Memori: Immortalizing Your Thoughts and Memories

Present Day

When we die, everything fades away. Not only your life but your experiences, your ambitions, and most importantly, your memories. It’s one of the reasons why many people today support longevity science in the pursuit of indefinite life extension. But even then, we know it may not be enough. We may rage against the dying of the light, but as a precaution, we try immortalizing ourselves in various different ways – whether it’s by making a name for ourselves or, more radically (and more recently), by uploading our thoughts into what are known as mindfiles.

Which is where Memori comes into frame. Created by inventor and coder Nunzio Fiore, Memori is a relatively small box that has the capability of storing your thoughts, ideas, and even more intimately, your memories. Quite simply, it works by first associating your loved ones with specific objects – whether it be a seashell, a watch, etc. This object would then be used as a key to unlock Memori and begin storing personal information of yourself in relation to whom that object is associated with.

The information could be just about anything – from a simple conversation to a journey down memory lane. It would all be up to the user. And when that user passes away, their memories will forever live on via Memori and the objects needed to unlock its secrets. The catch, however, is that Fiore needs your help in finalizing the product and have it ready for production. To achieve this, he started a crowdfunding campaign via Kickstarter with a funding goal of $111,462. Though, as I’m told, Memori has already gained so much notoriety that certain undisclosed investors have already taken a contributable interest.

Near Future

Now, I know what you must be thinking: why this immortality-in-a-box? Why not immortality in an app or other more relevant objects and/or software? The reason for this is the fact that, even in the near future, five to ten years from now, the idea of apps and other thought-storing devices may not be as relevant as they are today. The pace of technological change is so rapid now that, when developing a device that is supposed to keep memories alive through the test of time, one shouldn’t become so invested in objects that’ll most certainly be replaced by something newer and more efficient in only a few short years.

Today, we’re already facing the possibility that our means of data storage via USBs and compact discs will soon go extinct and be replaced by what is known as DNA storage. To rely on third-party devices may be just as ineffective as relying on your own brain to remain alive and healthy. In fact, when I spoke to Nunzio Fiore, he informed me that:

FAR FUTURE

Thirty to fifty years from now, mindfiles like Memori will have become so advanced that the idea of simply storing one’s memories in a mere box would seem akin to using floppy discs today. Instead, the memories of our (then) deceased loved ones could come to life via advanced holography and mixed reality. Why have a text or audio-based conversation with the encoded memories of your deceased loved one when you can have them standing right in front of you at eye level?

By this time, mindfiles will unfold into our physical space – whether it be a person or an environment captured in time from when it was first recorded. We could witness history before our very eyes, taking place in sharp and intricate detail on our own living room floor. And during those most desperate and trialing times of our lives, our deceased loved ones could easily “come to life” via mindfiles as intelligent holographic imagery. With this, the death of a loved one will no longer be as lonesome or grueling as it is today.

Photo Credit: Nunzio Fiore