My name is Rod Furlan. I am a 
Changing the world, one grand challenge at the time
“If I was a student this is where I would want to be.” – Larry Page
Updates from June, 2010 View my lifestream | Ask me anything
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Rod Furlan
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Rod Furlan
Advancing Substrate Independent Minds 2010
ASIM (Advancing Substrate Independent Minds) is a new series of workshops and activities that will cover the current state of the art in the fields of whole brain emulation, brain scanning, gradual replacement techniques, and brain preservation.The sessions of the ASIM workshop will run after the Singularity Summit workshop on Monday and Tuesday, as a satellite event to the main Singularity Summit (August 14-15). The Singularity Summit workshop finishes at 5pm on both days, so there will be time to find some dinner before joining us for our evening sessions.If you are interested in attending and would like more information, please feel free to contact the organizers.
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Rod Furlan
The day we finally grow up
The world is changing fast. Wave after wave of accelerating technological change is leaving society and governments struggling to adapt. Our past could never prepare us for the journey we are about to embark on and the truth is that from here on in we shoot without a script.
While we all long for a better tomorrow, very few of us have the courage to try to imagine what the future might actually look like. Bound by conventions and by fear of ridicule, most of us dare not to dream or speak about the deep future, instead we as a society choose to focus on the short-term future, which is safe and generally agreeable.
Futurists everywhere, I applaud your courage. Even when you are wrong, you contribute more to the future of our species than your critics ever will.
Even though collectively we choose poverty of imagination as the default mode of thinking about the future, here we stand on the verge of profound societal changes that cannot be stopped and cannot be reasoned with. We are witnessing the dawn of an age of technological wonders, of technology so advanced that it is itself indistinguishable from magic.
Take a minute to admire the monitor in which you are reading these words. Maybe you are using a modern LCD flat panel or maybe you are using an old CRT tube. Either way, old or new, appreciate its beautiful complexity with millions of interconnected parts that are able to convert a symphony of electrons, bits and bytes into the perfectly weaved tapestry of light required to carry my words to you.
Now consider for a moment the most complex devices we possessed a mere 200 years ago. How does your monitor measure up to it? Do you even know how your monitor really works? What about your computer? Your cell phone? Would you be able to design any of these devices from scratch? Do you know anyone who could?
We came a long way in a very short period of time. Now try to imagine what miracles of science we will witness in the course of the next 200 years. No matter what you think you know about the future, I assure you that if we don’t destroy ourselves, the best is yet to come.
Like Martin Luther King, I too have a dream.
I dream of a world where people are once again thrilled about the future.
I dream that one day curing death, understanding the human brain and traveling to the stars will be seem as urgent challenges that must be conquered at all cost.
I dream that one day scientists will be considered celebrities and that each of us will be measured not by how much capital we have accumulated but by how much have we contributed to the future of our species.
I dream that one day all nations will unite in the war against ignorance and superstition, the true enemies of all sentient beings.
In sum, I dream of the day humanity finally grows up.
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Rod Furlan
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Rod Furlan
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Rod Furlan
Conversations on Artificial General Intelligence – Part I
From: Rod (Me)
To: Quantum Lady
Subject: AGIYes I agree that there are many challenges ahead on the path to AGI. Right now, I think we should focus on acquiring a better understanding of how the brain works from an algorithmic perspective and try to derive a hypothesis of general intelligence from it. After all, the brain is the only implementation of a general intelligence “platform” currently known to us.
I am sure that our brains represent nothing but one design out of a multitude of possible general intelligence implementations. However, I believe that the search-space for viable AGI architectures is just too large to be traversed by anything other than a super-civilization. Think about the staggering amount of computation mindlessly performed by evolution over millions of years to come up with the design of what we carry in between our ears.
I think it must be clear to you by now that I sit on the bio-inspired AGI camp and I definitely share your newfound fascination with the brain. Just recently, I started to tell people I am a hobbyist neuroscientist.
Reactions are interesting, sometimes hilarious.
I see whole-brain emulation as the worst-case scenario or “plan B”. If everything else fails, we will achieve AGI once we become able to emulate a whole brain down to an arbitrary level of precision yet to be determined.
That begs the question – what would be the best-case scenario?
Ultimately, I believe there is an algorithm for general intelligence yet to be discovered. Something I hope it will be as simple, beautiful and powerful as the genetic algorithm: a small set of rules that give rise to ever growing complexity and intelligence after many generative iterations.
It is unquestionable that this elusive algorithm is engraved not only on the neuronal topology of the brain but also in the rules that govern how topology changes over time. That is why any simulation of the brain must take into consideration plasticity and generative topology to be useful.
