Neuroengineering the Future: Virtual Minds and the Creation of Immortality Book

Preface     xiii
Acknowledgments     xvii
Foundational Material
Introduction     3
The Brain as Designed by Evolution: Functional Neuroanatomy     15
The Brain: An Evolutionary Overview     16
The reptilian brain     18
The limbic brain     20
The neocortex     23
The Neuron and the Neuron Doctrine     25
Some Important Systems     31
Vision     31
The motor system     38
The arousal system     41
Anatomical Limitations of the Brain     44
Volume and weight     44
Surface area     46
White matter and conduction time     48
Barriers to the evolution of the brain     49
The Brain as Designed by Evolution: Low- and High-Level Cognition     53
Neural Networks     53
Pattern recognition and computation     55
Representation     59
Learning     61
High-level cognition     63
The tale of the monkfish     64
Symbolic cognition     67
Implications for neuroengineering     71
Computational Limitations of Homo Sapiens     73
AFramework for Consciousness and Its Role in Neuroengineering     79
Introductory Concepts     80
Qualia as the data of consciousness     81
Supervenience     84
Experimental Data     88
Blindsight     89
Binocular rivalry     93
Backward masking     94
Context-driven perception     95
Sleep and unconsciousness     98
Supervenient Theories: A Survey     99
Eliminative materialism     101
Noneliminative materialism     103
Quantum theories of consciousness     105
Functionalism     109
Can this Theory be Saved?     117
The reciprocal corollary     120
Theoretical comparisons     123
Consistency with results     126
Statism?     134
Reduced Functionalism and Neuroengineering     136
Personal Identity     141
Philosophical Foundations     147
The simple view     147
Psychological continuity     149
Organic continuity     152
Deflationary accounts     153
Insights from Buddhism and Eastern Religions     156
Psychology and Identity     157
Pathologies of identity     158
The plasticity of self     160
Autobiographical memory     161
The neurobiology of self     164
A Synthesis of Views: The Self as Genuine Illusion     166
The Fluidity of Identity     178
Neural Engineering: The State of the Art
Brain Machine Interfaces: Principles, Issues, and Examples     185
Principles of BMI     187
Bandwidth and degrees of freedom     187
Open and closed loop systems     190
Adaptation and plasticity     191
Course coding and cell ensembles     194
Transparency of action     197
Reading from the brain     200
Noninvasive methods     200
Invasive methods     209
Semi-invasive methods     211
Signal Interpretation     211
Linear methods     213
Nonlinear methods     214
Mind reading vs. brain reading     215
Representative Examples     217
Animal, invasive     218
Human, noninvasive     220
Human, semi-invasive and invasive     223
Stimulating the Brain     231
Sensory Prostheses      232
Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)     237
Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS)     243
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)     244
Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation (CES)     248
Near-term Trends     253
Closed Loop Brain Stimulation (CLBS)     253
The Expanded Sensorium     256
Implantable Chips, Extensible Bodies     258
Mind Reading     261
Neuroart     263
A New "New Age"?     265
The Future of Neuroengineering
From Thinking Caps to Eureka Caps     273
The Amplification of Intelligence     273
The nature of intelligence     274
Augmented cognition     280
Toward a thinking cap     281
The Induction of Creativity     287
Anecdotal and psychological evidence     288
Neurophysiology and creativity     292
Toward a eureka-inducing device     294
The Manufactured Genius?     298
Happy on Demand     303
Pleasure and the Brain     305
Self-stimulation and reward     305
Imaging studies of meditation     308
Orgasm and euphoria     311
Theories of Happiness      314
Determinants of Happiness     318
Clear Perception, Clear Action: An Integrated View of Happiness and Pleasure     321
The Kernel Pleasure Principle (KPP)     325
Happiness Machines: Orbs and Orgasmatrons     329
Uploading the Soul: Prospects and Mechanisms     339
Review and Clarification of the Necessary Conditions for Identity Uploading     343
Uploading Procedures     345
Thought and behavior replication     345
Synaptic copying     349
Gradual offloading     353
Who Gets to be Virtualized?     354
Look, Ma. No Body!     356
The Mind, Unbound     363
Temporary Immortality     364
Neuroholidays     367
Soul Amalgams     375
The Fundamental Luminosity of Mind     379
Index     383