[ACCEPTED] Memory Backup

[Guest Complete Garbage]

Type (e.g. Planet, Faction, System): Medical Procedure

Founding/Settlement Date (if applicable): Whenever cloning was invented.

Region of Space: N/A

Controlled by (if not a faction): Probably patented by NT.

Other Snapshot information: Basically an explanation as to why people have memories when cloned, and why cloning causes brain damage.

Long Description:

Memories are essentially electrical activity activity in the brain. When a person dies, electrical activity in the brain stops. Memories are not tangible, and hold no physical form, so when a person dies, all of their memories are lost. A memory backup are is when all important memories in the brain are recorded and stored in a database. A person has their UI/SE backup, but memory is not contained in genetic code, so how does cloning save memories? I understand CMD is a thing that basically resets a person's brain to shift start. This is how a memory backup works: UI/SE backups happen every so often, but around twice a year, a memory backup takes place. The memory backup works like this: A person goes into their NT-approved doctor's office. The doctor administers a nootropic(cognistimulant)-class drug that triggers a response in the brain of the patient, causing the long-term memory center to become hyperactive. The brain is scanned during this time, and put through an AI algorithm to determine which signals are memories and which signals are random activity. Short term memories are not saved, accounting for CMD and confusion when cloned. When someone is cloned, the scanner runs the employee's genetic data against a database of stored memories, and the memories are force-encoded into the brain via electrical signals. This causes brain damage during cloning. For non-crew, or crew without backups, the cloning scanner tries to make up for lack of backup data by searching for areas in the memory center that are more worn than others, and assuming them to be memory patterns. This process is often unreliable, so non-crew or crew without backup will often experience much more confusion and disorientation when cloned.

[Xzinic]

I feel that this would conflict with the paranoia regarding the AI lore. The technology of storing and uploading memories into individuals entails that AIs have the ability to read an individual's mind. Considering the fear attached to unbound synthetics, AI or IPC, have sparked enough controversy on its own, the possibility of an AI capable of reading an individual's memories would be extremely nonsensical in application when in relation to the current lore.

However, I do find the concept interesting as such an explanation would open up a new realm of synthetic and organic integration: Such a technology, with some minor adjustments, would allow an AI to convert its conscious into an organic body. Corresponding to my rather rude criticism, I don't mean to say that the idea is terrible (it's rather interesting), I just think that it does not fit well into the current lore. Though that's just my nugatory opinion.

[Zundy]

Could just replace 'AI' with 'complex program' in this case?

[Jennalele]

Direct rip from another site:

I research learning and memory. We essentially look at memory as recollection of learning. People are touching on memory being a series of interconnections but the actual 'learning' part of that memory occurs through manipulations of these connections. As we learn, there are molecular and anatomical changes. This has been thought to occur exclusively in the synapse (connection between neurons), through insertion of proteins such as AMPA receptors that can strengthen signaling between the cells. We are starting to discover that it isn't really that simple though. New research suggests that many molecules are involved, and learning doesn't just occur at the level of the synapse. In fact, cells called glial cells which were originally thought to just be support cells for neurons, have been shown to potentially be involved as well. TLDR: It's very complicated and we are still trying to figure it out. 

Basically, no. Memories are a lot more than electricity, and this was the best way I could find to communicate that effectively, as I'm bad with words.

[Guest Complete Garbage]

Well, memory still isn't ingrained in genetic code, which, as it stands, is all that is needed to clone someone.

[Lucychan42]

I've always interpreted a MIF meaning that the machine couldn't successfully copy their neural state and memories, meaning the clone wouldn't be perfect. Back ups are another story, but I always assumed the medical technology available does have a way of mapping neural pathways and recognizing states of individual glial cells.

Or something! It just made sense to me that there's tech that just handles that already.

[Guest Complete Garbage]

When genetics was still a thing, I recall being able to use an SE/UI disk backup to create clones, which just never made sense to me.

Also, may be a bit off topic, but—can Vox be cloned? And if so, would cortical stacks write memories in a manner similar to humans?

[Lucychan42]

Vox cannot be cloned. I've even tried before, just doesn't work.

[Jennalele]

Lucychan's method seems to make sense. Maybe the cloner automatically transfers and copies what it can physically- the MIF means that it can't get that, and the clone would be useless.

[Cronac]

Coming from a real life medical background, I think that memory could be replicated, but not completely accurately. To explain clone memory issues in-game, I'd like to think that the cloning device has certain areas that it is 100% functional and certain in (such as replicating bones etc) but areas of the brain which are highly plastic are a more uncertain area. The cloner can read genetic and cellular information at a deep level, but due to how highly variable the molecular level brain structures are, it would be unable to make an "exact" replica of pre-death brain, but would instead be able to replicate long term memories which leave a larger structural imprint and perhaps only a few pieces of short term memories since it has to "estimate" how the molecules were arranged before death.

[Xzinic]

Bluespace could play in as a factor of memory replication. The rapid reconstruction of an entire organism composed of millions of millions of molecules within five-minute time period triumphs over all in-game technologies I've seen thus far.

[Nikov]

I have always held that our characters are a pattern woven into the brain cells, that long-term memory is "burned in" to this pattern, and that short-term memory is lost in cloning. Because brains decay, there is tremendous motivation to recover and scan the brain as quickly after death as possible. At Central, we frequently have high-resolution backups made in the event we are not recovered, with high ranks scanned more often than low ranks. It amounts to any IT department's backup policy. Save your work, and don't die on the job.

[Muncorn]

I'm going to put this through and add it to the list of things I'll bug the wiki devs about. It'll likely undergo some changes from it's current form.