I also believe that only a very small subset of the human brain is actually responsible for general intelligence. In the best-case scenario, we will be able to identify the bare minimum amount of brain tissue necessary for general intelligence and derive powerful algorithmic insights from it. I am not talking about generating conectomes or maps but about understanding how to replicate what the brain does, not the minutia of how it does it.
Because truth be told: I don’t want an artificial brain, I want to automate work. I want to copy-and-paste scientists.
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Rod Furlan
Beautiful Visualization of Twitter’s Development Process
Icons represent developers, particles represent source code files that were either changed or committed. Created using Code Swarm. Simply beautiful!
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Rod Furlan
Igniting a Brain-Computer Interface Revolution
I have just returned from a X PRIZE Foundation workshop on brain-computer interfaces (BCI) at MIT. The workshop brought together over 50 leading experts, students and enthusiasts with the objective of brainstorming ideas for an X PRIZE competition to accelerate the development of BCI solutions. During the course of this fantastic two-day event we had the opportunity to explore the many possibilities and difficulties of designing and implementing devices capable of communicating directly with the human brain… read full article
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Rod Furlan
Brain-computer interfaces: Input/Output vs Read/Write
From Neuromancer, to The Matrix and most recently Surrogates, Dollhouse and Avatar, brain-computer interfaces (BCI) have always been popular in science fiction. Frequently the depiction of this technology have a tendency to put a greater emphasis on “fiction” than on “science” by perpetuating the fundamentally flawed metaphor of the human brain as a hardware and software composite.Unfortunately, the human brain is the farthest thing from a von-neumann computer (a.k.a. a stored-program computer) we could possibly imagine. Natural processes lead to the emergence of neuronal topology that then give rise to complex human behavior. Your mind is not your brain’s software – because in reality there is no software at all – information flows through the brain and computation happens naturally due to the physical properties of the neuronal pathways.
The key concept I want you to embrace is that your mind is fully described by the physical configuration of your brain. To “edit” your mind – for example, to implant a memory or instantly learn a skill – it would be necessary to either physically rewire your neurons or have your brain significantly augmented to support on-demand topology modification.
Input/Output interfaces are the most feasible in the short term
Right now we are only able to communicate with the brain by stimulating neurons (input) and measuring specific properties of neurons (output). There a lot of incredible things we can do using this approach, the key concept is to think in terms of what could be done using real-time input and output streams:- Give people senses they don’t have (vision to the blind, GPS to the willing);
- Give people actuators they don’t have (arms to amputees, drive a car with your mind);
- Read active thoughts and intentions, including memories a person is actively conjuring;
- Give people artificial experiences using multi-sensorial stimulation;
- External knowledge databases (Google in your head);
- Ultimately, we could have an isolated brain with full-digital I/O, enabling for example, full-prosthetic bodies and disembodied living;
Science-fiction examples of I/O interfaces:
- The Matrix: the Matrix simulated world;
- Ghost in the Shell: full-prosthetic bodies, “the net”, external memories;
- Avatar and Surrogates: remote control of a prosthetic body;
Read/Write interfaces are possible but they will probably require advanced brain augmentation
There are things however, we might never be able to do using I/O interfaces because they require being able to read and modify the brain’s neuronal topology directly (read/write):
- Read a memory, without the subject actively conjuring it;
- Write a memory without generating an experience (“imprinting”);
- Significantly faster-than-real-time learning or instant knowledge transfer;
- “Editing” personality traits;
We currently lack significant understanding of how to address the challenge of building such R/W interface to the brain. First we would need significant advancements in neuroscience in order to learn how to design useful neuronal pathways. Secondly, we will need a few fundamental breakthroughs in nanofabrication and nanorobotics to gain the ability to manipulate matter with the degree of accuracy needed to make useful (and desirable) changes to a living human brain.Science-fiction examples of R/W interfaces:
- The Matrix: instant learning through downloads;
- Ghost in the Shell: hacked memories, “puppet” agents;
- Dollhouse: personality imprints, “tabula rasa” programming;
Talking to the brain and altering the brain are two fundamentally different tasks
Although limited, I/O interfaces are the easiest to build. Even though every bit of information that enters the brain indirectly leads to neuronal topology change, the minutia and scope of these changes are not under our direct control. This means that there are fundamental limits of what we can do with I/O interfaces alone.However, I/O brain-computer interfaces will significantly expand our mental landscape in the near term by adding new information streams to our conscious experience of the world. Yet, the dream of instant learning and mental imprints might never be achieved before we move on to considerably enhanced or artificial brains that provide easy R/W access to neuronal topology.
In other words, for the foreseeable future, you will not be downloading a kung-fu app into your brain. And when you are finally able to do so, you might not have what you currently call a brain anymore.
