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Peter Cochrane's Hard Drive 1998 Dying for digital posterity THE great libraries of the world house collections of old manuscripts, documents and books charting all aspects of human history. From the writings of Confucius to the works of Newton and Einstein, we rely on such collections to establish history, lines of thought and relationships. So what will happen in a digital future dominated by the screen rather than paper? When great and influential people die, will libraries accumulate their PCs, laptops and PDAs, or just the bits they hosted? Might it also be that we all get an opportunity to deposit our bits, our 15 megabytes of fame? In a digital world we can generate an infinity of copies indistinguishable from the original works. So we may no longer see individual pictures, animations, models, letters, manuscripts, books and documents preserved, priced and auctioned for millions of pounds, because nothing can be classed as an original. On the other hand, there are those who might relish the thought of owning the keyboard of Zafron Cochrane on which he conceived and created the design for the first warp drive, or that of the creator of the first matter transporter. Perhaps more likely will be the preservation of the machines used to decode the human genome, produce cures for cancer, intelligent drugs, nanobots and working brain maps. Will not future generations stand in awe of these artefacts, their crudity and the brilliance of human-machine endeavour in solving such key problems? I think and hope so. It would be sad indeed if we lost sight of our digital heritage. The library and museum may then give way to a networked interactive experience where we can trace the progress of key developments and inventions in the virtual company of those responsible. But what of the individual contributors? How will they ensure that their hardware and software finds their way to the shelves of posterity. So far we have become accustomed to the analogue funeral. Our bodies and belongings are ceremoniously disposed of with due respect and sadness among our friends and loved ones. But what of the digital funeral? No more tension about which sibling, relative or friend receives which bits, everyone can have everything. And as we become digitised, to be more bits than atoms, through the recording of all our thoughts and actions, perhaps they will be able to hold on to multiple copies. So in my codicil I think I will make several specific restrictions on the application of my bits after my demise. At a minimum, I will stipulate that my remaining bits may not be: (1) modified, altered, added to or detracted from in any way; (2) used in advertising or the selling of any idea or product; (3) used in support of any political, religious or military activity; (4) distorted to change the appearance, personality or decision processes of my artificial persona; (5) restricted in their availability for education, training, historical and any other beneficial applications; (6) duplicated in any way without due adherence to (1 - 5). I would also stipulate and encourage full access for my surviving family. Who knows, my life's experience and endeavour might even be of some amusement, use or support to future generations. Dying in the 21st century could be a tricky process. Peter Cochrane is BT Head of Research. Opinions expressed in this column are his personal views and should not be taken as reflecting BT policy or intent. Peter Cochrane holds the Collier Chair for the Public Understanding of Science & Technology at the University of Bristol. His home page is: |
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