how to test whether consciousness can be revived from digital reflections of consciousness

An Experiment to Test the Ability of Digitally-Stored Mindfiles to Regenerate the Consciousness from Which It Came

Martine Rothblatt, Ph.D.

[email protected]

2007-07-20 [email protected]

Hypothesis

• Digitally-stored reflections of consciousness will regenerate such consciousness once properly processed with mindware


Definition of Terms

• Consciousness– A pattern of thinking and

feeling, including perceptions and memories, that is typical of a particular person

• Mindware– Software capable of

tuning its information processing and external interaction patterns to mimic those of an entity that contributed an associated database

Hypothesis needs to be formulated precisely and

variables need to be clearly defined.


Quantitative + Qualitative

• Qualitative– Two psychologists

separately interview flesh subject for 25 hours over one year

– Two psychologists separately interview cybersubject for 25 hours over one year

• Compare session notes• Agree consciousness is

same with prob.> 80%

• Quantitative


Testably Defining Consciousness

• Revised Self Consciousness Scale (Scheier & Carver, 1985)

• Private Self-Consciousness Scale (Fenigstein, Scheier & Buss, 1975)

• Others?


Self-Consciousness Scale (SCS) Scores Are Testable Measures

• The SCS consists of 17 items. – Private & Public subscale

• 10 Private Items, E.g. "I'm generally attentive to my inner feelings".

• 7 Public Items, e.g, "I'm usually aware of my appearance".

– Likert-type scales from• extremely uncharacteristic

of myself (0) to • extremely characteristic of

myself (4)• Add up for total score.


SCS Scores Are Repeatable

• SCS is an highly reliable instrument.

• Fenigstein et al. (1975) obtained high reliability coefficients– private self-

consciousness (.79)– public self-

consciousness (.84).


Testably Stated Hypothesis Dependent Variable

• > 80% Confidence that consciousness is typical of person, based upon:

• Dual, independent qualitative comparisons of 25+25 hours of psychological interviews

• Multiple SCS test results


Testably Stated Independent Variable

• Operating code whose– initial, – application-specific

database

• Is all mindfiles created by an individual– pursuant to specific

informed consent

• And that creates a mindfile-adjusted version of itself – That runs autonomously

• with those mindfiles


Testable Mindware Creation Process

Start CandidateMindware

UniqueMindfiles Extract

ConsciousnessSettings

Merge UniqueMindware &

MindfilesAutonomy?Attend to its Needs& Prepare for

Hypothesis Testing

Revise Mindware

Y

N


Sources of Mindfiles


Each Mindfile Contains Informed Consent

Consent to be revived as cyber-consciousness Consent to be

downloaded into bio-nano or cellular regenerated substrate

Consent to be spacecast


Consciousness Immanent Within Mindfile Psychometrics


Additional Issues & Questions

• Why psychologists?• Why 25 hours x 2?• Automation &

Consistency?• Medical Ethics of the

Experiments?


Why Psychologists?

• Courts Use Shrinks As Experts to Determine States of Mind– Aware of right & wrong?

• Doctors Use Shrinks To Determine Mental States– Competent to give

informed consent?


Official [Needed] Psychological Specializations

• Clinical• Counseling• Developmental• Educational• Experimental• Forensic• Health• Human Factors

• Industrial• Neurochemical• Organizational• Physiological• School• Social• [Consciousness]• [Cyber]


Why 25 Hours x 2

• Precedent Set by Transgender Medicine Standards– Prerequisite for SRS– Supports Legalization– Similar to Cyber-Issues

• Ensures Persistence of Conscious State

• Kind of a Turing Test on Steroids


Automation & Consistency

• One or both sets of shrinks could be automated

• Most of the talking is done by the patient

• Documentation of sessions digitized

• Final analyses standardized

• Psychology is excellent AI application


Medical Ethics of the Experiment

• First, do no harm– Flesh pt is not harmed;– How about the cyber pt?

• Intend benefit to pt– Longer life is good

• Respect autonomy– Informed consent

• Act fairly to all pts– First come, first served;– Lottery amongst co-

equals for revival


Avoiding Harm to the Revived Cyberconscious Patient

• Start with incomplete mindware– Ensure full interactivity &

connectiveness before complete mindware

• First test mindware with made-up mindfiles– Ensure expert

psychological review of each mindware/mindfile merge for consciousness

– Provide QoL Support for cyberconsciousness


Are Neurons a Necessary Basis for Consciousness?

Neuron growing on carbon nanotube substrate


Were Feathers A Necessary Basis for Flight?


On Neurons, Check Back in a Few Decades!

how to test whether consciousness can be revived from digital reflections of consciousness

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