Hey guys, have you heard the latest mind-blowing news from the real world?
On March 6, 2026, a startup named Eon Systems fully emulated the brain of a fruit fly (125,000 neurons and 50 million synapses!) and uploaded it into a digitally simulated body. The most insane part? This uploaded connectome started moving and cleaning itself completely on its own, without a single line of code telling it how to move. It’s just biological wiring running on a computer.
And back in 2024, Harvard and Google mapped a single cubic millimeter of a human brain, revealing 57,000 neurons and 150 million synapses with previously unknown connections.
"What does this have to do with Detroit: Become Human?" you might ask.
Well, I’ve been diving deep into real neurobiology and connectomics articles lately. I’m writing an AU right now. And if I’m writing a sci-fi story, I want it to feel realistic, grounded, and scientifically fascinating, rather than just using generic tropes.
For those who are new here, the core concept of my "Cole Anderson Lives" AU revolves around this exact premise.
In this timeline, after the tragic accident, Elijah Kamski (acting like a modern-day Frankenstein playing God) uses experimental CyberLife tech to fully scan and digitalize Cole Anderson's brain.
Later, this uploaded human consciousness is placed into a prototype chassis — the one that will eventually become Connor.
This brings me to some philosophical questions that l've been thinking about while working on this AU, and I would absolutely love to hear your thoughts in the comments:
Is it still him? If a digital entity remembers everything Cole remembered, thinks like Cole, behaves like Cole, and reacts exactly how Cole would react in any given situation... is it still Cole Anderson, or just a flawless simulation?
What defines a "soul"? We still haven't fully mapped or understood the human brain. Does the soul lie within the biological tissue, or is it the pattern of our memories and choices?
The answer probably depends on whether you view the world through a materialist lens or a spiritual one, and that's exactly what makes this conflict so intense for the characters in the story.
What do you think about this direction for the dbh? Let's discuss!
P.S. To catch your eye, here is the pencil sketch I made before painting the canvas piece I posted recently. It captures the same raw feeling of Cole's inner duality.
