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From: tim@hoptoad.uucp (Tim Maroney)
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk
Subject: Re: who does it... // State of the art today?
Message-ID: <3050@hoptoad.uucp>
Date: Thu, 24-Sep-87 07:35:47 EDT
Article-I.D.: hoptoad.3050
Posted: Thu Sep 24 07:35:47 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 26-Sep-87 09:34:31 EDT
References: <4319@spool.wisc.edu> <3048@hoptoad.uucp>
Reply-To: tim@hoptoad.UUCP (Tim Maroney)
Organization: Sun Microsystems, TOPS Division, Berkeley
Lines: 39

John, you're pretty much right about the state of the art.  I wouldn't bet
on any serious neuro-electric interfacing being done in the next two
decades.  There are a *lot* of problems.  You can't just stick wires
into neurons.

First, sensory and muscular axons are often very long - some are several
feet long - and it is hard to see how many of the cyberpunk wonder toys
could avoid cutting neurons.  After cutting the neuron, you have to jam some
kind of genetically engineered substitute against the raw end (and fast;
cells are not very happy when they don't have any nuclei), and the
technaiuqes for making something to do this just don't exist.

Second, neural connections are complicated, with amazingly small features
determining their topology.  What's more, the features change over time, and
any artificial add-on would have to do the same.

Third, neurons are not the same from person to person.  The nervous system
works out its own codes and patterns in the course of development, and it is
well established that small differences during development blossom into
large differences later.  Albinism is particularly interesting in this
respect.  Somehow the add-on systems would have to adapt to the
idiosyncracies of each particular nervous system.

Fourth, the synaptic junction is still fairly mysterious.  A lot of the
physical chemistry and physics has been worked out; a lot hasn't.

My understanding, such as it is, comes from a few semesters of
graduate-level courses on sensory processes and physiological psychology,
and a good deal of outside reading.  For anyone who wants to get a good,
reasonably current, and well-balanced treatment of the human nervous system,
I would recommend Jean-Pierre Changeux, "Neuronal Man", Oxford Paperbacks,
1985 (Dr. Laurence Garey, translator).

And before closing, I'd like to make it clear that though the obstacles are
formidable, I expect to see amazing breakthroughs before the end of my
natural lifespan (I'm 25).
-- 
Tim Maroney, {ihnp4,sun,well,ptsfa,lll-crg}!hoptoad!tim (uucp)
hoptoad!tim@lll-crg (arpa)