X-Message-Number: 9176
From: Thomas Donaldson <>
Subject: Re: CryoNet #9173 - #9175
Date: Wed, 18 Feb 1998 11:09:35 -0800 (PST)

Hi again!

A final brief addendum re. Strout's ideas: 

First of all, given that various neurons or parts of neurons will have been
displaced, we will almost certainly need to know chemical composition of 
synapses in order to identify which is which. So I doubt very much that we
can put together a healed nervous system, either from the existing brain
or by uploading, without knowledge of the chemistry too. A simple knowledge
of locations would work fine in an undamaged brain --- but these by definition
are damaged... and displaced from their normal locations. 

To be fair, we want to know a lot more than we do now not only about healthy
brain but also about the pattern of damage shown by brain damaged by cryonics
treatment. So Strout may argue that when we know that we won't need to know
about chemistry too.

I still do not understand why nanodevices for repair here seem to impossible.
After all, we already have some in our own bodies, and it does not seem to me
to be a big leap (intellectually!) to propose modifications and even entire
repair systems based on modifications which would simply control the trophic
growth of neurons, when needed. (I'm referring to lymphocytes etc). Once
we know just what the connectious OUGHT TO BE, at the small scale in which
particular personal memories exist, then it seems to me to be a small step 
toward devices able to restore those connections. Nor must these systems
work at normal temperatures: they might easily work at temperatures low
enough that our body systems will do nothing in the time for repair, and
even (with more elaboration) at subzero temperatures, using a nonwater
solvent.

I am glad that Mr. Strout thinks it is not NECESSARY that we use some kind
of uploading for repair. (I would go as far as to say that we may use a 
computer to work out the way the connections should be restored --- a kind
of uploading, but not into another brain). It was his apparent belief that
it was NECESSARY that set me off, and if that was my mistake I apologize 
for it.

			Best and long long life,

				Thomas Donaldson

PS: Frankly I think that speculations about means for repair remain very
useful and not boring at all. Years before the name "nanotechnology" existed
I and others had been thinking about how to do repair, and some of our ideas
found their way into Drexler's book ENGINES OF CREATION. Among other uses,
they can help us work out just what we need to know for repair (ie. raise
scientific questions we can answer by experiment). But we still should not
forget that they are speculations.

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