X-Message-Number: 15912
Date: Wed, 21 Mar 2001 22:19:00 -0800
From: Olaf Henny <>
Subject: Machine AI vs.  Artificially Supplemented Human Intelligence
References: <>

Hi all:

I have started writing this up as a private e-mail a couple of
days ago, but I got stuck.  You see about a year ago I fried my
hard drive and as a result lost all the pertinent references this
forum is so intent on demanding.  But since the subject of AI
machine version vs. artificially supplemented human intelligence
appears to have struck wide interest on Cryonet, here goes,
strictly from memory, but in the hope, that others may be able to
provide references:
-   Ralph Merkle estimated a few years ago, that with molecular
assembly we would be able to fit  a computer with 1 megabyte
memory complete with energy sources and circuitry into one cubic
micron.  In other words a cubic millimetre, the size of a sugar
grain, could accommodate one billion MB.  In support of James
Swayze s concept of artificially enhancing human brains, I could
easily store a couple of those in my cranial cavity; - if I just
could get some axons linked to them...? With all the information
contained in them directly accessible, I would be magnificent,
though probably not smarter than any of Eugene s machine-AI, but
definitely more devious <g>   (BTW, I got stuck trying to find a
reference to Ralph s estimate on his website)
-   A TV report about two years ago showed a NASA project, in
which a woman with special abilities virtually landed large
aircraft.  She was connected to a computer through probes taped
to her scull, which read electromagnetic emanations from her
brain.  The computer directed by her brain and the those probes
actually moved a mock-up of mechanical devises like those in a
real full size jetliner as they were required to move to land an
aircraft safely.  Not quite the direct tie-in into the CNS, that
I had envisaged above, but hey, it worked and it s a start.
-   Lastly the Aussie sniffer, which was designed to analyse
blood and other bodily fluids and which hit the news now almost 4
years ago, had at its central component a switch of   1.5
nanometres .  Now I have no idea, what the other two dimensions
were, but if they were the same, we could stash into a bacterium
measuring 300nm x 75nm x75nm 500,000 of them.  On/off and voila
we have one MB.  Okay, no circuitry and no energy source, and
whatever else occupies a computer, but we have so far only
filled 0.0017 cubic micron.
So stay tuned Eugene, James is well on his way!  :)
My apologies to the Aussie researchers, if I have blundered in my
calcs. for lack of info, but one thing is for sure: Those
switches are wee little things and their technology will go a
long way in making James superhuman.   :)
Best,
Olaf

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