[MURG] Re: various replies

[Joseph J. Strout]

At 2:07 PM -0400 10/26/04, Thomas Weber wrote:

>recorded. We can design a program which will analyze
>his music and pick the paterns and style. It will then
>project these patterns forward composing new Mozart's
>music. What happens in this case is his creative
>process continued even though he is gone for very
>long.
>As simple as it sounds I am tempted to argue that this
>will constitute an example of successful selective
>mind uploading.

For what it's worth, I emphatically disagree.  You're talking about 
creating a simulacrum, which is NOT the same thing as an upload.  An 
uploaded mind is functionally equivalent to the original; anything 
else is not an upload, but is at best a simulation.

>I visualize mind uploading as an opportunity for a
>major mind overhaul. When thinking of myself as an
>example I don't want my uploaded mind to be as close
>as possible to the original.

Suit yourself -- but please also keep such thoughts to yourself.  You 
may not realize how wacky that will sound to most people, but trust 
me, it does, and such sentiments could do more to cause mind 
uploading research to be delayed for decades than virtually anything 
else.

Mind uploading is a medical technology intended to save a patient's 
life when all other treatment options have been exhausted.  Period. 
We're not playing God, we're not trying to become superhuman, we're 
not geeks with no social life dreaming of being omnipotent.  We are 
well-adjusted, perfectly normal researchers with a desire to reduce 
human suffering, just like the other folks working on artificial 
hearts, cures for diabetes, and so on.

If there is anything useful this discussion group can do at this 
stage, it is to help the nascent uploading community internalize this 
reasonable, socially acceptable stance.  It may be difficult at 
first, because many of us here really are the types who read a lot of 
science fiction and dream about extreme types of self-improvement. 
But we live in a social world, and we need to understand and 
appreciate the attitudes of our society if we are to achieve our 
common goal.

Best,
- Joe

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