> Again, I think you're tacitly assuming that the VR world isn't every bit as real to the person experiencing it as the "real" world is.

What gave it away? Was it explicitly saying so two paragraphs further down? And noting that such an assumption would change my opinion on this matter? ;-P

I didn't think we were working with that assumption. If so, ok, but in that case I'll quibble with the prediction that we'll ever get that far. The human brain is SO keyed into the nuances of reality, but we never notice because we only notice things like that when they're wrong.

If we can't even manufacture a convincing sugar substitute, what makes you think we'll be able to convincingly recreate all of reality? Even to get one of the five senses right would be astonishing. To get all five of the major ones, PLUS those senses we don't quite recognize consciously but would if they were missing -- sensing things like the position of the body, the mood-changing qualities of sunlight, pheromones, etc -- would be beyond a miracle.

So, sure, if I am to assume that this, which will not occur, will occur, then yes, I can totally see this picture of virtual marriage becoming accurate for some. But it won't happen, so this picture of marriage won't happen either. Like Ferrick, I'm still waiting for my flying car.