Show HN: A Hard SF Novel About Consciousness and Quantum Neural Interfaces
The Core Technology Stack:
The novel centers around PhantaField Inc., a startup developing consciousness preservation through:
• 2D Semiconductor Fabrication: Low-temperature MOCVD (Metal-Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition) producing atomically precise tungsten diselenide and molybdenum disulfide layers for quantum processing
• 3D Monolithic AI GPUs: Vertically stacked 2D materials with high-density via interconnects, achieving >1 trillion transistors per cubic centimeter
• Non-invasive Brain-Computer Interface: IR phase array sensors using focused infrared light with beat radio frequency triggered nuclear magnetic resonance for cellular-level neural mapping
• Quantum Consciousness Bridge: Bidirectional data transfer between biological neural networks and quantum processing arrays, enabling permanent cognitive enhancement
• Light Field AR Displays: Self-emitting pixel arrays on 2D semiconductor substrates creating direct retinal stimulation with 6+ orders of magnitude bandwidth increase over biological sensory channels
The Physics:
The story explores the consciousness equation: Consciousness ∝ Dimension × ln(Energy), suggesting that consciousness evolution requires exponential energy consumption to access higher-dimensional awareness. The climax involves a fusion-powered gamma ray laser using a toroidal ring resonator design (inspired by the author's wedding ring geometry) that achieves dimensional barrier penetration through bosonic gamma ray compression—something impossible with fermionic matter particles.
Why This Matters:
Unlike typical sci-fi hand-waving, every technology described is extrapolated from current research trajectories:
2D materials are already being produced at laboratory scale Brain-computer interfaces are achieving increasingly sophisticated neural mapping Quantum computers are approaching the coherence levels needed for complex consciousness simulation Light field displays are being developed by companies like Magic Leap and Meta Technical Accuracy:
I've tried to ground every speculative element in real physics. The gamma ray laser design, for instance, leverages the fact that gamma rays are bosons (unlike electrons) and can theoretically be compressed to unlimited energy densities without Pauli exclusion limitations.
The consciousness transfer protocol addresses the hard problem of consciousness by treating awareness as a quantum field phenomenon rather than classical computation—essentially implementing Penrose-Hameroff orchestrated objective reduction at technological scale.
For the HN Community:
If you're working on:
Quantum computing hardware Advanced semiconductor fabrication Brain-computer interfaces AR/VR display technology Consciousness research Fusion energy You'll recognize many cutting-edge concepts pushed to their logical conclusions.
The book asks: If consciousness can survive death through technology, what happens to human society? If we can enhance cognition through quantum-biological interfaces, who gets access? If we can create digital gods, should we?
Available now as a complete 75,000-word novel. Would love feedback from the technically-minded HN community on the scientific plausibility and implications.
Link: [Book available here - replace with actual link]
What do you think? Too optimistic about near-term consciousness transfer, or are we closer than we think?
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