Michael Robert Dyet's Blog, page 52

I Have Become the Robot – The Robot Has Become Me

Hmmm, is the day when we need to draw an ethical line in the sand, in the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI), too far off to worry about or too close for comfort?

I read today that the head of Toyota’s Silicon Valley research company expects that the company’s $1 billion investment in robotics research will start paying off in five years. It makes me wonder what the near future – let’s say the next decade – may have in store for us.

A quick Google search revealed that the following robotic wonders will likely arrive on the scene:

A robotic communications portal for hospitals that travels from room to room and allows face-to-face communication between patients and doctors. The device can be controlled with an iPad tablet and the medical communications are secure and protected.

Robotic devices capable of performing precise neurosurgery, including spinal surgery and brain surgery, that may be used in the treating disorders like Parkinson’s disease.

Self-driving vehicles – essentially robots that can transport people and (theoretically) avoid automobile accidents caused by human error.

A robot capable of autonomously monitoring crops for dangers, through the use of lasers, cameras and other sensors, which can quickly move up, down and between rows of plants.

A robotic exoskeleton that can help people with spinal cord injuries to walk again.

With the exception of the self-driving car, which I took issue with in an earlier post, these robotic innovations seem to warrant two thumbs up.

But the Toyota robotics guru also envisions a time when all robots are connected together in a network, sharing information on the cloud and helping each other improve. Sound familiar? This is the premise of I Robot, the 2004 movie starring Will Smith.

In that movie, the AI computer VIKI decides to take control of the world to protect humans from their self-destructive tendencies. The robots obey her instead of their human inventors.

I Robot points to the inevitable question that will arise when the brave new world of robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) reaches its maturity. At what point do the AI controlled machines stop serving us and we start serving them?

Regardless of whether the doomsday scenario of I Robot is plausible, we will eventually reach a threshold where we will need to answer the question no one wants to talk about. Is it morally justifiable to make a percentage of the population redundant or less valued than a machine?

The metaphor embedded in the title I Robot – I have become the robot / The robot has become me – warns us to draw a line in the sand. The day we need to take that action may be a whole lot closer than we think.

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of “Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel” – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog .

~ Subscribe to “Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make Me Go Hmmm” at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribing are provided in the “Subscribe to this Blog: How To” instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

 

Random Act of Metaphor: A Black Swallowtail with a Sense of Style

Black Swallowtail

Hmmm, can the same-old same-old light the fire of your imagination?I have been strolling through meadows and down sunny trails hunting for butterflies for well over a decade. In that time, I have managed to find over 90 species. It is always a thrill when I spot a lifer – nature geek-speak for a species I have not seen before.

But I would tire of the pastime very quickly if lifers were my only motivation to keep butterfly sleuthing. Fortunately, the sheer beauty of butterflies never ceases to give me joy. Every outing on sun-bleached summer days has its moments of “Ah yes, this is why I do this!”

Black Swallowtails remain one of my favourite sightings. I always get an adrenaline rush when I catch sight of one. The one displayed in this post had enough of a sense of style and verve to perch on a purplish white, cluster flower – the perfect contrast to its striking black garb, yellow spot band and the blue wash on the swallowtail with eyespots circled in orange.

Black Swallowtail 2

And as if that was not enough, it offered me the wings-in-motion special effect – in the process showing off its gaudy outer wing.

A Black Swallowtail with a sense of style and verve – a random act of metaphor to remind me that while new-and-never before is intriguing, the same-old same-old can sometimes be the most heart-stopping experience of all.

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of “Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel” – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog .

~ Subscribe to “Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make Me Go Hmmm” at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribing are provided in the “Subscribe to this Blog: How To” instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

Ode to Windows, Antisocial Media and Timelines That End in Rhyme

Hmmm, to befriend or not befriend? That is the question.

