Hofstadter, Dennett - The Mind's I

Beyond Rejection 246Psycheticians take care of minds. 'That's why they aresometimes called vampires. Somaticians are called ghoulsbecause they take care of bodies.-I. F. + S. C. Operation Logbook, Append. II, Press ReleasesGermaine Means grinned wolfishly at them. "I am a psychetician. What Terrywould call a vampire. Call me Germaine if that does not appeal."They were seated facing a blackboard at one end of a large room which wasotherwise filled with data cabinets, office cubicles, and computer consoles. The womanwho addressed them wore severe and plain overalls. When she had first come to theNorbert Wiener Research Hospital-NWRH-the director had suggested that the chiefpsychetician might dress more suitably. That director had retired early."As you know from what Austin Worms told you, we think of the individualhuman mind as an abstract pattern of memory, skill, and experience that has beenimpressed on the physical hardware of the brain. Think of it this way: when you get acomputer factory-fresh, it is like a blanked human brain. The computer has nosubroutines, just as the brain has no skills. The computer has no data arrays to call on,just as the blanked brain has no memories."What we do here is try to implant the pattern of memory, skill, an experience thatis all that is left of a person into a blanked brain. It is not easy because brains are notmanufactured. You have to grow them. And, a unique personality has to be part of thisgrowth and development. So, each brain is different. So no software mind fits anyhardware brai perfectly. Except the brain that it grew up with."For instance," Germaine Means continued, softening her tone so she would notalert Ms. Pedersen's boyfriend, who was dozing in a well padded chair, his elegant legsthrust straight out in full display, tights to sandals. "For instance, when pressure is appliedto this person's foot, his brain knows how to interpret the nervous impulses from hisfoot." She suited her action to her words."His yelp indicates that his brain recognizes that considerable pressure has beenapplied to the toes of his left foot. If, however, we implanted another mind, it would notinterpret the nervous impulses correctly-it might feel the impulses as a stomachache."`~The young man was on his feet, bristling. He moved toward Germaine, who hadturned away to pick up what looked like a pair of goggles