> From: Stathis Papaioannou [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Well, maybe you can't actually rule it out until you make a copy and > see how close it has to be to think the same as the original, but I > strongly suspect that getting it right down to the molecular level > would be enough. Even if quantum effects are important in > consciousness (and I don't think there is any clear evidence that this > is so), these would be generic quantum effects, reproduced by > reproducing the molecular structure. Transistors function using > quantum level effects, but you don't need to replace a particular > transistor with a perfect copy to have an identically functioning > electronic device. >
Actually a better way to do it as getting even just the molecules right is a wee bit formidable - you need a really powerful computer with lots of RAM. Take some DNA and grow a body double in software. Then create an interface from the biological brain to the software brain and then gradually kill off the biological brain forcing the consciousness into the software brain. The problem with this approach naturally is that to grow the brain in RAM requires astronomical resources. But ordinary off-the-shelf matter holds so much digital memory compared to modern computers. You have to convert matter into RAM somehow. For example one cell with DNA is how many gigs? And cells cost a dime a billion. But the problem is that molecular interaction is too slow and cluncky. John ------------------------------------------- singularity Archives: http://www.listbox.com/member/archive/11983/=now RSS Feed: http://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/11983/ Modify Your Subscription: http://www.listbox.com/member/?member_id=4007604&id_secret=96140713-a54b2b Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com
