Bryan's Transhumanist Technical Roadmap DRAFT
http://heybryan.org/
Nano
* Nanotech bibliography and BibTeX.
Brief notes
-- Molecular nanotechnology (MNT) requires atom holography and lasers for object-specific construction. I haven't been able to come up with better ideas (and I don't like waiting).
- Track down the carbon nanotube (CNT) recipes
Diamond mechanosynthesis annotated bibliography
Nanofactory Collaboration Project quote:
The nanofactory is a proposed compact molecular manufacturing system, possibly small enough to sit on a desktop, that could build a diverse selection of large-scale molecularly precise diamondoid products. The principal input to a diamondoid nanofactory is simple hydrocarbon feedstock molecules such as natural gas, propane, or acetylene. Small supplemental amounts of a few other simple molecules containing trace atoms of chemical elements such as oxygen, nitrogen or silicon may also be required. The principal output of the first commercial nanofactory will be macroscale quantities of molecularly precise diamondoid products. These products may include nanocomputers, medical nanorobots, products having diverse aerospace and defense applications, devices for cheap energy production and environmental remediation, and a cornucopia of new and improved consumer products. Earlier-generation research nanofactories will produce substantially less complex products but will provide an evolutionary pathway leading from the first simple DMS workstations to more mature systems. The nanofactory is a molecular manufacturing system employing controlled molecular assembly that will make possible the creation of fundamentally novel products having the intricate complexity currently found only in biological systems, but operating with greater speed, power, reliability, and, most importantly, entirely under human control.
Brief summary of atom holography: In the 1920s, Einstein and Bose hypothesized on a new type of matter that they called a condensate (BEC); and soon de Broglie hypothesized the wave/particle duality of both light (photons) and matter.. In the '90s, researchers (Ketterle, etc.) developed the first machines to make a BEC in the lab, and a Nobel prize was awarded for this research. These machines use the laser-cooling technique to bring down matter to ultracold temperatures inside vacuums. The MOT (magneto-optical trap) is used to guide atoms into the center of its chamber and then maybe three (red) lasers shine into the atoms from different directions such that the atoms have no where to move, and in this way they lose energy and eventually become a condensate where they exhibit this sort of 'shared' quantum wave. Over the last decade in Japan, Shimizu has been working on "atom holography" where a matter beam (magnetically controlled BEC) is shot into slits on a plate. These microscopic slits have electrodes that modulate an electric field, causing the matter beam to change shape as it passes through each of the different slits. Shimizu et al. have successfully written words and symbols using this technique, implanting atoms on a surface that are later viewable with electroscopes. Meystre at the University of Arizona has stated that "we could copy objects." Indeed- that and much more, perhaps even bootstrapping MNT. The BEC setups are estimated to cost $300k USD, but this is with all factory-purchased parts. ( I have a zip file of many important papers, and maybe 80 megabytes of images of the setups, the schematics, etc. Also a large bibliography. )
Cryo
* Cryogenics bibliography and BibTeX.
* Towards the ability to cryogenically store material without crack formation
** Temp-curve fitting tech to ensure smooth/proper descent to cold temps
Insert here cryonics protocols (vitrification, preparation, etc.).
Preservation of life, reincarnation, immortality
Fahy, Eugen Leitl, Ben Best
Alcor Life Extension Foundation
Cryonics Institute
American Cryonics Institution
Cryonics Society of Canada
CryoNet
LifeNet project: volunteer network that goes where-ever there are firestations and police stations. The goal is to minimize the amount of time to reach anybody who dies on the continent within 30 minutes and to cryogenically store them (they are already "dead": they might never know). Calculations show that there would need to be at least 150k locations and that there is one death every 14 hours per 50 km^2 average in USA.
Neuro
paper archive (brain implants, MEAs, mindlinks, neurohacking)
previous notes
Add my notes on subminds plus mice experimentation
"Intelligence" augmentation and amplification
Multitasking and breaking out of our "action bottleneck"
The human action bottleneck is the amount of action that can be taken at any one time. While the human physiology maintains itself with parallel circuitry, metabolic pathways, and trillions of cells, human output is reduced to ten fingers, arms, legs, vocal output, etc., capping information output (not necessarily information production). There are rare individuals on the planet and throughout history who have seemingly broken out of action bottlenecks, in fact many have and are usually known as professors, who have the unique opportunity of exploring idea space with the help of their students, assistants, etc. However, this mindlink (proffessor-student) is poor and still suffers from action bottleneck especially as the system is scaled upwards and a beaurocracy develops. To remedy this situation, I propose research into direct neural interfaces with "subminds" such that information is directly transferred from the lobes of the mainbrain to other beings, either the typical brain-in-a-jar (with a robotic body), or to an untethered human body (maybe a clone, or maybe a monkey (opposable thumbs are useful)).
