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ebolathrowawayy t1_ix0kvqk wrote

Reply to comment by ronnyhugo in When does an individual's death occur if the biological brain is gradually replaced by synthetic neurons? by NefariousNaz

A synthetic neuron placed into an existing brain is different from placing it in a fully synthetic brain because the synthetic neuron changes state while it is interacting with living tissue. It may be identical to the neuron placed in the synthetic mind at first, but as soon as organic neurons start sending signals to it, it changes.

I don't think you can create a copy of a mind in a 1-by-1 approach. I think that can only be achieved with a snapshot of a brain and assemblage all at once.

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ronnyhugo t1_ix2n78w wrote

The synthetic neuron may change but it doesn't get any of the original neuron's consciousness. The original is either still present with the copy elsewhere or the original is ripped out.

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ebolathrowawayy t1_ix512qx wrote

I would argue that whatever consciousness is, it is stored in the collection of states within each neuron. I don't think we're in disagreement, I just wanted to point out that the method of copying a mind yields different results. 1-by-1 could result in a copy if you didn't discard original neurons but the synthetic version would possibly be corrupted (or just slightly different) because 1-by-1 isn't instantaneous so state changes between each step.

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ronnyhugo t1_ix51o9z wrote

As long as we agree that the original won't move anywhere, we can probably agree on the particulars of the copy being changed compared to the original. save those neurons for ENS. (engineered negligible senescence) (And even ENS will replace some cells we lost and thus make part of our brain partly an impostor)

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ebolathrowawayy t1_ix52hrj wrote

However a mind is copied, I don't think there would be an experience to the mind of being "uploaded" or moved. I would think the mind would probably not even be aware of the change unless the procedure was obvious and the copy would think nothing unusual happened unless they're told they were copied or if the procedure was obvious.

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ronnyhugo t1_ix52x5a wrote

The original would go into an advanced MRI machine and the copy would only remember it. The original would still be stuck in his/her/they own brain.

The copy would always think the "upload" worked. As long as the original don't survive the process.

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