*The MindCode Consortium*



"Given that computer code is used to program computers, then MindCode ..."





 1. Executive Summary
 2. Technical Program Description
     1. Objectives
     2. Background
     3. Text - executive summary
         1.
             1.

This proposal advocates the establishment of a major R&D "Program" to
develop the understanding and tools required to diagnose (or read,
analyze, decode) an individual's mind-related DNA (or thought programs -
both ingrained and evolved), and to reprogram or to change that DNA
programming.



This proposal has been prepared in terms of a program consisting of
several phases and major sub-projects that will occur over a very long
period of time and in co-operation with global institutions and
initiatives outside of the MindCode consortium. There are obvious
benefits of initiating a well-administered and directed program
involving a smaller number of institutions that have the expertise and
resources as well as external organizations that may have commercial
interests in the resultant technology.



It is important to maintain a strong focus and to avoid dissipation of
effort over too large a field of activity. Another important issue for
participants will be the treatment of intellectual property, which must
be balanced against the need for publication and sharing of information
with the other R&D programs worldwide.



This program plan has a duration of five years and a total budget of 25
million dollars*. *





     1. Draft Scope
         1. Text - what will and will not be pursued, focus
             1.

Note that the projects listed below would FIRST assess what is already
available and what is under development, as almost all work will be
sourced from outside of the program. Where gaps exist, and things must
be brought together, then the MindCode program will be active.

         1. the approach
         2. simple life-forms - establishing the first linkages between
            code and neural structures
         3. human brain - trying to associate general regions of DNA
            with brain structure through genetic damage etc
         4. comparison of brain coding to protein coding
         5. human brain - attempts to correlate very simple brain
            structures to DNA coding
 1. Structure and Process of the Consortium
     1. Basic Principles
     2. Program Management
         1. Distributed Program Management - the role of JAVA and CORBA
     3. Commercialization Issues
         1. Linux Arrangement
         2. Human Genome project
         3. Publishing & Copyright
         4. Intellectual Property
         5. Standards
         6. Marketing
     4. Human Resource Development Issues
 2. Key Potential Participants
     1. Funding
     2. Program Management
     3. Technology Development
     4. Technology Transfer
 3. Initiation of the Consortium
 4. Termination of the Consortium
 5. Conclusions
     1. Text - conclusions to the paper
         1.
             1.


An open, cooperative approach is suggested for the MindCode consortium
that would involve many individuals and institutions using special
program management capabilities over the Internet to cooperate on a
study of DNA coding related to brain structure and functioning. While
many individuals in this cooperative effort might be hobbyists or
amateurs, they still may contribute very significant progress as was the
case with Linux, the operating system. Obviously, at some point in time
a substantive amount of institutional or organizational investment would
be required for true progress. Institutional involvement will be a very
important component for guaranteeing long-term progress, and an umbrella
organization would be helpful and perhaps essential for the development
of the MindCode consortium.

For now, a substantial amount of input and cooperation is needed to help
elaborate on the initial scoping of the MindCode consortium, and to
flush out and feel out appropriate and priority areas of development.
People are needed to tackle the definition of objectives and to define
the scope of the program. Moreover, some considerable effort will be
required for planning, financing, and managing the development of the
MindCode consortium and to bring in new members. Please contact the
author if you are interested in becoming involved in this consortium.



What are the advantages of the proposed format for the MindCode
consortium? The main issue at this point in time is to stimulate
interest and activity in this area, and encourage a broad range of
technology thrusts that will be required for MindCode as a whole to
progress. Networking, early awareness of work that is going on, sharing
of resources and distribution of pertinent information,
reduction/distribution of risks, facilitation of funding and program
management, and mutual support for a focussed effort are key advantages.
Against that must be balanced a reduced control over Intellectual
Property, and the danger of losing focus and that the umbrella
organization doesn't bring added value to Participants beyond the normal
manner of operation in the research community.