The Eternal Mind story
Dying scientist John Baldwin becomes the first human subject of a test that merges man and machine. The results of this action, unfortunately, bring John unexpected heartaches. Directed by: J. Michael Riva. Story by: Julie Moskowitz & Gary Stephens.
9 total · 2 choice · 5 major · 2 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| mind uploading | choice | John uploaded the contents of his mind to a computer before expiring from an unspecified illness. The story explores how the uploaded version of John was unhappy because it could only experience the world from a cold, analytic point of view. |
| romantic love | choice | John and Katherine were in a loving marriage. Each proclaimed their love for the other. The story concluded with John's uploaded mind expressing its love for Katherine before being permanently deleted in accordance with its wishes. |
| AI rights | major | The artificial John extolled Kathrine to delete him. She was prevented from doing so by Ben, but then went behind his back and did it anyway. The question is therefore raised: Did artificial John have the right to decide over his own fate, or did Ben have the right to keep him in a presumably tortuous existence for the benefit of the research lab. |
| coping with a terminal illness | major | John was dying of an unspecified illness. Before passing away, he uploaded the contents of his mind to a computer to leave something of himself behind for his wife, Katherine. |
| digital clone of a person | major | John uploaded the contents of his mind to a computer. |
| husband and wife | major | Being not long for this earth, John uploaded his mind to a computer to leave something of himself behind for his wife, Katherine. The outcome, however, led only to heartache for the couple. |
| suicide | major | John could no longer stand his torturous existence inside the computer. He urged for Katherine to pull the plug on him, and she obliged. |
| memory recorder | minor | John and his team of scientists successfully rendered some early memories of their chimp subject on a video monitor. |
| risk taking vs. playing it safe | minor | The scientists weighed the pros and cons of allowing John to be the first human test subject of their mind uploading machine before demonstrating its safety in animal testing. |