Tony,
This research funding point is exactly the problem. The only practical
solution around the gaping hole caused by the mind-control, cult-like,
permission system called economics is to realize it has outlived any
usefulness. Personally, I think cryonics is a status preserving cop-out and
at best can only supply some frozen post-legal clients for clandestine
navigation into cold-booting a dissociated personality (pun intended).
In other words, "Uploaders should do it while still warm" AND with full
community support. Thus, a political stand surely has to come before
full-scale, open and sanctioned research. When the political will is there
for uploading I'm sure the first brain could be connected to the internet,
at least, before the next qualified volunteer died. Nanotechnology won't
free us from money, intrinsic value systems will do it and be in place in
expectation thereof.
For example, when powerful enough we'll kick-down the media with education
first, then by randomly declaring 'free days' where no explicit money can
be used, but all regular exchanges are free, implicitly recorded and
enforceable for anyone with an understanding of 'nano', which should be
about everyone on the net (including unlocking your prisoner's doors,
assuming they have a permanent web recording). We'll then polynomially
increase the number of these 'anarchy' days annually until there is but one
day per year when explicit money can be used, a sort of remembrance day,
though I doubt there would be little support for it. The alternative
massive changeover to an uneducated world of excesses once the 'anything
boxes' are freed will be catastrophic and we'll probably have to start
throwing rocks from the moon just to survive.
Again, I repeat: Funding, and money in general, has to be seen for what it
really is, which is a mind-control, cult-like permission system de-coupled
from any usefulness. Money, like a sail on a pioneer ship, helps cross an
ocean, but when you're ship-wrecked in sight of land you don't bother
trimming the sails. You swim like crazy.
If I die through society's willful neglect of this issue, wouldn't that be
a crime?
Best,
Jim Legg http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~income
Man * Soul / Computer = 12 ^ (I think therefore I surf)