Ghost on the Shell: what do you think of the computing possibilities in ?

[JimJoe]

I have now watched all 3 movies and both seasons of the anime.

I know The Major has the ability to break into firewalls.

My question thoguh is: What do you think of the computing shown in the movies/anime ?

The Tachicomas ? The cyborg bodies ? etcetera ?

Thanks

 

[H2SO4]

I haven't had the pleasure of watching those movies but I expect he breaks into firewalls by doing something funky like a secret finger twirl, or he does a flying roundhouse kick while saying a magic phrase taught to him by an old man who used to walk around in a pair of yellow fishing waders, or he focuses real hard and a tachyon beam comes out of his left nostril and melts the firewall.

I still feel my dinner coming back up every time I think of "Hackers". If it wasn't for whatshername...

The problem is that nobody wants to watch a realistic depiction of security being compromised - middle-aged hero who's slightly balding and has a cholesterol level deemed a Short-Term Health Risk, spends years pouring over dusty ICMP books and firewall architecture diagrams, finally manages to briefly gain unauthorised access to some company's systems for 30 minutes before they reset the shared key thus cutting him off. Compelling viewing

 

[JimJoe]

Well, evidently that time and place, depicted in the movies, had to have back doors for the government in commercial programs. And the personal cyborg firewalls seemed to vary widely in quality. Some 'black market' mods. Some just plain junk. And I certainly wouldn't want to have to deal with the virtual experiences of a falsified memory.

But I was more interested in your and other folks take on putting a personality into a cyborg body. I can see being able to put a human brain into a cyborg body, but I don't see it functioning one placed. Let alone do all kinds of neat things. Seems to me it would take major scientific breakthroughs. The movies start off taking place in 2030 AD. I just don't see the events happening in other than an alternate universe/history time line any time soon.

With the changes in Artificial Intelligence I can see the tachicomas happening one day.

 

[Joan Archer]

I have now watched all 3 movies and both seasons of the anime.

I know The Major has the ability to break into firewalls.

My question thoguh is: What do you think of the computing shown in the movies/anime ?

The Tachicomas ? The cyborg bodies ? etcetera ?

Thanks

Well as I've never heard of any of it, doesn't the film name start with a capital letter ?

As I said I've no idea what any of the movies or seasons are about so can't answer your question unless you can explain just what sort of computing is shown in the movies.

 

[JimJoe]

Sure.

Accident victims, etc. can, in the movie, be placed in cyborg shells.

They basically look like a person, features, hand, arm movements, leg movements. The more expensive models are government only. Cost up to several millions of dollars, no exact price is mentioned, for one person to 'go cyborg'. But the majority of humanity cannot afford it.

A person who was in a plane wreck could be cyborged. Their brain and spinal column be put into a titatinum body, with servo motors, etc. allowing standard movement. Radio in the brain cavity of the shell, for connection to the internet. Face and lip movement for vocal communication. They have internal power sources, no details. Somehow a person's persnality, thoughts, etc. would be able to be placed into these cyborg shells. Such beings are considered people. Clones exist, but these are not considered cloning. Clones cannot inherit property nor money. A person's personality is considered the Ghost in the titanium shell. An AI robot can do many of the same things, but doesn't have a ghost/personality.

Other cyborg options are people who have life threatening illnesses, like heart problems. Or who have partiall cyborg elements, but the strain is so much on their human heart they go 'full cyborg'.

Does that give enough info ?

edit: Ah, the first 2 movies and the anime are in separate universes so to speak. One of the major characters doesn't show up in the anime and the third movie. The two seasons are the Anime episodes. They were shown on Adult Swim on Cartoon Network, probably other places as well.

 

[Joan Archer]

Oh you mean the "Six Million Dollar Man" used to like watching that

Your description sounds a bit far fetched to me and I can't see it happening, if it does I wont be around

 

[JimJoe]

I doubt I will be around either. Nor would I care to live in a world with such lousy firewalls. But it would certainly be 'lively' for those without enhancements.

 

[lordbob75]

The "personality" that is transffered comes from the BRAIN! All of our information, personality, memory, likes, dislikes, EVERYTHING is in our brain. Transfer that to a new body, and you keep everything but the body.

It is, in theory, possible. Right now? Hell NO! I sort of wish though.... I want a cool cyborg arm!!!!!

Anyways, the idea of how this works (and they have tested it, some of it will work with some tweaks): Nerve impulses from the brain control movement. These come from synapses fired in the brain, which sends the signals into the nervous system, down to the spine, and into the body. This is why when you break your spine(al cord) you are paralyzed. The idea is to hook into these impulses. Say your arm has to be amputated due to cancer or such. So now your arm is gone. Well, after they take it off, they put on a metal plate on the end, to do two things: cover the stump, and hold sockets. These sockets are attached to your nerves, and will plug into the new "arm". Then in the arm, the electrical pulses are deciphered, then transferred, encoded again, and sent to the mechanics in the digits/arm/wrist to move it.

While a whole cyborg body seems ridiculous, it might be entirely possible. In addition to above experaments, doctors have been testing a chip that is emplanted into the brain. So far, a paralyzed man can work a computer with it. Impressive, but very much in the toddler stage, if even that.

As for people being implanted in cyborg bodies, eh..... I don't know. Maybe. But it may not be something everyone would want.

The firewall part is just stupid. Cracking a firewall is like what H2SO4 said. I would watch that though.... LOL.

~Lordbob

 

[JimJoe]

I have seen a discovery science channel documentary on replacement arms and legs. Particularly for combat wounded people, along with the cancer patients you mentioned.

I realize much of this is still in the alpha test stage, if its even that far along.