Martin O’Dea

Terasem 6th Annual Workshop on Geoethical Nanotechnology

20 July 2010

Person Centred Approach to Life Extension – A Narrative

A self-made millionaire is told he is going to lose his wife to illness in a number of years

As well as looking at all available medicines, he decides to investigate cryonics and other rejuvenation techniques

He forms a team of experts

QuestionsThe man’s multi-disciplinary team of advisors

address the following issues

Options

They decide that he has a number of current options

They proceed to make a list of positives and negatives for each of the options

Options

Pros & ConsDeath & Religion

Pros & ConsCryonics

Pros & ConsBiological Rejuvenation

Pros & ConsBrain Preservation

Research

On further investigation, the team feels certain that the information contained in one’s DNA, plus a blueprint of one’s anatomy, including dynamic representations across time of the neural network and extended nervous system, encapsulates all elements of a human including consciousness and memory

Brain Scanning

They consider fMRI as doubtful – even with extrapolations for future limits (below) and not enough to give anything more than wishful hope to this generation

They must get within the brainThey must break the brain blood barrier and

reflect what is occurring within the brain

Nanotech & Brain Imaging

Our Friend’s team also decides that to scan the brain in a non-invasive manner allowing real-time relays and recording of neuronal activity is probably the best way of ensuring leaving future technologists the information they will require for re-creation

They do not see how a momentary snapshot of neural network would suffice for certain

Nano-tech & Brain Imaging

The teams are delighted to see that imaging and nano-tech are beginning to show signs of progress in unified usage with recent breakthroughs in passing the BBB

Research

They begin to toy with the concepts of existing in a virtual, malleable, and without-resource-limitation environment. They consider the idea of future technologist’s ability to extrapolate the requisite information from less-than-the-whole with their eventual whole understanding of the brain and the differences from one to the other

Research

Our friend and his team are rightly enthused by the knowledge that, in theory, his wife will die (awaken instantaneously, on her clock) and yet he will be able to leave video and other diaries for her

They are confident that if humanity can survive as long as the stars burn they must arrive at the computational skills to recreate the informatics of he and his wife, and any habitat

Aspirations

They hope that the potential societal benefits of the obvious ‘long-termism’ involved may lead to better organisation and cooperation in this current biosphere

What remains as their chief concern then is how to map the brain with high enough resolution

Plans

They form some plans

Develop nanobots that can reside at synapses without causing harm and relay back on a continuous basis

Design an immersive, virtual programme during which it is possible to compare like with like responses among individuals

Plans

Develop a device to interpret dynamic information from immersed nanobots on a continuous basis and upload information for indefinite storage and backing up

Develop a legal/ethical framework for those whose information will remain in stasis

Consider the future habitat and try to virtually replicate current earth locations via mapping of dimensions

Plans

• Gain societal/legal agreement on complete ‘design autonomy’ of entities – enabling each future being a universe to themselves as well as the ability to co-operate and co-experience in ‘shared space’

• Run costs down to an eventual ‘right’ for all persons to receive this scanning

Plans

The team decide to set up an institution that will help all people in this man’s position (or everyone) by providing them with all possible options and advice

This umbrella organisation will offer packages including Cryonics, cell rejuvenation therapy, and brain scanning, as well as the widest range of life-extension strategies

Initially, people subscribe via DD for an amount per month

PlansThey decided that, in short, the best way to get

to where they want to go is to form an electronic, global institute whose aim it would be to provide a platform, an international platform, on which contributors from a whole range disciplines might contribute their proposals and endeavours.

They propose running a self-financing, non-profit organisation fund from individuals availing of the services provided and funding the scientific endeavour with prizes, contracts, and the like.

Plans

On the other side, the individual who subscribes will have their DNA stored, they will receive updated brain scanning as and when the technology improves, they will be given advice on nutrition, cellular therapy, a range of medical advances as well as access to all the latest theory and arguments as they develop.

They will also be able to form a ‘will’ with their future’s in mind.