Anders Sandberg wrote:
>
> A molecular simulation is probably utterly beyond us right now, we can
> hardly simulate a single protein, let alone a cell. But I doubt that
> is necessary, if single molecules mattered so much we would be wildly
> unstable for the least disturbance.
Not necessarily. You could have multiple, redundant, averaged-together computations taking place that still require single-molecule-modelling to simulate. We lose individual neurons all the time, and no single neuron is decisive; but I doubt you can simulate the brain without simulating neurons.
-- sentience@pobox.com Eliezer S. Yudkowsky http://pobox.com/~sentience/AI_design.temp.html http://pobox.com/~sentience/sing_analysis.html Disclaimer: Unless otherwise specified, I'm not telling you everything I think I know.