In my recent post about robots, I mentioned this scientific paper regarding parcellation of a fixed brain for the purpose of electron microscope scanning.
https://zenodo.org/records/19734168
In that paper, starting on page 11, Helmstaedter describes some details of a parcellation strategy where the tissue is made brittle and then small blocks are cracked off. The process would be filmed and analyzed by AI in order to assist with registration, the process of matching the pieces up again later.
After thinking about this for a while, I have some suggested improvements. The big problem with Helmstaedter's strategy is that he doesn't really explain how to break off the small blocks. He describes an almost lossless technique of using pointed diamond knives with spacers and shows an associated diagram. Mechanically, that is unlikely to work. The tip will damage the brain, the orientation is wrong, the spacers will crush, etc. It's the start of a good idea, but it remains incomplete and unworkable.
My solution is to add a rind to the tissue at every step so that all damage happens within the rind and also to propagate only one crack at a time in a single controlled manner. By having a rind, the two parts can be put under tension rather than the local compression of a wedge. The brain remains protected at all times.
I haven't quite decided how thick the rind should be; let's assume 4mm of polymer for now on large blocks and thinner for smaller blocks. A 3mm groove would then be cut around the entire circumference, leverage would be applied at intervals to initiate crack propagation, and the brain would be divided into two parts. The two newly exposed surfaces would be coated with additional rind polymer and then the process would be repeated on each half. It would take about 16 doublings to get the 50,000 small bocks suggested by Helmstaedter.
Human researchers could do a series of these manually at first to fully develop the technique, but it would ultimately need to be automated with robotics and AI that should be readily available in a few short years. Because parcellation will not require microbots, let alone nanobots, I'm shortening my timeline estimate for the beginning of the Great Upload Event from 60 yrs down to 50 yrs. Parcellation is not a roadblock, so it will have zero effect on the timing of the Great Upload Event. In other posts, I will look at trying to identify the hardest slowest steps in the upload process. Those other hard steps are also looking progressively easier than we ever thought possible, so I'm hoping to eventually move my estimate even earlier.
Parcellation
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jordansparks
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Re: Parcellation
Problems with my suggestion:
1. I'm very unclear if the entire brain could be made brittle enough.
2. The rind would need to be completely removed if expansion microscopy turns out to be the winning scanning tech. Removal would be nearly impossible.
3. A lot of robotics would be required. We currently have nearly zero robotic capability.
Limitations of my suggestion:
A. My truly lossless approach won't be needed for the first few brains, where some loss will be tolerable. It won't be until we actually start trying to revive people that such strict parcellation will be needed.
1. I'm very unclear if the entire brain could be made brittle enough.
2. The rind would need to be completely removed if expansion microscopy turns out to be the winning scanning tech. Removal would be nearly impossible.
3. A lot of robotics would be required. We currently have nearly zero robotic capability.
Limitations of my suggestion:
A. My truly lossless approach won't be needed for the first few brains, where some loss will be tolerable. It won't be until we actually start trying to revive people that such strict parcellation will be needed.