[MURG] Uploading via memory implants?

[Eric Zilli]

 Well, as you said, you'd miss a lot of data from neurons in the
various sulci (and as at least some of those are functionally distinct
from regions on the gyri, there would be parts of the mind you'd
simply miss)
There's also the problem of the laminar organization of cortex: there
are 6 layers, each of which probably has separate functional roles.
Sticking an electrode into the deep layers kills the cells above it,
and even if they weren't killed you wouldn't be getting any recording
from them. Additionally, the probes in the electrode array would be
quite far apart, from the point of view of neurons, thus many would be
missed in the areas between probes (if you try to make the electrodes
closer to compensate, you end up killing even more superficial cells
because you're jamming a larger volume into the same area).

That all said: I think such a system would provide a wealth of
scientific data with high temporal and spatial specificity, but likely
not nearly enough to recreate the mind. An attempt to use this method
of uploading would probably create a mind similar to that which would
result from a massive stroke: relative to the original, biological
brain, you'd have massive cell loss and probably a comatose mind. Even
if you found a way to get around that, without the limbic system the
mind would be unable to make long-term memories (no hippocampus) or
express emotions (no amygdala) or even perform motor tasks (no basal
ganglia).

> Thomas Weber:
> Hi Eric,
> A year or so ago we had discussed a possibility of
> building a brain - computer interface. What I imagined
> that time was an electrode array just as ilustrated on
> www.cyberkineticsinc.com. It is called
> Acute Multi Electrode Array. I agree with you that as
> small as it is shown it would handle only a small
> insufficient percentage of neurons. My question to you
> is what do you think would happen if an electrode
> array was built to cover almost the entire cortex like
> a beret? That time your objection was that the folded
> in sections of the brain surface would be missed.
> That would still leave some 50% of the cortex in
> contact with the electrode array. Suppose we also had
> a computer system capable to receive and process the
> information from the electrode array.
> What do you think would happen if a person was wired
> like that?
> 
> Kind Regards,
> Thomas
> 
> 

-- 
Eric Zilli
Hasselmo Lab - Computational Neurophysiology
Center for Memory and Brain
Boston University
2 Cummington St.
Boston MA, 02215
digfarenough at gmail.com -- www.digfarenough.com