Catie Donnelly

Part 1: On the Coalescence of Consciousness

Take as an example the modern computer.

A computer's operation, though sophisticated, can still be broken down fully into nothing but a series of ones and zeros. In fact, digital data is often represented visually as these digits flowing through some sort of pipe or tube. However, this imagery isn't exactly accurate; the metaphor of the pipe implies that data flows freely and steadily, that it moves through the system largely intact, when the truth of the matter is that each bit is being expelled and immediately consumed, expelled and consumed, over and over as it moves through the system. A better illustration than the pipe might be ones and zeros moving through a human centipede, though that would of course be much more gross.

In fact, the real heroes of the digital age are not the ones or the zeros, but the tiny devices that consume and alter the data as it moves about. These devices, called logic gates, take one or two bits as input and emit a single bit of output. They can perform only the the smallest task, but those tasks are the foundation of all the incredible digital things that we do today. Self driving cars, targeted marketing, and the latest and greatest video games can all be physically reduced down to a bunch of tiny, nearly useless gates that pass energy back and forth.

Now take as an example the human brain.

The human brain is provably more complex than the modern computer; its abilities far exceed computers on imaging, on data processing, on pattern recognition, etc. It is a magnificent phenomenon. But even the human brain can itself still be broken down, physically, into nothing more than a collection of cells.

The heavy lifters of these cells, the neurons, enable our thoughts and movements, and they do so simply by consuming and expelling electrical impulses back and forth. Though they are somewhat more complex (and in fact, we still don't entirely know how they work), they are essentially nothing more than biological logic gates. So then, what distinguishes a brain, and by extension a human mind, from a handheld computer that mimics a human voice but is really only good for texting and Sailor Moon Drops? It's consciousness. Sentience. The ability to experience the world subjectively, through the lens of emotion. The ability to evolve differently from those with whom you used to be identical. And seemingly the only factor in the development of that sentience is the complexity of a machine's logic gates on the physical plane.

Now take as an example the universe.

You might see where I'm going with this. If the lower limit of complexity in order to attain sentience is somewhere between a digital logic gate and a human neuron, then what of the entity that is comprised of atoms, which are unfathomable in number and transmit energy every time they come into contact with another of their kind? What kind of complexity is represented if a device can receive not just one or two inputs, or even a handful, but an infinite number of inputs approaching from all directions? If it has the computational power to know, based on these infinite factors, exactly and immediately what direction to move in next, thus determining which other devices it can collide with and provide input for?

A machine comprised of these sophisticated gates, all packed in together, colliding and colliding across a distance so expansive it may as well be considered infinite, would surely be capable of supporting sentience on a scale that the human brain could never even hope to comprehend.

What could we even call that but God?

Excerpts from the FAQ

Let's just get some shit out of the way right now.

What happens when I die?

What is death but a failure of our physical form to maintain our consciousness? When your soul is released from your human form, that is but the end of your ability to make changes in the universe. However, your energy and your atoms still exist. The choices you made in your life are still resonating across space and time, and everything you've learned is not lost, simply returned to the greater consciousness.

Is there anything I can't eat? 

The short answer is nah dude, go nuts. But the reverse is also true: you can choose not to eat anything you want. If, in order to fight a battle that matters to you, you need to consume or abstain from some food, that decision is valid. Simply make it with thought and care.

Can I say swear words?

I feel like if you're still asking this type of question you're maybe not getting the point of this whole thing. Sound is just a way to transmit energy. You can say whatever you want. You can do literally anything you want. Just think about how it accomplishes your goals. No one is going to stop you from using slurs, no great cosmic being is going to punish you. There is no hell. If you want to put cruelty into the world, and make the universe a darker place, you are within your rights, though you must be prepared for the earthly consequences. Make any decision you want as long as you're willing to stand behind it.

Full disclosure, how high are you right now?