[ExI] VERY cool. Toward mind uploading?

[BillK]

On Sun, 8 Mar 2026 at 17:01, Ben Zaiboc via extropy-chat <
extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:

>
> Dros. /larva/ connectome??
> Where did it get that from? We're talking about an adult connectome.
>
> These are going to be very different things, I'd expect (seeing as the
> larva's structure is completely broken down and rebuilt during pupation,
> and the larval and adult forms have different sensory and motor equipment,
> their brains pretty much /have to/ be different).
>
> If this is a 'hallucination', and the article you provided is about the
> adult fly brain, this just reinforces my tendency to be highly skeptical of
> anything these LLMs say.
>
> Ben
> ______________________________________________
>



I told Gemini that the video referenced was wrong. Gemini thought about it
for 5 minutes (a long time or an AI!), then found the correct link and
revised the analysis. No significant changes, though.
BillK

Gemini AI 3.1 Pro Thinking -

Apologies for the error in the previous link. You are correct—the video I
referenced was not the intended one.

The correct research regarding the *Drosophila larva connectome* (published
in *Science* by Marta Zlatic and colleagues) is indeed the first time an
entire insect brain has been mapped at the synaptic level. This
breakthrough directly addresses the functionalist debate.
Discussion of Implications for the Three Objections:

Based on the actual findings of the 3,016-neuron and 548,000-synapse map,
here is a refined look at the implications:

*1. Emulations of brains aren't possible*

   -

   *Status:* *Strongly Challenged.* * *Discussion:* Previously, this
   objection relied on the "complexity gap"—the idea that biological brains
   involve non-computable processes or too many variables (like
   neurochemistry) to digitize. However, this project successfully mapped the
   "first complete wiring map". By moving from the nematode (*C. elegans*,
   ~300 neurons) to the fruit fly larva (~3,000 neurons), researchers have
   proven that the engineering is scalable. It shifts the debate from "Is it
   possible?" to "How long until we reach 86 billion neurons?"

*2. Emulations of brains aren't conscious*

   -

   *Status:* *Unfalsifiable / Weakened.*
   -

   *Discussion:* The map shows exactly how the brain converts sensory
   signals (smell, light) into complex behaviors (feeding, escaping). If a
   digital copy exhibits identical "purposive" behavior—fleeing from "pain" or
   seeking "food"—the functionalist argues there is no empirical reason to
   deny it a corresponding internal state. Critics must now point to a
   specific "missing" biological component that doesn't show up in behavior,
   which becomes increasingly difficult as the behavioral repertoire of the
   emulation expands.

*3. Emulations of brains are differently conscious*

   -

   *Status:* *Supported / Reinforced.*
   -

   *Discussion:* The research found that the fly brain uses "nested
   structures" and "recurrent neural networks" (feedback loops) that are
   remarkably similar to high-powered Artificial Intelligence. However, the
   digital version runs on discrete silicon cycles rather than continuous
   biological chemistry. This suggests that while the "logic" of consciousness
   might be the same, the *subjective experience* (the "texture" of its
   thoughts or its perception of time) would likely be fundamentally different
   from its biological counterpart because the underlying hardware dictates
   the "refresh rate" of its reality.

Recommended Video

*Wiring map reveals how larval fruit fly brain converts sensory signals to
movement <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQuNLWKSZMQ>*

This video discusses the details of the *Science* paper, explaining how the
3,016 neurons were mapped and how this "connectome" allows researchers to
predict signal flow for complex behaviors.

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