[MURG] Future of MURG (re Joe)

[Joseph J. Strout]

At 1:20 AM -0500 11/6/03, Yan King Yin wrote:

>I agree the scanning is of fundamental importance. But you don't
>seem to be very interested in working towards whole brain emulation
>and the basic neuroscience involved.

Not true.  But there is a lot of work being done on that already, and 
it's proceeding very nicely given the tools that exist.  It could 
proceed much faster if automated sectioning were developed, allowing 
researchers to correlate the detailed ultrastructure with various 
experimental conditions.

>  My point is that the whole
>package of functionally equivalent neuroprosthesis would be MUCH
>more profitable than all other intermediate subgoals.

I don't believe that any such thing is possible.  So, to me, it's 
like saying that if we had magic pixie dust, it would be way more 
valuable than anything else.  Perhaps true, but irrelevant.

>Exactly, most investors won't invest in scanners, even though
>that technology will make a lot of other things possible. Those
>other things are remote in the future. So I'm saying we find a
>way to give researchers tokens for their work such that, when
>those clinical applications becomes feasible, they will be
>financially rewarded.

This is not how science works.  You are describing some alternate 
universe, perhaps.  In our universe, scientists can conduct basic 
research based on government and foundation (e.g. Howard Huges 
Medical Institute) grants.  All you need is a good workable plan and 
some credentials.  And if your work is at all related to medicine or 
neuroscience, there is a LOT of money available.  This will become 
even more true as the baby-boomer generation ages.

The trouble with the automated scanning is that, as Eugene pointed 
out, it's more engineering than science.  And that is harder to fund. 
Not impossible -- developing new tools and techniques is considered 
valid basic research, but it does tend to favor things that can be 
developed in small steps.  Automated scanning can be developed that 
way; it will just take a bit of patience.

>  The way this will work, we only need to
>convince researchers to invest in these tokens first, and then
>the professional investors will handle the rest when this thing
>grows.

Professional investors are irrelevant.  The sources of money are the 
government and granting foundations.

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