[Z-man]

Been thinking about this concept since even before Caprica:

It looks like even though the real human Zoe is dead, the consciousness of her has been transplanted into a computer. And it looks like she has a mechanical body as well.

So is Zoe still in existence? To her dad, in a very real sense, yes, if you consider existence to be all about thoughts and cosciousness. So that would imply that someone can live forever, as long as they are able to 'download' their consiousness to another computer/mechanical device before their current computer/mechanical device expires.

However, since the 'new' AI Zoe is simply a copy of ALL of Zoe's thoughts, then the real Zoe is gone. Though her thoughts have been captured in a computer, the real Zoe is dead. (Side note - if her brain were actually transplanted into a cylon -- that would be a different story.)

Thus, for the person (Zoe), life has ceased. But for those around Zoe, she still continues to be - and develop.

Applied to the 'real world:' If such a thing were possible (transplanting my thoghts and consciousness into a machine), then to others it may look like I am still around, but if the true me were to cease to exist, to ME, I am dead and onto what lies beyond this world, this existence. Thus, immortality cannot happen - death is inevitable.

On a side note -- one thing I did not understand in last week's episode is who the computer Zoe 'knew' the real Zoe died. Why did she get all bloody? How was that connection established between the VR world and the real world.

Discuss....
-Z-man.