[ExI] [Extropolis] Crosspost

[Keith Henson]

On Fri, Apr 18, 2025 at 11:18 AM John Clark <johnkclark at gmail.com> wrote:
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> On Fri, Apr 18, 2025 at 2:02 PM Keith Henson <hkeithhenson at gmail.com> wrote:
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>> > I don't have the slightest interest in a destructive brain scan.
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> There's no disputing matters of taste. As for me I'd prefer a destructive scanning that didn't corrupt information over a non-destructive scanning that did.

You might convince me that destructive scanning preserves information
better than non-destructive scan.  Can you make such a case?
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>> > There is no reason I can see why all the structures in a brain could not be
>> mapped out by infiltrating it with nanomachines.
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> That might be possible but it would be slower, harder and more expensive than a destructive scan,

I am curious why you would be concerned about slower.  As to harder,
it's not like humans would be doing this, as long as it is automated,
who cares about harder or expensive?

BTW, have you ever seen a destructive scan of a brain?  The one I know
a little about uses a vibrating diamond knife and slices off the
(mouse) brain while collecting data. It is not fast, and if anything
goes wrong, you lose the data.  Presumably advanced technology would
do better but between slicing and infiltration, I can't say which
would be faster, not that speed matters.  But if you don't have to,
destroying the original is a poor archive procedure.

we are both ALCOR clients and if we're lucky enough to be revived I
don't think we will have much say about how it was done.

You can write specifications into your contract.  One Alcor patient
is/was blind.  He specified that he is not to be revived until the
procedure can give him sight.

But you are essentially correct.

Keith

>   John K Clark    See what's on my new list at  Extropolis
> mt4
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>> > More cell damage occurs during the thawing process than the freezing process, and if ASC chemical fixation is used there is no brain shrinkage and the synaptic connection information is preserved; we know this because beautiful electron microscopic pictures have been taken of brain cells preserved in this way. Then the frozen brain could be disassembled from the outside in, one very thin layer at a time, and the information about where and how strong all the synaptic connections in that layer could be recorded, and then work could start on the next layer and you keep going until there is nothing left of the brain.  After all the information in all 10^14 synapses have been recorded that information is later translated into electronics and the uploading has been completed.
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>> > OK OK I admit the above scenario may seem like a crazy fantasy but it should be remembered that, unlike perpetual motion or faster than light spaceships or traveling to the past, it does NOT need to invoke new science to become a reality, all it needs is improved engineering.
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>> >> > I also doubt that ET beings create mega-structures or planet sized computers or brains.
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>> > I too think ET is very unlikely.
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>> >> > If it does happen it might be in one out of a trillion galaxies. It will not be done by us. I suspect we will be off the Darwinian game table in the rather near future.
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>> > I very much doubt biological humans will still be around a century from now and perhaps not a decade from now, but I have some hope that Mr. Jupiter Brain will have at least a little affection for us, after all He wouldn't exist except for us, so maybe He will give us access to a small (by His standards) server so that a few billion uploads can be run in a pleasant virtual world.
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