely the opposite (ie, that the pre-x "data" aren't representative).  Read Less

It is very similar to farmers of old, their productivity was little above their own ability to support themselves, so few other...  Read More

It is very similar to farmers of old, their productivity was little above their own ability to support themselves, so few other specialists were possible (little in terms of percentage, this could still mean a millions of other specialists given a large enough population).  Read Less