X-Message-Number: 11162
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 1999 20:32:25 -0800
From: Olaf Henny <>
Subject: Rafi Hatka; Thomas Nord

To Rafi Haftka:

>Thomas Donaldson made a good point that one should disassociate the
>question of identity from the question of duplication. Instead of the
>destruction of the first self that he proposes, I think that there is also
>a chance of a slow migration to a different medium. In particular, I expect
>that the migration to non protoplasm memory may not be that far off. Here
>are the steps that I see in my crystal ball (murky as it is).
>
>1. Computers that can communicate directly with our brains through
>electrical impulses. These will probably be developed first for severely
>handicapped people.

This is already happening in real life, although on a more palatable level
for us humans :): Human brains can directly communicate with computers.
There was a report on TV about 6 months ago, about NASA experiments in this
field, where a lady through thought processes alone by way of sensors
attached to strategic parts of her scull, communicated with computers,
directing them to simulate a landing of an aircraft on a screen in front of
her.  What made this experiment especially significant in my mind was, that
this lady did not direct the image on the screen, but the movement of heavy
equipment equivalent of the mechanisms involved in landing a heavy
aircraft.  It was the movement of that gear, which resulted in the
(successful) outcome of the virtual landing.

>2. People getting used to store factual information on a computer they wear
>on their belt or on their head, because communication is so easy.

If that above described brain-computer interface does not (in a more
technically refined version) require extraordinary mental discipline or
powers, then with the present pace of miniaturization it should be possible
to hide significant storage capacity inside our cranial cavity.  See recent
development of molecular switches at: 
http://www.eurekalert.org/releases/nyu-bnr080199.html

>I do not claim that silicon(?) memories will have the same texture and feel
>as the protoplasm ones. However, they will have so many advantages in terms
>of fidelity and ease of access that people will migrate to them anyhow.

That is exactly what is wrong with it.  I do not need an exact memory.  It
will prevent me from "enhancing" them after the fact and from turning my
foibles into acts of superior genius. :)
It will deprive the world of all those beautiful "honest" deliveries of
fishing yarns.

To Thomas North:

>I am a
>bit ahead of my age and like it warm as older folks, perhaps due to my
>underweight for the moment. Older folks are already moving to Az within US.

I am not an American.  I am also of the opinion, that the US would be a
safer place with more restrictive gun laws, but your constant doddering on
about it as well as about all the other perceived dangers to health and
live in the States becomes even to me a bit tedious.  Frankly you strike me
as *much* "ahead of your age", more like a frail 90 year old, who shines a
light under his bed each night before he enters it.

Make up your mind.  Either you accept the US as it is and move there, so
that "these gun crazed Americans" can save your hopefully immortal butt or
work toward establishing a cryonics facility in Goeteborg or Stockholm or
wherever you deem the air clean enough and the cities safe enough to meet
your standards, but spare us your endless rambling and whining.

>I started of course investigating around present facilitys, remembered Alcor
>moved out of California partly due to the shakes, getting it hotter instead
>now in Scottsdale as also have a major airpollutionproblem. Tucson near
>enough, with better air is also a bit cooler, and getting a waterproblem due
>to a lot of immigration. Las Vegas have better air and water so far with a
>lot of immigration, and only they warn of AHB killerbees and other lethal
>animals, as can be found also in Az and Ca. Think I'm repeating myself a
>bit.
>Safe communities can be found and it doesnt have to be gated I guess.
>Scottsdale i.e seem to be a bit calmer but we cant avoid bad air even if we
>can stand the heat.

Best,
Olaf

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