MIT severs ties to company promoting fatal brain uploading

#1

Post by apsec112 » Tue, Apr 03, 2018, 5:25 PM UTC

MIT severs ties to company promoting fatal brain uploading
technologyreview.com

Re: MIT severs ties to company promoting fatal brain uploading

#2

Post by starrychloe2 » Tue, Apr 03, 2018, 5:32 PM UTC

Profiting off Darwin Award candidates?

Sounds like a Black Mirror episode (several actually).

Re: MIT severs ties to company promoting fatal brain uploading

#3

Post by makepanic » Tue, Apr 03, 2018, 5:57 PM UTC

First time seeing a website checking for private mode:

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> Why we made this change

> Visitors are allowed 3 free articles per month (without a subscription), and private browsing prevents us from counting how many stories you've read.

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In case others don't want to leave private mode: http://archive.is/DjsiK

Re: MIT severs ties to company promoting fatal brain uploading

#4

Post by zitterbewegung » Tue, Apr 03, 2018, 5:57 PM UTC

MITs statement seems to position themselves to not be at risk if the startup goes south. They seem to think that with current technology it is unclear if the upload is feasible. Also, it would be interesting for someone to comment on how this embalming process is done?

From what I know from cryogenic freezing or preservation is that it is a good idea that it could be "scanned" back in but most likely the information is lost. I would like to understand how they solve this using embalming. MIT seems to say that we don't know that at all.

Is this company a part of Ycombinator Winter 2018? https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/nectome#section-fund... says it was funded in January 2018.

Re: MIT severs ties to company promoting fatal brain uploading

#5

Post by walrus01 » Tue, Apr 03, 2018, 5:59 PM UTC

For those who are unfamiliar with the general concept, there are several organizations that will be happy to take large sums of money from you, for a scientifically sketchy claim at resurrection at some future unknown date.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=alcor+cryonics&oq=alcor+cryon...

Re: MIT severs ties to company promoting fatal brain uploading

#6

Post by Rotten194 » Tue, Apr 03, 2018, 6:03 PM UTC

makepanic wrote: post #3

First time seeing a website checking for private mode: > Hello, > We noticed you're browsing in private or incognito mode. > To continue reading this article, please exit incognito mode or log in. > Why we made this change > Visitors are allowed 3 free articles per month (without a subscription), and private browsing prevents us from counting how many stories you've read. > We hope you understand, and consider subscr…

How does it do that? Do browsers set a flag? That seems like a privacy hole.

Re: MIT severs ties to company promoting fatal brain uploading

#7

Post by bentruyman » Tue, Apr 03, 2018, 6:06 PM UTC

Rotten194 wrote: post #6

makepanic wrote: post #3

First time seeing a website checking for private mode: > Hello, > We noticed you're browsing in private or incognito mode. > To continue reading this article, please exit incognito mode or log in. > Why we made this change > Visitors are allowed 3 free articles per month (without a subscription), and private browsing prevents us from counting how many stories you've read. > We hope you understand, and consider subscr…

How does it do that? Do browsers set a flag? That seems like a privacy hole.

There are certain browser APIs disabled in the browser in incognito mode that can be detected. How else would you implement incognito mode?

Re: MIT severs ties to company promoting fatal brain uploading

#8

Post by iamatworknow » Tue, Apr 03, 2018, 6:06 PM UTC

Hopefully this work will continue at Viktor Chondria University.

Re: MIT severs ties to company promoting fatal brain uploading

#9

Post by Jacqued » Tue, Apr 03, 2018, 6:06 PM UTC

Rotten194 wrote: post #6

makepanic wrote: post #3

First time seeing a website checking for private mode: > Hello, > We noticed you're browsing in private or incognito mode. > To continue reading this article, please exit incognito mode or log in. > Why we made this change > Visitors are allowed 3 free articles per month (without a subscription), and private browsing prevents us from counting how many stories you've read. > We hope you understand, and consider subscr…

How does it do that? Do browsers set a flag? That seems like a privacy hole.

My guess is that they feature detect, using disabled stuff (eg localStorage error 22 on safari private mode) to find out if your browser looks like one in private mode.

Re: MIT severs ties to company promoting fatal brain uploading

#10

Post by andrewmunsell » Tue, Apr 03, 2018, 6:08 PM UTC

makepanic wrote: post #3

First time seeing a website checking for private mode: > Hello, > We noticed you're browsing in private or incognito mode. > To continue reading this article, please exit incognito mode or log in. > Why we made this change > Visitors are allowed 3 free articles per month (without a subscription), and private browsing prevents us from counting how many stories you've read. > We hope you understand, and consider subscr…

Or you can disable it with a query param: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/610743/mit-severs-ties-to...