X-Message-Number: 7890
Date: Wed, 19 Mar 1997 09:05:04 -0800 (PST)
From: Joseph Strout <>
Subject: uploading terminology

Let's define "uploading" as "the copying or transfer of a person from the
natural biological substrate into a manufactured, artificial substrate." 
At least, this is what I mean when I use the term.  Note that it does NOT
specify that the artificial substrate is a digital computer!  The
difficulties of simulating complex, analog systems with a digital computer
are well known.  And computer technology proceeds too quickly for any of
use today to see the future clearly.  Analog VLSI?  Optical computers?
Quantum?  Who knows?  The point is, if we can emulate neurons at all (and
we can, slowly with digital computers, or real-time through analog
hardware), then we can in principle emulate an entire brain.  This will be
done using whatever clever hardware the engineers of the time have dreamt
up; we are certain to be inaccurate in any predictions we make today.

Note, too, that I'm not speaking of running myself a million times faster,
or excising my emotions, or becoming One with the internet, or any such.
I'm just talking about replacing the brain with an artificial one, and
going about my normal everyday life.  Enhancements will no doubt come, and
there will surely be Extropians who perform experiments on themselves, but
this is peripheral to the notion of uploading.  It may perhaps be helpful
to stay focussed on the real goal, i.e., avoiding unwanted death.

,------------------------------------------------------------------.
|    Joseph J. Strout           Department of Neuroscience, UCSD   |
|               http://www-acs.ucsd.edu/~jstrout/  |
`------------------------------------------------------------------'


Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=7890