[MURG] Re: various replies

[Thomas Weber]

 Thomas Weber:
> >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.
> 
Joe J. Strout:
> 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

Thomas:
I greatly appreciate your comment although my first
reaction was "What did I do wrong?". I don't think
that realizing one's limitations and aspiring to
improve is wacky, but I can perfectly see how "most
people" can see it this way. I see the progress of
this research more important than me or any individual
making his point, and will be somewhat more careful
expressing myself on the future postings.
There is however a problem that I am starting to see
over the years of following and occasionally
participating in MURG discussions. The whole research
is generally focused on brain scanning and brain
emulation, while practically negleting the
psychological aspect of it. The idea of the whole
brain scanning / emulation bypasses understanding and
demistification of the mind itself. In other words it
is like making photo copies of a text written in a
foreign language to be translated later. As long as
the copies are of good quality we cannot go wrong even
if we don't understand the text.
For the mind uploading research to be eventually
successful it must also cover the mind itself.
Otherwise it will be like paddling with one oar on one
side and going in circles.
What I would like to suggest at this point is to
establish a discussion complimentary to the current
MURG profile and oriented toward understanding the
mind and consciousness itself. Particularly welcome
would be those possesing advanced knowledge in
psychology as well as philosophers.

Kind Regards,
Thomas Weber

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