I have been dragged reluctantly into the Windows 10 world. I am gradually making the adjustment despite my grudge against Microsoft for playing the negative option consent card. But it has not been a seamless transition. I have had to stumble around, cursing a blue streak as I do so, to decipher where things have been moved to and/or how they have been renamed.

The thing which irritates me is that nothing is easier, at least from my perspective, than it was with the version of Windows I had before. I am tempted to call it Windex 10 since it really seems to be just a spit and polish job.

On a related note, the forced upgrade has kicked off a bit of a dispute inside my laptop. My Norton antivirus software is regularly badmouthing Microsoft Edge – something to do with “extensions”that Edge allegedly does not take into account.

Norton is trying to convince me to upgrade to a higher level of their software to bridge the gap. I half suspect the two companies are in cahoots to con me. If I go for the Norton upgrade, will I get Microsoft pop-up window telling me I now need to jump to another level of Windows?

Upgrades and look-and-feel rejigs are a fact of life in the software and social media world. I am anticipating the next facelift of Facebook that will no doubt arrive without warning and leave me scratching my head to figure out “Where did that damn button get moved to?”

Meanwhile, Facebook algorithms keep multiplying and cross-pollinating in the background making it a crap shoot whose status updates I will see tomorrow. And my timeline is treading a fine line that I do not really understand. Is it time for me to fall in line? Or should I continue to debate where the line is drawn?

I feel an Ode coming on.

The social media universe, oh my, it does seem so perverse. I have tried, I have tried, to put my reticence aside. But do I need another friend? Another Bob or Rob of Sven? Do I have to like his page? It does seem all the rage.

I took a chance on Pinterest. But it could not hold my interest, so I have more or less put it to rest. I took a tumble with Tumblr. But it does not seem to have my number. Perhaps I am just weary of the theory, that one can never have too many friends. But to what end?

I do, forsooth, pledge my loyalty to Twitter, for it rarely leaves me bitter. It stays faithfully the same, so as not to tax my brain. A tweet is a tweet is a tweet, and ever shall be.

Alas, I started out on Microsoft, but wandered into other thoughts. It seems I have fallen into rhyme, with a taste for alliteration, as I contemplate the state, of the social network slate.

The truth? Oh yes, the truth. I would rather fashion metaphors, than open all these virtual doors. So I will leave the younger man, to pitch his brand on Instagram. As for me, I am disposed, to compose my thoughtful prose, and row the oars of metaphor, till I linger here no more.

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of “Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel” – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog .

~ Subscribe to “Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make Me Go Hmmm” at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribing are provided in the “Subscribe to this Blog: How To” instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

 

Harambe the Silverback & Armchair Critics in the Chess Game of Life

Hmmm, should we exercise our privilege to pass judgment, or perhaps look for a kinder, wiser reaction, when someone makes a questionable chess move in the game of life?

The water cooler topic of choice this past week was the unfortunate incident at a Cincinnati zoo that resulted in Silverback Gorilla Harambe being shot and killed.

If you have not heard the story, a 3-year old boy somehow got inside a restricted area and fell into the water in Harambe’s enclosure. Harambe, agitated by all the noise and activity, grabbed the boy by the arm and dragged him through the water to a quieter area of his pen.

The zoo’s dangerous animal response team was called in and made the difficult decision to shoot Harambe to protect the child.

The incident drew criticism and outrage on several fronts:

The decision to shoot and kill Harambe rather than attempt to tranquilize him. (The response team ruled out the tranquilizer option as it would have taken several minutes to take effect and might further agitate the gorilla.)

The failure of the boy’s mother to keep tabs on him and prevent him from entering the enclosure.

And the peripheral issue of whether wild animals should be captured and kept in an artificial environment for the enjoyment of humans. (Let’s leave that question for another day.)

So what is my opinion? Sorry, but I am not going to choose a side on these questions. I am not qualified to express an opinion because I was not at the scene. The perspective provided by the video footage is by nature limited and may not tell the whole story.

