27 replies to this topic

[Colonel O'Neil]

With the creation of Virtual reality, I believe the world will change hugely. Imagine playing games like Mass Effect in a virtual universe, where you sit in a cafe in the Citadel observing the stars while sipping a drink. Or a virtual Skyrim, or a virtual Modern Warfare...

It wont matter if you are rich or poor, deaf or blind, ugly or prince charming. Why? Because in a virtual reality you can be whoever you want to be, wherever you want to be. I think this has rather sinister implications for society, despite how cool it is. Who will want to stay in reality, when they can be in their fantasy?

All current entertainment is in some way, shape or form escapism. That is to allow the reader or viewer to forget the outside world temporarily and be drawn in. Can you imagine the consequences of virtual reality? Where someone could be somebody so much cooler than in real life? And people would never get bored, since there would be no limit to what you could do. As technology is exponential by around 2500, there really WILL be no limit to what you can do. And thus the question remains: If people can have sex, command spaceships, shoot aliens, ride across Middle-Earth all in a virtual reality-who would want to stay in reality. Would you?

[Caiman]

I suspect that like drugs, there will probably have to be laws governing the use of ultra-realistic, fully immersive virtual reality because otherwise, who indeed is going to want to leave it?

[Roh234]

Well that would be the solution to boredrom.

[wjfox]

One of the downsides would be the use of "virtual torture". This would be millions of times worse than real-life torture.

[Shimmy]

One of the downsides would be the use of "virtual torture". This would be millions of times worse than real-life torture.

But on a positive note, millions of times more fun for the person doing the torturing.

[Zaphod]

When we start to use full immersion VR initially I think we'll recreate features of the real world and some fantasy (Middle Earth, Pandora etc.). But, if we upgrade the capabilities of our brains I think the scope of VR will become almost limitless that it'll be so far removed from reality that it should be called virtual 'fanatasy' instead of 'reality'. Perhaps we wont decide to take the form of a human and who says we have to use the 5 senses? VR could turn out to be more unpredictable and infinte than we could ever imagine.

[Immortal]

Maybe we could slow down time so that you play a game for two hours, but only two minutes have past in reality, This could lead to some sort of immortality.
But I don't think it's a good idea from my "human from 2012" point of view.

I just hope that Virtual reality will pop up soon.

[Time_Traveller]

It reminds me of a Sliders Episode called Virtual Slide where that world and it's population used Virtual Reality Googles and in the end it was a curse on them.

[Craven]

Maybe we could slow down time so that you play a game for two hours, but only two minutes have past in reality, This could lead to some sort of immortality.
But I don't think it's a good idea from my "human from 2012" point of view.

I think it's quite unlikery. Speed of thought is limited, because it uses chemical reactions, and their pace is way lower than electronics.

[wjfox]

I think it's quite unlikery. Speed of thought is limited, because it uses chemical reactions, and their pace is way lower than electronics.

Our current brains use chemical reactions. In the future we'll have cybernetic brains.

[Craven]

Oh by that time virtual reality will be easy stuff.

[shane_allen]

I think once we start reaching entirely cybernetic brains, the line between virtual and real will be hard to see and many will eventually live entirely virtual lives.
Also, those that don't will have to pay attention to what is happening "in" there. Many major events that effect the real world take place online already.

Edited by shane_allen, 10 January 2012 - 09:58 PM.

[Logically Irrational]

I think it's quite unlikery. Speed of thought is limited, because it uses chemical reactions, and their pace is way lower than electronics.

Our current brains use chemical reactions. In the future we'll have cybernetic brains.

I always wondered what would happen after this occurs and we start developing technology and science in the virtual world. The exponential progress would phenomenal. Imagine that the development of virtual reality improvements is exponential while the advancements enabled inside VR by those developments is exponential. Those logarithmic graphs would be pointng straight up in no time at all. Exponential progress of exponential progress within exponential progress which is developing exponentially.

Mooreception...

[stevo]

i would like to use VR to live in different time periods like the 20's, 50's, 70's & 90's or to work in the twin towers or take a cruise on the Titanic.

To Logically irrational, I don't think that mind uploading would work though since it wouldn't be ME. it would be a COPY of me.
that's the part that I don't trust

[truthiness]

Hm... if you tried mind uploading in order to enter some virtual fantasy world, and you succeeded in creating a copy of yourself in that world (but you still found yourself in the real world - disappointed), would you simply keep trying to upload yourself over and over again hoping to find yourself on the other side of that looking glass? After all, those other selves are still "you" - or at least they'd be "someyou". Sooner or later, wouldn't you be that you on the other side if you kept trying? If they aren't you, who are they?

Could you ever be the one in the computer? Someyou would be - why not you? Might as well just try it again until you're there - except there will always be one of you stuck on the outside, forever making digital copies. Kind of sad, really. Although, the "real" you could always interact with the copies in some kind of advanced VR, I suppose. That might be fun - not as fun as transcendent immortality in the Matrix paradise of the VR universe though.

[CyberMisterBeauty]

In virtual reality I would travel through the universe,would date virtual women who would be much more sexy and beautiful than real women ,I would have my apartment of my desire,create my own virtual world,complete redesign my appearance ,have violet eyes and have superhero and dragonball z superpowers and abilities ...

[shane_allen]

In virtual reality... I would have my apartment of my desire

Huh? In my wildest dreams I certainly don't have an apartment.

Forget that. I'd live in a cabin in the woods near a lake. There'd be a clearing with hills that are clouded with fog each morning. Afternoons spent hiking the mountain and making repairs on equipment. The sky would clear at eventide for the sunset and at night, all the stars would be visible.

You can live 300 miles south east of this place, in a high rise apartment with a laundromat on the first floor near all the noisy traffic. That's fine with me.

Edited by shane_allen, 19 February 2012 - 01:26 AM.

[Craven]

South Pole for me. Not a living human anywhere near.

[CyberMisterBeauty]

One of the downsides would be the use of "virtual torture". This would be millions of times worse than real-life torture.

What are you talking about?

[Raklian]

One of the downsides would be the use of "virtual torture". This would be millions of times worse than real-life torture.

What are you talking about?

Imagine a situation where you are plugged into VR and you just happen to check your messages in your virtual office - turns out that the message contains a very dangerous worm that instantly turns your office into a torture chamber where you are chained in a cold, metal chair. This same worm also subconsciously triggers your brain to prevent you from lifting your hands to take off the VR headset you're wearing. Also, it was unfortnate that you had to buy this expensive VR headset that allows you to feel pleasure or pain as you navigate the virtual scene.

And there is a shadowy figure in the chamber staring at a vast assortment of devices, trying to figure out which one to use on you that isn't even remotely possible in reality. Should I go on?

Edited by Raklian, 27 February 2012 - 08:43 PM.