--- Stathis Papaioannou <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > On 28/02/2008, John G. Rose <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > 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. > > Agreed, it would be *enormously* difficult getting a snapshot at the > molecular level and then doing a simulation from this snapshot. But as > a matter of principle, it should be possible.
And that is the whole point. You don't need to simulate the brain at the molecular level or even at the level of neurons. You just need to produce an equivalent computation. The whole point of such fine grained simulations is to counter arguments (like Penrose's) that qualia and consciousness cannot be explained by computation or even by physics. Penrose (like all humans) is reasoning with a brain that is a product of evolution, and therefore biased toward beliefs that favor survival of the species. -- Matt Mahoney, [EMAIL PROTECTED] ------------------------------------------- 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