Submind connectivity will be similar to "mindbot" modularity. Mindbots are defined as software agents (or "bots") that interface directly with neurons and listen (sometimes speaking) for commands, analyzing the signal spikes and transforming the spikes into some computational action. The similarity between a submind and a mindbot (or agent or avatar) is useful and may provide for readily switchable brain components. For example, a simple and common mindbot already in production is the auditory prosthesis that listens to the air and whispers sounds to the neurons, or the more recent research that is expected to lead to a mute being able to talk via 41 neurons and some fancy analysis software within the next few weeks.
By porting redundant mental operations, or even physical tasks, to mindbots/agents/avatars, such as cooking, mowing lawns, calculating and doing basic algebra, screening job candidates, etc., the brain can leave the body to do other (important) tasks while maximizing the amount of action that one can take per second. Recently, Todd Drashner of Orion's Arm emailed the following, which is quite relevant to this idea:
On Thursday 25 October 2007 22:33, drashner1 wrote:
> As an example of the ideogenetic process, a modosophont might
> experience a snatch of rhythmic noise that inspires them to imagine a
> tune, which they may eventually turn into the basis for a piece of
> music, usually at some point days, weeks, or months after the initial
> experience. In contrast, a first singularity transapient experiencing
> the same bit of noise might produce several dozen pieces of complete
> music, usually in at least half a dozen styles, and a similar number
> of literary, visual, and performance art works, each supported by
> several hundred thousand words of commentary, notes, and scholarly
> writings on the subject of its own work. All within a minute of
> hearing the inspirational noise in the first place. And this same
> creative impulse can be applied to virtually every other event that
> the transapient experiences from moment to moment, all the time.
Becoming cyborgs
Decoding neural signals
Brain transplantation (White's experiments with monkeys)
Current tech does 5 MB/sec in/out of the human skull with at least 100x100 tip MEAs. Kevin Warwick has demonstrated sensory augmentation/addition and human-human neural links. Roadmap: more biocompatible materials. Tissue damage due to heat and metal is not good.
In a few years I will be making an announcement to the internet:
I will personally install brain implants to anybody who shows up at my door. Absolutely no exceptions.
-- in the mean time I need to come up with enough cash to work with MOSIS on the implants (mice don't cost much).
At-home neurosurgery known as "trepanation" (do not forget metal plate to screw into skull).
Miguel A. L. Nicolelis MD, Ph.D re: monkeys moving robotic arms and exoskeletons (Idoya)
## Mind Uploading
- http://minduploading.org/
- Mind Uploading Research Group (experimental worm-mind uploading)
- Joe Strout and his page
- Anders' page on MU
* Where is the old grass-roots open source group that was researching worm mind-uploading?
Experimental mind uploading:
- Whole brain simulation (brain data gathered via a variety of methods: Keith F. Lynch nanotech+urine idea, slice-and-scan, gen-eng'd colored proteins in neuro for imaging)
- Brain replacement (neuron-by-neuron).
Important: Non-nanotechnological mind uploading tactics.
-- Slice & scan method (see the connectome project)
-- Soft, incremental uploads or brain replacement (lobe-by-lobe)
--- Relatively recent "artificial hippocampus" (on a chip)
--- Cochlear implants
Uploading does not necessarily have to preserve total identity. Amazing technological progress would be partial uploads.
People are cryogenically frozen in the hopes that they will one day be thawed when a cure for some ailment is discovered; similiarly, it should be possible to maintain parts of people on life support indefinitely given AdG's anti-aging research. This will allow for neural tissue cultures or brain regions to be on life support (perhaps indefinitely) linked to silicon interfaces for living an otherwise typical life. How long can we keep neural tissue cultures alive?
Astro
- Microlaunchers, open source
- Getting off the rock (organizations)
- Space vehicle designs
- Stable, reusable rockets
- Review of satellite engineering
- Laser communication
- LEO/XEO colony designs
- Asteroid mining bots (cite recent NASA news re: landing on an asteroid)
- Hydrogen harvesting procedures and planned operations (distant, yes)
- von Neumann probes (see my implementation notes)
- Megascale engineering plans (not immediately necessary)
- Space tether/evalator review (here?) (lots of fanboys)
Mallove, E. F., and Forward, R. L. Bibliography of Interstellar Travel and Communication. I. J. of Brit. Interplanetary Soc., 27, 921-943 (1974); 11. J.B.I.S. 28, 191 - 219 (1975); 111. J.B.I.S. 28, 405 - 434, 1975).
Interstellar communication bibliography - I need a copy
Earth-to-orbit Transportation Bibliography
Joshua Fox recommends Centauri Dreams: Imagining and Planning Interstellar Exploration
There is a flourishing community of space pioneers in what is known as "NewSpace" (in contrast to dinospace) consisting of Bigelow, Masten Space, XCOR, Unreasonable Rocket, and lots of other teams that are busily working to get all sorts of probes, rockets, satellites, UAVs and other craft out into orbit and beyond. Local (citizen) rocket clubs. However, most of this tech and all of the collective experiences seem to be "behind closed-doors" in comparison to the transhumanist community.
Cloning
Present here an abstract look at what is possible with technology- cite Kuwabara, the Japanese researcher who built an "artificial womb" or the more recent researchers who have done IVF-on-a-chip. Find the original "Dolly the sheep" PDF.
