Page - 171 - in Cyborg Mind - What Brain–Computer and Mind–Cyberspace Interfaces Mean for Cyberneuroethics

Cyberneuroethics • 171 data would be collated and processed. Though only a theoretical proposition, experts in molecular nanotechnology believe that this could eventually be feasible.321 Plans are also in preparation to create a human brain atlas as an impor- tant starting point for interpreting data from other brains.322 This would involve freezing a brain with liquid nitrogen and then carefully slicing it and scanning each slice with an extremely powerful microscope. These scans would subsequently be fed into a computer alongside extensive image analy- sis, which would help determine the activity and processes of the neurons.323 But, once more, extensive computation power would be necessary to process this level of complexity. Interestingly, in 2013, an international group of neuroscientists were reported to have already sliced, imaged and analysed the brain of a 65-year- old woman to create the most detailed map yet of a human brain in its entirety. Named ‘BigBrain’, the atlas shows the organisation of neurons with microscopic precision, which could help clarify or even redefine the structure of brain regions obtained from previous anatomical studies. Such a method may completely change the stakes relating to the possibility of identifying very fine structural and physiological differences in the human brain.324 Should the full procedure described by Sandberg ever be achieved, one sig- nificant question still being debated by experts is whether the system would experience consciousness in the same way as the original human individual. Sandberg believes that if everything is done properly and all the science is well integrated, it may be successful. On the other hand, Moravec considers that, initially at least, mind upload- ing efforts would require a gradual destroying of the brain. But as the pro- cess continued, an increasing amount of an individual’s thinking would be undertaken by the computer until it would completely replace his or her old thinking in the brain.325 In addition, if brain scanning ever became possible, it would be necessary that no changes or mistakes occur during the procedure, otherwise the origi- nal mind would not be replicated into the computer. Another mind would be created. But maybe making such amendments to a scanned mind could also become deliberate if there was a perceived advantage for this to happen.326 In the light of all this, Geraci indicates that: ‘Whether digital technolo- gies can live up to their utopian promises is an open question, and not one subject to empirical analysis.’327 However, he notes that advocates of mind uploading, and other technologies, rely upon what they consider to be indis- putable guarantees for such a possibility, such as through evolution or a law of accelerating returns.328 In the end, the only actual demonstration that technology may eventually address human limits will be for that event to actually occur.329 This open access edition has been made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license thanks to the support of Knowledge Unlatched. Not for resale.