The concept of extending human lifespan by downloading old brains into new bodies is a staple of science fiction. Elon Musk says it will one day be possible. #ElonMusk #sayshumans #couldeventually #downloadbrains Elon Musk has said many seemingly fantastic things. Case in point: The billionaire Tesla and SpaceX CEOs seem to believe that humans can finally achieve immortality by downloading their brains into robots. “I think it’s possible,” Musk, 50, recently told Insider. “Yes, we can download what we think makes us different. If you’re not in this body right now, it definitely makes a difference, but in terms of preserving our memories, our personalities, I think we can do it at this point.” According to Musk, this technology will be a gradual evolution of today’s form of computer memory. “Our memories are stored on our phones and computers along with pictures and videos,” he said. “Computers and telephones are expanding our ability to communicate, allowing us to do things that are thought to be magical…We’ve augmented our human brains with computers on a massive scale.” The concept of extending human life by downloading consciousness into a synthetic body has been a staple of science fiction for decades, with the 1964 science fiction Dune referring to such creatures as “cymeks.” Some experts now believe that “idea uploading” technology may one day actually be feasible — but the timeline is mind-boggling. In a 2019 Wall Street Journal article, Graziano, the Michael S.A. Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Princeton University, argued that uploading thoughts requires two technologies: artificial brains and human brain scans, “that can accurately measure how neurons interconnected to create this pattern.” able to replicate in an artificial brain. ” Graziano points out that making artificial brains is relatively easy. “But to upload the human brain, we’d probably need a scanner that couldn’t capture objects, and we’d need it to scan about 100 million times more detail,” he wrote. “The technology doesn’t exist yet. The wildest optimistic predictions are that uploads will happen in a few decades, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it takes centuries.” One of Musk’s current startups, Neuralink, is working on developing a “brain-computer interface” — in Musk’s own words — that could one day allow people to “back up your memory and restore it.” But Musk stressed in an interview with Insider that his company’s current goals are more immediate and practical. “Neuralink, in the short term, is all about addressing brain injuries, spinal injuries, etc.