Bretton wrote
>It's a dream for many transhumanists :-) and I reckon it will be
possible to the extent that external observers can no longer tell the
difference, even if the copied mind itself new it wasn't the original.[1]
>A more interesting question is:
Can you reconstruct one?
>Assuming you had enough prior knowledge of (relevant) starting
conditions, would the simulation give rise to the same mind in each
instance?
>Or, assuming you had collected all possible information at point A, and
based on information of A + n, could work backwards and determine A - n.
In such a case, could you reconstruct the mind itself if you had the
ability to simulate the matter, matter location, and biological
instances of matter combinations.
You would have to not only have the information, but all the predispostions
ofhow the information is viewed. We all have our biases. and we all have our
way of deciding what pieces of information to pay attention to in what light
etc.
To build from scratch, would be pretty sketchy. Unless you made an exact
duplicate, via some new technology to could analze the postion and form of
each neuron. Then that would propably be a way of rebuilding it. But given
that... I don't see why not. If we knew with out a doubt, how information
was stored, by the forms of pathways, and the chemicals used within them,
etc. I don't see why you wouldn't be able to rebuild it. But if we are
missing something delicate, like pinpoint percision of placement, who knows,
we may end up with a vegitable, or a genious.
Some cool things would be if we could figure out how to rebuild the mind,
and then add in some new things. Like the way we process information.
Sensory allocation. The ability to control hormone releasing. (that could be
a great cure for us bald guys out there :) )
Even better...if we could find the similarities with reptiles, and figure
out how to activate or construct that part of the brain that knows how to
reconstruct lost limbs.
cheers.
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Received on Fri Jun 13 2003 - 13:19:23 PDT