I cannot the judge the mother because I have no idea what was going on around her. Furthermore, I have never had children so I know little or nothing about how challenging it is to keep tabs on toddlers.

The real insight for me in this unfortunate incident is how quick we are to condemn the actions of others based on third party reports and a couple of minutes of video footage. What gives us the right to pass judgment on someone else when we were not in their shoes living the incident as it happened?

I am much more inclined to feel sympathy for the people who were caught in the middle of this tragic event. What terror and despair was the mother experiencing to see her child in mortal danger? How emotionally torn must the response team have been to have to choose between the life of the child and the life of Harambe?

Life at pivotal moments such as this one is a chessboard. There are often multiple possible actions none of which have clearly predictable outcomes. Better for us to feel sympathy for the unwilling players forced to make, or life with the consequences of, an agonizing decision – than to criticize them from our comfortable armchair in the front of the television.

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of “Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel” – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog .

~ Subscribe to “Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make Me Go Hmmm” at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribing are provided in the “Subscribe to this Blog: How To” instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

Delivery Drones & Holograms, Retina Scans & Robot Land

Hmmm, will I live long enough to become completely obsolete or just long enough to see the train steaming down the track towards me?

Each day I open my eyes and roll out of bed wondering what technological innovation will today pass from the beta stage into common use. And, as a result, how will I have to adapt my cherished routine because of it? I see my future as a series of first-times and last-days.

The first time I make a purchase via my internet-enabled, wireless wristwatch, pay with Bitcoin and receive an order confirmation from a virtual customer service rep named Hal.

The first time a remote operated drone navigates the airspace in a prescribed flight plan to deliver a parcel to my doorstep 4 hours after I made the purchase – scaring the daylights out of my cat in the process.

The first time I participate in a virtual meeting with holograms of the participants seated around the conference table which are so lifelike that I forget for a moment that they are computer generated avatars.

The first airplane flight I take in a fully automated passenger jet, which can fly from Toronto to Vancouver in 45 minutes, with no actual human being in the cockpit.

The last time I place a key in the lock to enter my home as the entire complex is scheduled to be converted the next day to voice automated, retina scan entry and security which is monitored 24/7 by a software program developed and operated by Facebook.

The last time I punch in “Dinner Plate” on my microwave, to heat my store-bought and pre-cooked pasta, because I have just subscribed to a service that will deliver a hot meal to my door each day at precisely 5:30 pm.

The last time I make an ABM withdrawal because a switch is about to be flipped to convert all payments, purchases and withdrawals to virtual transactions which will make bricks and mortar bank buildings unnecessary.

The last time I officially draw a paycheque because tomorrow a robot will be installed, where my desk used to be, that can do my job more efficiently and work 24/7 without triggering overtime pay or running afoul of labour laws.

I will likely live to see at least some of these first first-times and last-days. When that day comes, I will write a post bemoaning the loss of the good old days when do-it-yourself was considered a good thing rather than a waste of resources and citing robots as a metaphor for the depersonalization of society and the obsolescence of the common man.

In a classic case of irony, you will read the post on your internet-enabled wristwatch which you purchased using Bitcoin and had delivered to your door the same day by a drone named Hal.

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of “Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel” – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog .

~ Subscribe to “Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make Me Go Hmmm” at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribing are provided in the “Subscribe to this Blog: How To” instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

Heaven Foretold: An 18 Warbler Fallout Starring the Cape May

Hmmm, can I do justice in mere words to one of nature’s majestic performances?

We all have a passion. One thing above all else that brings us joy. And every passion comes with the dream day. Golfers dream of a hole-in-one. Fishing fanatics dream of an eight pound Largemouth Bass. Antique collectors dream of that once-in-a-lifetime find.

So what is the birdwatcher’s dream day? A fallout. No, not a falling out – a fallout. In birdwatching lingo, fallout refers to a mixed flock of migrating birds dropping out of the sky, almost as a single entity, to feed. A Warbler fallout is the ultimate high.

