The opening scenes of Noah Hawley's "Alien: Earth" reveal that humankind will attempt to achieve immortality through these methods: cybernetically enhanced humans, artificial intelligence, and synthetic beings downloaded with human consciousnesses. The latter idea is explored thoroughly in the show, as the plot centers around the Prodigy corporation's experiments with putting people's minds into brand-new, synthetic bodies -- but what are the chances of this ever happening in real life?
"Alien: Earth"
features Hybrids, who are basically terminally ill children whose essences have been transferred into synthetic adult bodies. This results in a show in which grown-up performers act like young kids, which is quite strange and off-putting at times. Still, the series' peculiar technology and science raises some interesting questions about how far people are willing to go to save others from life-ending illnesses and -- more broadly speaking -- find a way to live forever.
Such a concept seems designed to only exist in the realm of science-fiction, right? Well, maybe not, as some experts haven't ruled out the possibility of Hybrid-like technology happening down the line -- so don't dismiss it as a bizarre creation that was only imagined for the ever-ambitious "Alien" franchise just yet.
Read more: The 5 Best Movies Inspired By Twilight Zone Episodes, Ranked
Alien: Earth's Science Is Currently Impossible, But It's Not Unfounded
The science in "Alien: Earth" might have sounded like a far-fetched concept years ago, but times are changing. Due to science and technology constantly advancing, some experts believe that the day will come when computers can store human consciousnesses -- it isn't the same as synthetic bodies, mind you, but it's a starting point. The topic isn't an uncommon conversation in academic communities either, and while the idea might be easy to dismiss as science-fiction, there may yet be something to it.
As documented by Psychology Today, transhumanism is a movement that supports the idea of using technology to enhance our capabilities, and it's connected to mind uploading, aka the process of transferring a copy of our brains into computers. As polarizing as the thought of mind uploading is, though, the likelihood of it materializing someday hasn't been ruled out by prominent and credible thinkers. However, most experts agree that neither our science nor technology is advanced enough yet to make mind uploading a reality.
What's more, in order for mind uploading to be effective -- and the ability to become immortal to work -- our brains would need to be stimulated and exposed to the outside world in order to function. For now, there is no way of telling if this will ever be possible for a brain that's locked inside a computer, as it won't be able to register all of the things that help our brains function -- tastes, smells, etc. At the same time, science has a history of surprising us, and each day might be one step closer to our reality becoming like that in "Alien: Earth."
New episodes of "Alien: Earth" debut Tuesdays on FX and Hulu.
If you're looking for the easiest way to keep up with all the major movie and TV news, why not sign up to our free newsletter?
Read the original article on SlashFilm.
