In theory one could upload a human brain by capturing all the necessary details without necessarily comprehending the brain’s overall plan. In practice, however, this is unlikely to work. Understanding the principles of operation of the human brain will reveal which details are essential and which details are intended to be disordered. We need to know, for example, which molecules in the neurotransmitters are critical, and whether we need to capture overall levels, position and location, and/or molecular shape.
