X-Message-Number: 32901
Date: Sun, 3 Oct 2010 08:14:29 -0700
Subject: RE: Reasons Why Uploading Is Unlikely, Ever
From: Keith Henson <>

On Sun, Oct 3, 2010 at 2:00 AM, CryoNet Jonano  <>> wrote:

> Uploading technologies will be very easy in  the future, people will be
> able to change their identity, memory or  personality as easy as
> changing a radio channel.

I would suggest great caution, automatic reversions, and careful
assistance of friends if you want to try this.  Marvin Minsky
discusses the dangers of messing with your mind this way in _Society
of Mind_.  The chances seem high that "you" would rapidly be lost.

I think technology will eventually allow uploading.  That doesn't mean
it is necessarily a good idea.  However, I think we are already on the
slippery slope.  I suspect that brain-machine interfaces will be like
cell phones.  You don't have to have a cell phone but they _seem_ so
useful that practically everyone does.  I suspect a person without one
would be at a disadvantage in getting a job nowadays.

The same may be true of interfaces.  From there to uploading, side
loading and backups is just a matter of time, and not much time at
that.

> And I think it's a  good thing for cryonics patients, if we know alot
> about identities, and how  to manage them, we will do less errors in
> correcting & repairing them,  but before we need to be able to create
> them easily. Maybe in about 1000  years, not 200 years from now.

I don't think you are up on where we are on the accelerating
technologies curve.  It seems likely that whatever the limits of
technology are, we will reach them well before the end of this
century.

> We will also be able to select and  experience alot of pre configured
> emotions that we will be inserted in our  brain and interact with the
> personality that we choose. We will have a  better liberty that way.
>
> The experience industry will be large and  flourishing. We will
> probably lost ourselves in it. We will control alot  more than today
> all identities, personalities changing and memory  management.
>
> I'm not expert but I love to  speculate.

I have been exposed to elements of this for most of my life and
intensely since the late 1970s.  It's slowly changed from gee whiz to
"my ghod what have we gotten into?"

Perhaps the scariest thing is the mismatch between human and machine
speeds.  Year ago there was a computer virus that spread with a
doubling time of 8.5 seconds.  If infected all possible hosts before
human had a chance to figure out what was going on.

More recently there was the computer mediated thousand point flash
drop in the stock market.

Sigh.  It could be we will be forced to upload just to keep up.

Keith

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