X-Message-Number: 15890
From: "Gary Tripp" <>
Subject: Re: [off topic] Singularity... Bah Humbug!
Date: Sun, 18 Mar 2001 11:26:34 -0500

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In response to James Swayze,  Eugene Lietl writes:
(Re: [off topic] Singularity... Bah Humbug!)

>Actually, if you'd let every second neuron in your brain 
>vanish tracelessly, you'd probably not notice a lot of 
>difference, apart from some degradation.

This is an interesting statement because we know that
the brain has built in redundancy. To what extent and in
what manner would random damage likely constitute a 
significant and irretrievable loss of identity?

Eugene, can you be more quantitative?

Do we have case studies of people who have suffered
brain injury, to the degree that you refer, and have 
managed to retain their identity?
We might define identity here as retention of one's personality 
as perceived by the individuals friends and family.

/gary




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