Picture yourself standing in a wooded area not moving while a dozen or more different types of brightly coloured Warblers flit around you in the trees, oblivious to your presence, in their frenzy to feed. This can last for a half hour or more.

It does not happen often. But when it does, it is mesmerizing. I happened upon an 18 Warbler fallout this week which took place, much to my surprise, at Heart Lake Conservation Area ten minutes from where I live. A full contingent of Warblers put on a majestic performance while I watched in a state of awe.

Any Warbler fallout is a treat. But an 18 Warbler fallout is a rare gift. The birds pictured above (not my photos – thanks Google Images) were participants in the performance.

It was made even more exhilarating by the presence of some of the most striking and/or hard to find Warblers that pass through this area. 

The stunning Blackburnian Warbler (aka the firethroat) with its flaming orange throat.
The majestic (and patriotic) Canada Warbler with its black necklace on a breast of gold.
The comparatively plain Blackpoll Warbler, black and white striped with a white face patch, which is among the more difficult Warblers to find.

And the crowning glory of the spectacle, a very hard to find Cape May Warbler. Cape Mays are washed in sunlit yellow with black streaking and a chestnut face patch.

If there is such a thing as a metaphor for heaven, for birdwatchers it is an 18 Warbler fallout with a Cape May in the starring role. This is as good as it gets for those of us who worship the winged wonders of nature. Truly, an experience I will never, ever forget.

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of “Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel” – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog .

~ Subscribe to “Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make Me Go Hmmm” at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribing are provided in the “Subscribe to this Blog: How To” instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

 

 
 

Recapturing the Flower of Life from the Hurly-Burly Madness

Hmmm, is it within the realm of possibility to freeze-frame the moment and reclaim life as it was always meant to be?

It wove its way into me, or around me, on a Friday lunch-time walk. A calming, reflective state of mind. A headspace I had not inhabited for quite some time. Why?

Perhaps, it was the fact that it is full-blown spring when green shoots multiply on every branch and limb, dandelion carpets line the boulevard and gaudy tulips unfold with abandon.

Or perhaps the realization that it is mid-May, when the bird migration swells each day and I have but a fortnight to dance with the winged wonders as they pass through.

The rogue wildfire wreaking havoc in Fort McMurray – a blunt reminder that, notwithstanding all our technological marvels, we remain mortal and at the mercy of elemental forces – may well be part of the equation.

And finally, I am reading the newest release by my favourite author – nonfiction this time – knowing that the narrative he is unfolding is the story of how his picture-perfect life unravelled and plunged him into the abyss.

Any of these individually, and all of them collectively, could be the cause of me slip-sliding and free-falling into that state of mind in which I take the measure of the great questions of life.

How is that the gift of life, which seemed to spread out endless before us when we were young and wide-eyed, now seems alarmingly short?

Subtract the countless days spent carving out a living, time spent in the caverns of sleep and the hyper-accelerated, hour after hour spent trying to catch up with a world that moves far too fast far too often. What remains of our allotted time to search out and immerse ourselves in the things which bring us unbridled joy?

How can it be that the things we planned to do, when all the metaphorical dogs barking at our heels were paid their dues, are now more distant than they were a thousand yesterdays before?

How has it come to pass that so many of the things we promised ourselves to hold onto, no matter what should transpire, have slipped out of our grasp and rolled away down the other side of the mountain we laboured so hard to conquer?

The days unravel too fast. The hours are consumed by the clocks to which we are harnessed. The minutes relentlessly tick-tock away.

Is it still possible or plausible that we could give ourselves over to the metaphor of a flower gradually unfolding, with no concern for elapsed time and intent only on rising into full bloom? Yes, I believe it is, rare though it may be.

Today, be a flower. Nothing more, nothing less. Bloom for the pure joy of it and expect nothing in return. For this is life recaptured from the hurly-burly madness that surrounds us. This is life as it was always meant to be.

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of “Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel” – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog .

