A Brain for the Long Run

I'm somewhat overdue in pointing out a piece by Natasha Vita-More entitled "The Strategic Sustainable Brain":

People are living longer; there is a notable increase in the number of activists supporting life extension technologies; economic reporting predicts an increase in research and development of molecular manufacturing and nanotechnology; programming engineers are reveling in the increase in research and development of superintelligence; and conservative organizations are publishing warnings indicating an increased awareness of the potential threats of superintelligence. These events will directly or indirectly affect the brain, resulting in a set of expectations for the brain to function over a longer period of time and operate at a higher level of quality than it has ever achieved in the past.

While I wouldn't have approached the topic in quite the same way, being more of a first things first type, I'm basically in agreement. It should be of interest to those of us looking at the long haul who are most concerned about neurodegeneration and the long term maintenance of the brain. You are your brain; the rest of your body could, at worst, be replaced via future regenerative medicine, but we will need to be very good at repairing the brain in situ - or building a better alternative.

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