[extropy-chat] Wetware vs. Hardware (was IQ vs Upload)

[Dirk Bruere]

Keith Henson wrote:

> At 11:47 PM 14/06/05 +0100, you wrote:
>
>> The Avantguardian wrote:
>>
>>> --- Dirk Bruere <dirk at neopax.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Later, a colleague at Sheffield University became
>>>> aware of a young man with a larger than normal head.  He was 
>>>> referred to
>>>> Lorber even though it had not caused him any difficulty.  Although the
>>>> boy had an IQ of 126 and had a first class honours degree in 
>>>> mathematics,
>>>> he had "virtually no brain".  A noninvasive measurement of radio
>>>> density known as CAT scan showed the boy's skull was lined with a 
>>>> thin layer
>>>> of brain cells to a millimeter in thickness.  The rest of his skull 
>>>> was
>>>> filled with cerebrospinal fluid.  The young man continues a
>>>> normal life with the exception of his knowledge that he has no brain.
>>>>
>>> I stand corrected. Obviously there is more to the
>>> brain percentage debate than meets the eye. Thanks for
>>> this new tidbit of info. I am not sure exactly what to
>>> make of it. The MD at the desk next to me is somewhat
>>> amazed as well. This is definately NOT what they teach
>>> in medical school and neuroscience class.
>>>
>> Well, if you're going to take it seriously I suggest you dig for real 
>> references.
>> If it's true it implies that AI might be simpler than we expect, at 
>> least in terms of computational requirements.
>
>
> I remember looking into this when it was reported.  At the time I 
> remarked how the surface area of his brain seems to be the important 
> parameter.
>
> This is consistent with William Calvin's analysis that the hexagonal 
> spaced cortical column is the "element of computation" in brains.  I 
> ran a computation--which is probably can be found if someone 
> looks--assuming that each of these columns could be modeled and 
> connected to its neighbors by a 1 cm square silicon processor.  I seem 
> to remember it was something like 150 meters on a side square of 
> processors to simulate a human brain this way.
>
ie 22500 sq metres.
Given Moore's Law and 25yrs that reduces to about 0.3 sq metres, or a 
chip approx 60cm on edge.
Or something rather more compact if we use wafer scale integration and 
stacking.

-- 
Dirk

The Consensus:-
The political party for the new millenium
http://www.theconsensus.org



-- 
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.
Version: 7.0.323 / Virus Database: 267.7.10/24 - Release Date: 21/06/2005