MEMS: Brains, Uploads, and Limbless Bodies

From: Ken Meyering (ken@define.com)
Date: Tue Dec 15 1998 - 08:34:46 MST


What's the most effecient way to preserve your identity, your
sentience, and your mobility, beyond normal mortal limits?

http://web-ext2.darpa.mil/ETO/MEMS/Projects/97MEMS/University-51.html

Imagine removing all of your body, except for the core neurons in
your brain required for experiencing pleasure, sights, sounds,
touches, and g-forces.

Imagine using quantum teleportation-based communication systems to
offload all of the functions.

You could have a little "worm" of nerves, that was a sentient being,
with all the sensor systems made of artificial systems.

So, you have a little carbon-based worm, with life support
requirements. Instead of a body, you make a little 8" MEMS
spacecraft that flies around silently, moving too fast for ordinary
humans to see. For example, a person can't resolve visuals that are
faster than 1/60th of a second. If a MEMS disc flies around so that
it's not in a visual position longer than 1/60th of a second, it's
essentially invisible.

If the worm is physically located inside the disc, then there needs
to be a food supply inside the disc.

How many g's can the worm endure? Can the worm be converted to a
"flatworm" by spreading it out on a mounting plate that provides
additional support for g forces?

Would it be possible to locate the worm outside of the craft, yet
using quantum telemetry to give the worm all the sensations of
flight?

Imagine looking at a worm, and hearing a voice in your head that says
"Hi. I'm a U.S. Air Force pilot, designed at Area 51, with the help
of M.I.T. I really love pulling G's! Unfortunately, my ship is
broken down, so I needed to send a distress signal through time,
which you are hearing now."

-------------------
ken@define.com



This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Fri Nov 01 2002 - 14:50:02 MST