Billy Brown wrote:
[Uploading]
> A much more probable scenario would project medical advances
> forward until there is hardware fast enough to run the sim, and
> sensors good enough to gather the data. That implies at least a
> moderately good understanding of the brain - something better than
> just an understanding of biochemistry, but probably not good
> enough to just model the brain's data processing.
Perhaps a complete model of the brain in fine-grained detail will be used simply to reassure potential uploads that no 'essence' will be lost in the translation. Or maybe some mad genius will come along and start uploading dogs (puploads?) using the technology of the remarkably near future as a proof-of-concept. Since the majority of scenarios are used to explore the philosophical ramifications (although a few members of this list (names withheld to protect the not so innocent) may be considering uploading neighbourhood pets in their dank underground secret laboratories) realism is probably not the most important factor.
BM