[extropy-chat] Cryonics questions and uploading

[Robert Bradbury]

On 5/9/06, Anne-Marie Taylor <femmechakra at yahoo.ca> wrote:
>
> So the brain has mind instances (information, remembering feelings,
> experiences, remembered sensations..... in a moment in space and time...)
> And the brain is the matter that directs all these mind instances.
> Am I understanding this properly?
>

We are getting into fine semantic differences, but I would prefer to think
of the "brain" as the foundation upon which the minds (houses) are built.
(Obviously one can build many different styles of houses on top of the same
foundation).

Cryonic reanimation may occur in the futur by "Waking up the mind" from a
> frozen state. Does cryonics also consider the posibility of removing the
> brain matter and transfering to a new body? (Brain transplant).
>

Most people of the cryonics persuasion would allow that both possible paths
can exist.  One evolved largely out of consideration of what biology and
perhaps computer technology may be able to accomplish.  The other evolved
out of determining the impact that microelectronics and computer science may
have.  Its only been over the last 5-10 years, primarily on this list and
perhaps the sci.cryonics list that an understanding of the probable
convergence of the two paths has developed.

The "brain transplant" approach largely developed out of the realization
that one could produce a body "clone" and transplant the brain (mind).
Alternatively one could transplant the brain into a completely different
body).  The only significant barrier to performing brain transplants *today*
from say an 80 year old body into a 20 year old body is the current
inability to reconnecting neurons from the lower brain to the spinal cord.
The recognition that brain transplants into younger or cloned bodies is or
will be feasible is a key reason why there has been some shift from freezing
entire bodies to freezing only heads when suspending an individual.  [This
is because the cost of suspending and maintaining a head is ~25% of the
whole body cost.]


> Uploading is taking mind instances and transfering them to a computer.
>
I'm assuming this is what i'm doing right now.  Typing and transfering into
> a computer. I would assume, in the futur, this would be done very
> differently. What is the general opinion on how this process will occur?
>

As it is little discussed there are only a few suggested approaches.  One
involves micro-scanning of your brain using NMR or similar technology.
Another involves disassembling and reading out the information content of
the brain using methods similar to those found in electron microscopy or
atomic force microscopy.  A third involves using nanorobots to map the
complete structure of the brain and provide information taps or complete
information status.  There are at least 3 general paths, and perhaps more,
which would satisfy the information readout for most people.

Won't this only just create a super-computer?
>

Your brain is *already* a supercomputer.  It is roughly the equivalent of
perhaps a few thousand Playstation 3s (which havent even been produced in
large numbers yet).

Robert
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