Spacetravel requires making an airtight container that can go really fast without breaking apart or hurting the people inside. Consciousness is a bit more complex than that, yes. We still don't actually know how the mind works - even I'm based off an already existing brain.

(Which isn't a thing she discusses much, but it is true. Though don't expect her to tell anything about whose brain - even if it weren't horrifying and unethical, her mother can be a bit of a sore topic.)

Also, the entities limit technology in the same way they limit everything else.