~ Subscribe to “Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make Me Go Hmmm” at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribing are provided in the “Subscribe to this Blog: How To” instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

Avian Tuxedos, Coloured Sprites and Masked Bandits

Hmmm, is the lesson of May to seize the elusive joy of the moment?

Ah, it has begun! The May migration spectacle – waves of birds passing through on their way to breeding grounds near and far. We in the birdwatching fraternity find it oh so very difficult to concentrate on work at this time of year as our minds turn to feathered friends.

Rose-breasted Grosbeaks are leading the charge. Who could ever tire of this conspicuous, handsome species? The rose red triangle on the breast flashes through the trees like a beacon. Their bright, whistling song – like a Robin with voice lessons – cheers even a rainy day.

Eastern Kingbirds in avian tuxedos, with the distinctive white edge on the tail, are a common site on fencerows and wires and along woodland edges and roadsides. Their sputtering dzee-dzee-dzee notes seem rather understated for this regal species.

Eastern Phoebes were delayed this year by the inhospitable April weather. But they are making up for lost time as all migrants are compelled to do. Not the most colourful of birds with their gray-green garb and faint wing bars. But the tail-bobbing is a dead giveaway as is their name-saying song: phoe-be, phoe-be, phoe-be.

The early arriving Hermit Thrush are now joined by their lookalike cousins. Buffy-cheeked Swainson’s Thrush with their breezy, flute-like call. Tawny brown Veerys popping up here and there with their ethereal, downward wheeling vee-ur, vee-ur. Too early yet for Wood Thrush, but they will make their appearance soon.

And of course, the ever-popular Warblers – tiny, brightly coloured sprites flitting through the trees in constant motion.

Pine Warblers being their usual, elusive selves high up in the pines. More likely to be heard than seen. Cock an ear for their lazy, musical trill.

Hyperactive Redstarts, velvet black with flashing orange patches, running along tree limbs and calling constantly: tsee tsee tsee tsee tsee-o.

Eye-catching Nashville Warblers, showing off their bright yellow throat and belly, high up or low down – equal opportunity feeders.

Witchity whitchity whitchity. No mistaking this call. Wren-like Yellowthroats, with their bandit style black face mask, sticking close to marshes and wet thickets.

Perhaps an early Ovenbird skulking along the woodland floor – thrush-like but distinguished by its bright orange crown. Almost always heard before it is seen: TE’ACHER, TE’ACHER, TE’ACHER.

Alas, there are only a few short weeks in which to catch up with and admire these winged beauties making the trek back from southern wintering grounds. Each of them is a feathered metaphor for the elusiveness of joy – so easy to miss in the hurly-burly of life – and always a reminder to seize the moment that may not come again.

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of “Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel” – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog .

~ Subscribe to “Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make Me Go Hmmm” at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribing are provided in the “Subscribe to this Blog: How To” instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

Facebook: From Virtual Space to Outer Space

Hmmm, is there any technological frontier that Facebook is not charging toward?

Did I hear correctly? Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg announcing that Facebook is building airplanes? It seems an oxymoron – a virtual company manufacturing anything let alone a giant hunk of flying metal.

Apparently, it is true. And even more startling, Facebook will bean a satellite into space within the next few months. It is all part of Zuckerberg’s plan to bring internet service to every corner of the planet and to establish world domination.

Oops, sorry. The world domination part was supposed to be implied only. But it is difficult not to think in those terms when you attempt to digest some of the mind boggling statistics involved. 

Over 1.65 billion monthly active Facebook users worldwide
4.5 billion likes generated daily
Over 1 billion people log onto Facebook daily
Five new profiles are created every second.
Every 60 seconds on Facebook: 510 comments are posted, 293,000 statuses are updated, and 136,000 photos are uploaded

There are a least a dozen more equally dizzying statistics. Suffice to say, Facebook is the very definition of a juggernaut. Not convinced? Consider a few of the pillars in Facebook’s 10 year plan for world domination. (Sorry, it slipped out again.)

