The title and blurb for this documentary led me to believe that it would be about legitimate scientific efforts to capture or download human consciousness and preserve it in some sort of artificial vessel such as an advanced computer. The promotional materials suggest that we're close to some kind of breakthrough that would enable this, and that "artificial immortality" is not only a real possibility, but just around the corner.
But there's almost nothing about that, here. I'm assuming that's because downloading the mind or even just understanding what it is is still just a fuzzy dream. Science really has no explanation for what consciousness is, how it is created, or even how thoughts and memories are generated. So I assume that the filmmakers couldn't find (or perhaps didn't look for?) anyone trying to honestly tackle these basic questions, which we will have to answer before we can achieve anything even approaching the artificial immortality promised in the title.
Instead of offering any theories as to how downloading or running the mind on some sort of electronic platform might be accomplished, what we get is a documentary about some primitive efforts to simulate a couple of individual human personalities by recording and analyzing their personal photos, videos and spoken memories--which is a far cry from downloading a human mind or in any way achieving immortality.
And that's the documentary at its best. Much of it is actually home movies of the director's children or her demented father accompanied by some rather obvious, semi-poetic observations about the fleeting and ephemeral nature of intelligence and personality. That much, I think we already knew. These musings would be fine if they were just the springboard for an honest investigation into the mysteries of consciousness, thinking and memory, but they aren't a substitute for it.
I kept waiting for the documentary to get to the real meat of its story. But it all played like a big stall, as if the filmmakers were trying to run out the clock before the viewer noticed they weren't even close to addressing the subject suggested by its title.
Even with all the filler, it's still a pretty short documentary. They didn't even make it to the 90-minute mark--which should have been pretty easy for a subject this rich and interesting.
But there's almost nothing about that, here. I'm assuming that's because downloading the mind or even just understanding what it is is still just a fuzzy dream. Science really has no explanation for what consciousness is, how it is created, or even how thoughts and memories are generated. So I assume that the filmmakers couldn't find (or perhaps didn't look for?) anyone trying to honestly tackle these basic questions, which we will have to answer before we can achieve anything even approaching the artificial immortality promised in the title.
Instead of offering any theories as to how downloading or running the mind on some sort of electronic platform might be accomplished, what we get is a documentary about some primitive efforts to simulate a couple of individual human personalities by recording and analyzing their personal photos, videos and spoken memories--which is a far cry from downloading a human mind or in any way achieving immortality.
And that's the documentary at its best. Much of it is actually home movies of the director's children or her demented father accompanied by some rather obvious, semi-poetic observations about the fleeting and ephemeral nature of intelligence and personality. That much, I think we already knew. These musings would be fine if they were just the springboard for an honest investigation into the mysteries of consciousness, thinking and memory, but they aren't a substitute for it.
I kept waiting for the documentary to get to the real meat of its story. But it all played like a big stall, as if the filmmakers were trying to run out the clock before the viewer noticed they weren't even close to addressing the subject suggested by its title.
Even with all the filler, it's still a pretty short documentary. They didn't even make it to the 90-minute mark--which should have been pretty easy for a subject this rich and interesting.