OldWorldRevival t1_j4mog8d wrote
Yep... here it comes....
mindofstephen t1_j4ny4ec wrote
Upgrade your brain by adding more brain.
Bakoro t1_j4on565 wrote
It's been my dream since I was a kid. Being able to integrate artificial brain to organic brain would soon allow us to map the natural brain's function to the artificial part. As the natural brain fails, you can persist within the artificial brain.
We could gain new abilities, like seeing extra colors, have extra dimensional thinking, have a better in-brain calculations, be able to control extra limbs...
So much of who we are is because of our physical limitations. We could be more.
Odd_Barnacle_3715 t1_j4ouvcb wrote
Ya seem to misunderstood something here. See the size of the brain doesn't necessarily define it's capabilities, it's like the comparison Between computers which once took an entire room's worth of size but can now fit in the palm of ur hands.
On the other hand I'm not even totally sure how and what would "adding" extra neurons with our own would result in.
Bakoro t1_j4oxeaa wrote
The size of a natural organic brain absolutely has strong correlation with its capabilities. There are structures in the brain which activate more with certain tasks. A very large portion of the brain is dedicated to controlling the body, to vision, and to problem solving.
Brain plasticity allows the parts of the brain to map to different tasks, but we lose plasticity as we age.
Being able to integrate more brain material by necessity means being able to manipulate that plasticity, and means we'd be able to integrate other body parts into the nervous system.
Perhaps there could be a more efficient way to make a brain, or a way to make brains faster, but as it stands now, more brain space would mean more processing power. The reason people don't have bigger brains is likely because the challenges of birth. Humans already have massive heads, babies heads couldn't be much bigger, and evolution doesn't work in a way that lends itself to the massive structural changes we'd need to solve that.
JadeCaligrapher t1_j4ps6t5 wrote
Our head doesn't have to be bigger to have more of organic brain. Our head doesn't have to be bigger to have more brain. People with Hydrocephalus have reduced brain volume due to fluid accumulation in their head, yet some of them are still able to function relatively normal with the condition and some don't even know they have it. It seems human's brain can still function even with reduced volume but more dense and this is not that unique at all, some small animal make up for their small head by having a denser brain neuron eg. Goldcrest has almost 50 times neuron density per mg compare to a human brain. Of course I don't know how all this would translate to mental capabilities but it still shows that we can have the same brain mass even with a smaller head, and it would be interesting to see higher neuron density in an average size human head as well.
Bakoro t1_j4rnua3 wrote
As I said, perhaps there could be more efficient ways to make a brain. Evolution is unlikely to do it for us in any appreciable amount of time. Maybe direct genetic manipulation could, but that's a technique that would serve future generations.
The people with hydrocephalus, and people with brain damage who end up more or less functional, are benefitting from that brain plasticity that I was talking about. Different parts of the brain picking up the slack. Hydrocephalus is also often associated with behavioral and emotional problems, so it's not like a perfect compensation.
I'm not arguing that there is no possible alternative, only that, things stand now, artificial expansion of the brain is the most likely way increase human cognitive ability of existing humans.
If someone comes up with a way to make a human with 50x neuron density, I'm happy to be the experimental papa to that kid.
shmoculus t1_j4p8wdh wrote
Computers (even the brain) take a lot of energy, you'd have eat a lot more food to run your upgraded brain
Also Facebook (or whatever version of it will exist then) will just use it sell ads straight into your consciousness
Bakoro t1_j4pby5r wrote
I haven't had a problem accessing an excess of calories.
Facebook can try whatever they want. It'd be a brains arms race, and at a certain point, people would be smart enough to design and manufacture their own stuff, rather than being beholden to corporations.
The thing about intelligence, is that it tends to be freeing.
mindofstephen t1_j4px91d wrote
I think us Americans have plenty of excess energy to power some brain upgrade modules and can you just came up with one of the first apps for your upgrade, an ad blocking antivirus firewall for your brain.
OldWorldRevival t1_j4q38ql wrote
Can't wait for Elon Musk to control your mind, eh?
Bakoro t1_j4rloyp wrote
This is from researchers out of Linköping University, Norrköping, Sweden.
Elon has nothing to do with this.
Mostly I just want people like you to have more than two neurons to rub together.
OldWorldRevival t1_j4rzvw6 wrote
Can't wait for some Vikings to control your mind, eh?
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