What is Real?

Ah, the old brain in a vat problem. The most famous modern illustration of this scenario is a movie called the matrix.

By the year 2020 to 2030 we might see technology that allows computers to interact directly with our brains. We could 'download' knowledge, surf the web in a completely immersive environment with all our senses and interact with others.

Is what happens in a virtual world real? Are affairs in a virtual enviroment wrong? Is killing, stealing, or otherwise inapropriate behavior wrong in a virtual world? We already enjoy these things and more through video games, movies and books. In, fact we even prefer these things to be present lest the experience get boring.

What happens when the quality of experience is the same between the virtual and real world? Will people abandon 'real' life so they can have almost unlimited power in the virtual world? Imagine being able to fly, be invisible, teleport, change your appearance to what ever you want, create entire worlds. The possibilities are endless.

Who could resist such an offer? And if we all decided to live there would it be 'real'?