X-Message-Number: 20986
Date: Mon, 27 Jan 2003 13:53:22 -0600
Subject: Re: CryoNet #20963 - #20971
From: Brian A Stewart <>

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>For Brian Stewart: at least you worked out that I wasn't
>arguing against nanotechnology! Yes, a device of the kind
>you describe would be able to repair brains. Clearly lots
>of details would need to be worked out, but I'd say that
>was the direction in which to go.
 

I have had considerable experience working in warehouses, and to be
honest, the problems are not that dissimilar!  Each nanodevice can be
seen as an individual supply clerk, and the brain being repaired the
warehouse/storage area.  The individual clerk has an item which needs to
be shelved and may be able to figure out on his/her own where it goes, or
may need to look it up in the central computer system.  The item may or
may not be labelled in a manner which will make it easy to determine what
it is called in the computer system.  

To cite an example, when I worked at the University Hospital here in
Madison, Wisconsin, a case of gauze could be simply labelled with the
company's name, may be commonly called "Kerlix" by workers, and be listed
as "gauze", followed by a general description on the computer!  Now, even
though the Central Supply area of the University Hospital is the size of
a few football fields, it is still considerably less complex than a human
brain, and my guess is that the individual items much better labelled. 
(The individual workers probably more intelligent, too, I hasten to add!)
 

My thought was that somehow dividing up the organs to be repaired into
some sort of system (a three dimensional grid?) would make determining
locations easier-- and give the repair mechanisms a general model to work
with.  Much like with the hospital, aisle 13 contains the premixed
solutions, "Area 13" of a normal human brain should contain "Structure
X-13"-- and the centralized computer directing the repairs could see if a
nano repair device has found something of that description over in "Area
27".  

The trouble is, of course, that actually implementing something like this
is the hard part!  I keep envisioning some sort of high tech nerve system
spread throughout the body to be repaired, but have no idea how such a
thing would work.  (Monofilament gold wires with some sort of molecular
nanotech processing hubs?  Is that rational or have I been reading too
much cyberpunk science fiction?)

In any event, I seem to be agreeing with Thomas Donaldson in a very
roundabout way.

(I dunno, if it weren't for the money, maybe I'd go back to college and
try to investigate the ideas mentioned on the list further.  At least
this time I'd have a goal while in college.)


Brian

Brian A. Stewart-- Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.A.
"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we
are to stand by the President right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and
servile, but morally treasonable to the American public."
                            - Theodore Roosevelt
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