X-Message-Number: 22264
From: "John de Rivaz" <>
Subject: human brain on a computer
Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2003 12:08:00 +0100

There is a sound scientific reason why it is not possible to simulate a
"Vomit Comet" zero-G manoeuvre on a flight simulator that gives its human
passengers the forces of flight by tilting a platform. I seem to recall that
this was discussed in detail in Deutch's book Fabric of Reality.

However there is no reason that this manoeuvre should not be accurately
simulated on a computer flight simulator that merely has a display to
indicate G forces. It is after all an elementary mathematical procedure,
probably within the syllabus taught to 16 year old students.

Maybe I have not understood all the discussion here about simulating brains
using computer hardware, either electronic or nanotechnological. But surely
if it is possible to describe accurately in English how a brain works, then
it is possible to describe it in Visual Basic or any other computer
language. Indeed, there are probably many more abstruse computer languages
that once mastered may be more easily used to program the simulation.

Only if it is physically impossible to describe the steps of the simulation
in *any* language, whether computer or human or indeed outer-space-alien,
could simulation of a brain be impossible. Simulations may not be as
efficient, but they could still run faster if the hardware is fast enough. I
think I am correct in saying that "neural network" software is run on
ordinary computers without a special chip. It may not accurately simulate
neural network software in a brain, but its concept is still of a network
with varying connections which don't physically exist in the hardware
running it.

-- 
Sincerely, John de Rivaz:  http://John.deRivaz.com for websites including
Cryonics Europe, Longevity Report, The Venturists, Porthtowan, Alec Harley
Reeves - inventor, Arthur Bowker - potter, de Rivaz genealogy,  Nomad .. and
more

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