Social media meets virtual reality. Zuckerberg revealed revealed that his company is developing touch controllers to complement virtual reality headsets. Facebook, it seems, already owns one called Oculus Rift. Wait – wasn’t he the villain in a Spiderman move?

Aside: The techies who shelled out $595 to attend Zuckerberg’s F8 Developers Conference walked away with a free Samsung Gear VR virtual reality headset and a Samsung Smartphone to power it. Not quite up to Academy Award grab-bag standards, but still impressive.

Ever dreamed of having eyes in the back of your head? Dream no more. Facebook will introduce Facebook Surround – a high-end, open-source video camera employing a 17-camera setup and web-based software to get pictures in 360 degrees.

Yearning for the next generation of TV? Facebook is working to create light-weight apps which just might make television obsolete.

All of this is just the tip of the virtual iceberg. We often use the term The Sky is the Limit to describe people or things with boundless potential. We may have to rephrase the metaphor to make it work for Facebook: The Sky is Only the Beginning.

Facebook is leading the charge into the internet-dominated world of the future. It is no longer a question of whether Facebook’s explosive growth is a good thing or a bad thing. The only question remaining is: Are you tech savvy enough to scramble on board the new age bandwagon or will you be left behind spinning in the virtual vapour trail?

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of “Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel” – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog .

~ Subscribe to “Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make Me Go Hmmm” at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribing are provided in the “Subscribe to this Blog: How To” instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

Digital Immortality: Avatars Populated by Facebook and Twitter

Hmmm, is the eternal dream of immortality finally within reach?

It has fascinated human beings through the ages – the possibility that we might somehow slip free of the shackles of our mortal bodies and live forever. The concept may now have passed from fantasy, through science fiction and into the realm of technological probability.

It is not quite what mankind has yearned for throughout the centuries. But digital immortality may now be visible on the not-too-distant horizon.

Digital immortality refers to the theory that it will be possible to store or transfer your personality into some form of a computer entity and that this entity will be able to communicate with people in the future. Think James Cameron’s Avatar without the funky blue bodies with tails. It is within the realm of possibility that this avatar could continue to learn and develop autonomously.

So how many turns of the hourglass are we talking about before we can become robot/human hybrids? Would you believe 30 years from now? People who spend their time exploring and pondering this possibility (who arguably have way too much time on their hands) believe they may become immortal by the year 2045.

The basic idea is the development of technology to make a functional copy of a human brain which allows you to leave behind your physical body and live forever in digital nirvana.

Social media may be one of the enablers of this technology leap. Experts in the field conjecture that the unique self we put forward in social media platforms – photos we upload to Facebook, opinions we put out there in online forums and other life experiences we share on social media – could be the source for mind files that would help create an avatar.

If it all sounds too farfetched, here is some food for thought. Two U.S. universities have apparently been awarded a half-million dollar grant to study how artificial intelligence, archiving and computer imaging might be leveraged to create digital versions of real people.

Personally speaking, I am equivocal about the whole concept. While I am in no hurry to reach the end of my life, the idea of an existence with no outer limit is rather disconcerting. Where would the motivation come from to make the most of today? If there are endless todays lying ahead, what drives me to live with gusto today or tomorrow or the day after tomorrow?

It is often said that life is a journey. If we extend the metaphor, digital immortality transforms life into a never-ending journey on a digital road leading to a virtual paradise. Given the choice, I think I will leave my avatar unplugged, live out my days in the mortal shell I was given and learn to appreciate the blessings of mortality.

Parting thought. As I understand it, these digital avatars, powered by archives and artificial intelligence, would be internet-dependant. So what is to stop one avatar from hacking his digital brother and taking over his virtual life? Immortality, it seems, has its pitfalls too.

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of “Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel” – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog .

~ Subscribe to “Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make Me Go Hmmm” at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribing are provided in the “Subscribe to this Blog: How To” instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.