X-Message-Number: 32911
References: <>
From: Gerald Monroe <>
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 2010 04:17:47 -0500
Subject: Re: CryoNet #32905 - #32910

--00163628377468996a0491ef41c7

The arguments against uploading assume that we would need a perfect
simulation of the physics of the human brain in order for the uploaded
entity to be intelligent and a reasonable facsimile of the uploaded
personality.  Nothing could be farther from the case.

It's a common misconception that because neuroscientists don't understand
many things about the human brain, therefore they know nothing of relevance
to this question.  Actually, we do know that the human brain is incredibly
noisy.  Neurons are unreliable and operate just barely above the noise
threshold for the environment of the axons.  Synthetic  and natural
compounds act as contaminants and can change the firing properties of
neurons yet the brain continues to operate, albeit with reduced performance.


What this means is a good enough simulation would not have to be
particularly accurate with respect to the firing threshold of individual
neurons.  Most subtle effects could probably be ignored or approximated, and
the overall entity would still work.  Of course, your simulation would still
need to simulate 100 billion neurons with an average of 7000 synapses each,
which would require a mountain of hardware using today's tech.  And there's
a lot of other features : the brain absolutely has to have a body, or an
excellent simulation of one, or it will not activate at all.

But wait, you say, I don't want to be a "good enough" computer simulation
because that wouldn't be me.  Perhaps, but even a "good enough" simulation
where you are able to access most of your memories and have
super-intelligence is far better than death.

--00163628377468996a0491ef41c7

 Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1

[ AUTOMATICALLY SKIPPING HTML ENCODING! ] 

Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=32911