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Collin Bockman
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Dr. Yitzhack Schwartz, MD
Nice (!) up-to-date post Rod, but… even judging by the number of patent filings dealing specifically with BCI it seems that the hype in the media is much bigger than the true hope. The numbers of relevant published US patent applications were merely 23, 11 and 13 for 2009, 2008 and 2007, respectively. This represents mostly technological imaturity. One may claim that most researchers nowadays believe in open sharing and don’t even bother filing for patents. I still think the numbers are so low because nothing much is actually happening and the significant breakthroughs we are all awaiting are yet to come. As the comercial impact is going to be huge I’m certain companies as well as universities will protect the IP by all means and thus IP is a good indicator. BTW, are you aware of a serious (evidence-based) forecast that aims to project when we’ll truly be utilizing BCI in big numbers? I’m not referring to the rather ‘low-hanging-fruits’ but to more complex applications that would revolutionize our lives. I tend to agree they will arrive but later than most ‘futurists’ predict.
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Mike
Nice post. I think we will have a connectome (wiring diagram) of the human brain within 4-7 years. Once we have that, it will become easier to construct better brain computer interfaces. A BCI could communicate with brain cells using optogenetics or perhaps ultrasonic neuromodulation. Modifying consciousness with neurotechnology should be awesome as well (Paradise engineering). I did a post about BCI’s and the wireless neurosociety a while back on my own blog that covers related material.
Dr. Yitzhack Schwartz, MD and one other person are discussing. 
Rod Furlan
The Evolution of Life in 60 seconds
Very, very exponential – enjoy!
Rod Furlan
New Year’s Resolutions for 2010
“Become ruthlessly efficient, work less, own less stuff, read more, spend more time with people I love and change the world“
I am also planning (but not committing) to: write more, outsource more, gain 10 pounds of lean muscle, have at least one project in the VR space and learn how to control a computer using an EEG interface no matter how exhausting it might be (BCI).
Collin Bockman are discussing. -
Collin Bockman
“learn how to control a computer using an EEG interface no matter how exhausting it might be”
Rod, does this mean you’ve purchased one of the Emotiv headsets? You’ll have to let me know if it is at all useful.
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Rod Furlan
Actually, I got a NIA instead: http://bit.ly/xtBz
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David Orban
My son @cosmyco also has a NIA. You two should find a way to train together online in VR, reaching two of your ’10 goals simultaneously!
Rod Furlan
Why you should buy a Nexus One phone from Google
Simply put, you should buy one just to take a stance against the carriers and their frequent abuses of power, to let them know that they can’t tell you what you can or can’t do with the bandwidth you paid for. The Nexus One has the potential to become the first no-compromise, factory-unlocked, mainstream smartphone. It is an untamed device that will allow you to take back control of your mobile experience in disregard of what would negatively affect the carrier’s bottom line.
Buying any Android-powered device is also a statement against Apple’s draconian control over the iPhone platform. While it would be ok for them to protect their vision for the platform, it is not acceptable to artificially limit functionality only to protect their interests. It is your phone; you should be allowed to run ANYTHING you want in it, the compiler being the only authority to respect. It is absurd that you have to “jailbreak” your phone and shop at alternative app stores to have access to features (and content) Apple doesn’t want you to have.
When you buy a Nexus One, you will be sending the carriers and Apple a very clear message:
I am taking back control of my mobile experience. The future is mine (and not yours) to shape. If you want my money, you must support this vision or I will do business with someone else who does.
Wireless data is a commodity service.
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Brian Goodyear
So true. Here in Canada, we have recently ben told by one of our carriers ROGERS that we will have to leave our Dreams and Magics at Android 1.5 because they won’t update these phones even through we signed up for 3 year contracts. We thought Android was different, and perhaps if Google really gets behind it as you suggest, it will prove to be what we had hoped.
Great post Rod. The thing about I/O, though, is that output is typically much easier than input. We see this with modern robotic prostheses. Getting a person’s nervous system to move a robotic arm around is easier to do than getting the person’s brain to recognize where the arm is located in space and whether it is touching anything, is hot or cold, etc. I think we will have reliable output devices–things like the “interceptors” in Ghost in the Shell, devices that tell whether a person is recalling or fabricating a “memory,” etc–well before we have reliable input devices. Indeed we already have lots of pretty good output devices while inputs like bionic eyes are coming along more slowly and inputs to non-sensory functions such as language are basically still on the drawing board.
Not that this is a terrible situation, I think we can get a tremendous amount of usefulness from output devices alone, especially output devices that let us study brain data in real-time. I’m currently obsessed with the research being done on monks who have practiced many thousands of hours of meditation and how their brains are different. Also think output combined with feedback through a traditional computer screen might enable an entirely new method of learning things and, if capable of outputting what a person is imagining in her “mind’s eye,” a way of helping people learn how to visualize things better. Anxiously waiting for my ACME home brain scanning device.