From: Richard Steven Hack (richardhack@pcmagic.net)
Date: Fri Mar 08 2002 - 21:12:15 MST
At 10:33 AM 3/8/02 -0800, you wrote:
>You may be thinking of a specific scenario for uploading that is more
>restrictive than necessary. Broadly speaking we use uploading to refer
>to transferring our minds from their current biological brains to some
>kind of artificial system like a computer.
I have no problem with that concept. Rather necessary, I suspect, since I
don't believe a biological body as we know it can truly be useful for a
Transhuman with cosmic aspirations...
>Our minds are already confined to a system which is less than the
>universe, namely our brains. Transferring them to a computer does
>not have to limit our options to move around or access the universe.
>Of course if the computer is gigantic and needs massive power feeds
>then moving it will be difficult, but in principle one could have
>a small computer and move it around easily.
I have no problem with that either. But the impression I got from some of
the comments on uploading was that it was intended as a *substitute* for
participating in reality or as the primary "residence" as it were for a
Transhuman.
>Even without that, I don't see what the problem is with telepresence. In
>a way, all of our perceptions are mediated already by sensory modalities.
>Our brains live in a dark, quiet, wet place. That is the reality.
>It is only by means of our senses that we get the illusion of being out
>there in the world. In a way, our bodies are a form of telepresence,
>operated by our brains, huddling safe in their little caves of bone.
I have no problem with telepresence as an *adjunct* to "direct" (however
you interpret "direct") perception.
>Uploading also does not necessarily mean operating in virtual reality
>independent of the physical universe. Of course if the new system is
>super-fast, it may not be desirable to spend too much time waiting
>for things to happen in the physical universe, so naturally we would
>turn to some form of VR which can operate at a more convenient speed.
>But manipulating the physical universe will still be a necessary and
>important activity. Even if you spend most of your time in a VR there
>needs to be construction, maintenance and defense of the physical
>substrate which runs the VR.
Exactly my point.
Richard Steven Hack
richardhack@pcmagic.net
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