[MURG] Uploading via memory implants?

[Eric Zilli]

On Mon, 29 Nov 2004 15:36:39 -0500 (EST), Thomas Weber
<aad1trailmaker at yahoo.ca> wrote:
> Thomas: Yes I agree, we would be missing the entire
> volume, but we would have access to a large section of
> the surface. And the surface is where some the brain
> activities can be intercepted. Also anylysing only the
> top one of the six layers of the cortex alone can be
> non invadive to the brain tissue. The scull would
> still have to be opened to gain access to the cortex.
> I guess it could be called semi - invadive.
> 

Actually the top layer of cortex won't tell you much at all. If you
drop down to layers II and III, you get some of the internal
processing of cortex (the inputs come in layer IV and the outputs of
the process, which are probably what you're most interested in, are
down in layers V and VI). Of the three (inputs, internal data, and
outputs), the activity you'd record from superficial in cortex is the
least interesting from a mind-uploading perspective (from a purely
scientific perspective, the data is would be quite useful or at least
interesting).

> Thomas:
> That's exactly what I thought would happen! You could
> record really detailed activity patterns!
> I am very intrigued, because I believe in mind
> uploading as a transfer of constructive activity from
> the brain to an electronic system - computer.
> 

No matter how detailed the activity pattern you record, it still
wouldn't be enough. It's like making a copy of a painting using only
highly detailed measurements of its edges.

> Such a gradual tranfer could be conducted via
> accessible part of the brain - in our case 50% of the
> brain surface.
> 

I don't think anyone doubts that you could make a transfer from these
parts of the brain, but there's just too much data that would be
missed doing this to actually call the result a mind upload.

-- 
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