No longer requires embryonic stem (ES) cells (see recent Yamanaka research on iPS cells as well as Shoukhrat Mitalipov on cloned monkeys from skin cells)
Cloning humans from scratch
Organ cloning/vat-growth (see also "artificial meats" and vertical farming)
Human Cloning Foundation - looks unprofessional, assign some H+ web designers to go help them out
References Salient to SCNT
Human Cloning Handbook and theoretical cloning protocol -- both of these need improvement. Goal: human cloning in a garage, for anybody.
Cloning also provides the unique opportunity for neuropsych research into the brain. With artificial wombs and Skinner boxes ("baby-in-a-box") it is possible to completely specify all stimulation and inputs (like nutrients) through a model organism's life. Will similiar brain architectures emerge? What, then, will we learn through slice-by-slice brain upload scanning? Will we discover how precisely different stimulants alter neural tissues (comparative neuroanatomy)?
Alt-bods
- News: fuel-powered artificial muscles and semi-artificial blood vessels.
- Redesigning the human biody, biomedical engineering, artificial organs (cochlear implants included),
- Genetic engineering, antiaging, gerontology, Aubrey de Grey
Aubrey de Grey paper archive (zip, 25 megabytes)
AdG's research deserves a more thorough review. Basically, research is needed to figure out how to clean up metabolic waste and all of the extra gunk leftover in aged cells. Lysosomes need to be replenished. Mitochondria mutations need to be eliminated. AdG suggests stem cell replacement therapy every decade, a massive animal experiment to engineer immortal animals (for testing purposes and to stay ahead of us), and longevity-mice experiments within the next ten years. Insert here a more thorough summary of his papers (from the zip file).
Alt-body projects can be of two main types: keep the human body or not. In the first case we see the development of "open prostheses" groups and in the second case there is the development of robots in labs all over the world. Robotic development is mainly geared towards AI research and not body replacements. However, with brain interfacing and brain-in-a-jar, robotic bodies can turn into ideal replacements.
Synthetic Biology
Synbio review
- Venter's "minimal cell" project
- Cellular synthesis
-- Construct artificial cellular membrane that just barely works and hope that injected cellular mechanisms can slowly repair our poor substitute. Evidence that cells have membrane-repair tech: if meiosis allows for cellular replication, and cells are plus or minus the same volume, where's the surface area of the membrane coming from? So we do not need to mimic a mature cellular membrane.
Artificial neurotransmitter receptors ("deceptors" by Freudian-slip) to link with GTP molecules in underlying membrane surface re: cellular signal transduction pathways. "Mind expanding" in a different way.
- Genetic engineering
Energy
- Solar cells and related research
-- Proposals of "open source" transhumanist-member projects to launch solar arrays into orbit to harvest energy (potential development into an energy "economy" for ourselves).
Holy grail: artificial photosynthesis (recent simulations/optimizations)
Matter/energy recycling and upcycling
Nucleosynthesis
Importance of being able to transmute hydrogen into elements required for our biochemical existence. Note the absurdly large amount of free hydrogen in the universe.
Nucleosynthesis-on-a-chip
Research plans- nuclear fusion (LOX@MIT ?)
AI
- Failed methods in AI
- Comp sci vision research
- Combinatorial explosion / search problem
- Failure to define "intelligence" (maybe "intelligence" is not so useful of a concept)
- Create AI paper (p)reprint archive (ex: http://arxiv.org/)
Cortical simulator
Neuronal modeling (ANNs)
Our inability to answer the question "what is intelligence" suggests that completely giving up on 'intelligence' might be the right path. Whatever it is that we are trying to do with our computers, it is something other. Insert Goertzel's additions here.
Information
Humanity is limited by information production/consumption rates in our "internet information ecology". Calculations show that in five generations we will have "hidden" parts of the datasphere (internet included) that will never be read by a human (ever again) - even though this situation does somewhat match what we know today. Text production/consumption is maxed at 40 wpm out and 300 wpm in (average; some are able to do 150 wpm out / 1.2k wpm in with obscure claims of 25kwpm in).
Just as we have the Internet Archive and many search engines, need to help fix the single-point-of-failure nature of the WWW, as well as provide for a method of content distribution and backups, esp. as we move closer and closer to mind uploads.
Social
WTA and the extropians
- Roadmap objectives: maintain high signal-to-noise ratio of engineering/science; educate transhumanist-newbies that are willing to become researchers (high priority).
- Highlight important researchers, what they are researching, how to fund them.
silicon
International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors
Include a "doomsday ASAP help" file-- i.e., who to contact in case of experimental emergency involving transhumanist tech.
a.k.a. "Help! I'm the guy that's caused grey goo! Now what?"
From #SL4:
- Suggestion of a central coordination agency for this roadmap
- Long term projects, feasability studies,
- Measurable goals, establish philanthropic funding for the pursuit of transhumanist technology
Truly parallel computer architectures (not the "multicore" stuff)