[MURG] Cortex activty

[Eugen Leitl]

On Wed, Sep 24, 2003 at 10:31:59AM -0700, digfarenough wrote:
> I'll have to give those that you suggested a look...
> I considered writing the same thing you did, mind uploading's 
> "nanosystems," but the problem is that the situation is quite 
> different.. with nanosystems all the physics was already there, 
> it just had to be applied to this new idea
> with uploading on the other hand, you'd have to know a *lot* 
> about how the brain works to be able to offer the same kind 
> of proof of concept that nanosystems does and there are many 

The proof of concept is already there: computational neuroscience
and computational physics/chemistry in general. However, we don't
know the exact shape of the hardware and coding which will occur
after parameter extraction and multiple redesign iteration steps.

It's also not necessary, a conventional massively parallel system
simulating a simple critter at a low level of theory would do as
a demo.

> more philosophical issues to consider.. but I think perhaps 
> there's enough information currently known to take care of a 
> second effect that drexler had, that is, inspiring a wave of 
> new researchers to tackle the problem

You're painting a very favourable picture of what happened.
The mainstream greatly resented the way Drexler publicised his
vision, which lead to them actively ignoring it. Only recently
I've seen solid new mainstream work citing Drexler.

>  -Eric
>  
> 
> "Joseph J. Strout" <joe at strout.net> wrote:
> At 8:11 AM -0700 9/23/03, digfarenough wrote:
> 
> >I'm trying to think of a web resource about neuroscience specific to 
> >the details of mind uploading, but I can't think of one offhand. 
> >Does anyone on the list know of a good one? I'd be tempted to write 
> >one if no recent one exists...
> 
> I don't know of anything recent. 
> was written when I was a 
> neuro grad student, but that was quite a few years ago; it's rather 
> short on detail and some of the info may be a little outdated now. 
> However, there are some slightly more recent pieces in the References 
> section.
> 
> Also years ago, I started a book on the topic, that was intended to 
> lay it all out in great detail (something like Nanosystems did for 
> nanotechnology). I got as far as an outline and the first several 
> chapters written before running out of time and ambition (for that 
> particular project). Perhaps I should dig up what I had and post it 
> somewhere.
> 
> Finally, I note that if you're going to write some material on the 
> neuroscience aspects of mind uploading, 
> would be the ideal place to put it. 
> That's the web site that's associated with this group, and it's 
> intended to be a central repository of scientific information related 
> to the topic.
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