Neurotech: BCI & WBE Q&A with Randal Koene, Carbon Copies

Presenters: Randal Koene, Carbon Copies Randal has had a dream of unraveling the blueprint of the human brain. He studied physics in Amsterdam, mastered in AI, and did a computational neuroscience PhD. He taught about the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus at Boston University as a postdoc. Randal currently lives in San Francisco where he spearheads a nonprofit dedicated to advancing whole brain emulation….

Q&A Takeaways: Our experience of the universe is completely dependent on the brain The ethics of whole brain emulation and the process of getting there are important to consider One may wonder what the development of BCI or whole brain emulation looks like under a Chinese ethical framework Whole brain emulation represents a paradigm shift, similar to the evolutionary leap of having brains to begin with Whole brain emulation is near-term in a historical context In the near term, understanding the basic brain circuitry is going to be extremely interesting even though it doesn’t quite qualify as neurotech Its difficult to define what is invasive. For instance, MRI fields likely affect the brain if done for long durations. Brain computer interfaces probably need direct neuronal contact to be practical The hippocampal brain prosthetic shows promise even though it is currently quite primitive Neuropharmacology, neurofeedback, brain training, diagnostics, brain computer interface, and neuroprosthetics are very close to development. High resolution recording of neural activity is lagging in terms of progress Our ability to physically render neuron connections and organization is progressing extremely fast We need to understand the constraints the brain enforces upon itself which make its functions predictable, similar to how a computer is made up of analog components but has overarching rules that allow for absolute predictable behavior Often the extremes of technology are overhyped, either destruction or salvation, but the middling ground is a more likely reality The hippocampus, cerebellum, retina, and auditory cortex are currently being explored for brain prosthetics The Virtual Brain Project, headed by Randal, seeks to create an emulated brain so that it becomes possible to develop better methods of measurement and manipulation