EFTA01024180.pdf

From: Caleb Harper To: "jeffrey E." <[email protected]> Subject: Re: Date: Thu, 06 Sep 2018 18:57:52 +0000 Attachments: Cyber_Agriculture_Paper Harper.pdf; OpenPharm.pdf Inline-Images: IMG_3796.JPG; IMG_3794.JPG; IMG_3795.JPG sorry for late response - just got back from eastern europe. I. Follow up On John De La Parra - Got John on board as a temp to perm hire (he is perfect for the team - brilliant) and we are working on a white paper to send out shortly. He is willing/able to leave his positions at North Eastern and Tufts and go full time with us starting in Nov. So until then I have him committed to 50% time. 2. Next steps - Setting up mtgs with Ed B and Martin to discuss the draft white paper and our approach. In general I think developing a quantified "turing test" for plants would be a great first step to proving sentience. lye also started working with Lazlo Barabasi on the next round of the flavor experiments, and from a network science perspective, I think he would be a great collaborator on this work. With advisory from Ed, Martin and Lazlo and building up my team here - I think we are in great shape. We might need a reputable thinker on consciousness, maybe a philosopher? Know anyone that could collaborate from that perspective? 3. Funding - I cant hire John MI time and start spending money on other staff/prototype development/experiment costs until Joi signals to me that the budget we talked about has landed at ML. Is it possible to move forward with that? 4. Things to read - attached - OpenPharm : a white paper John started in the last week or so geared towards using our tools for drug discovery --- Cyber+Agriculture _Paper_Harper - a flavor paper we just sent to PLOS , its pretty basic but has some good underpinnings that we will expand on with further experiments. In Boston anytime soon? Id really like for you to see the lab out in Middleton, MA (40 mins north boston) next time the real question....what are these plants thinking in my lab today and what language are they speaking... EFTA01024180  Gr Best, Caleb Previous email breaking down funding: To do this id need to add depth to my bio team, that's by far my weakest team in the lab currently. I recently let contracts lapse on Arielle and my molecular biologist as it wasn't working out.. want to add the following team and would need to do a search to get the best. MIT won't let me hire PhD Research Scientists, and likely quality people wouldn't accept, without secure multiyear funding. • propose 500k a yr for 3 yrs with the expectation we evaluate progress after year one as to year 2 and 3. The transparent cost break down is: PhD plant physiologist - 80k base salary +56% mit research OH (none goes to my lab or ML) + 20% benefits = 149, 760 k total cost PhD plant biochemist - 100k base salary + 56% mit research OH + 20% benefits = 187k total cost Plant science tech (JR) - 40k * 20% administrative OH - 48k total cost 100k prototyping budget + 20% material & services OH = 120k total cost = 500k a year / 3yrs On my side I'll dedicate 2 out of our 4 shipping containers for 3 years (target paid for install / dev etc but with stock price decline is stopping support for non essential research) and my salary is covered in other sponsored accounts plus my team of engineers on staff (backend /front end software, data science , electrical, embedded systems and mechanical engineers) I know it's a big ask, and would understand if it's out of ball park, but I think that's what it would take to make meaningful and rigorous progress on figuring out if plants can think and communicate EFTA01024181 Thoughts? On Fri, Aug 31, 2018 at 1:03 PM, jeffrey E. <[email protected]> wrote: nexzt step? please note The information contained in this communication is confidential, may be attorney-client privileged, may constitute inside information, and is intended only for the use of the addressee. It is the property of JEE Unauthorized use, disclosure or copying of this communication or any part thereof is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by return e-mail or by e-mail to jeevacation®gmail.com, and destroy this communication and all copies thereof, including all attachments. copyright -all rights reserved Principal Investigator / Director Open Agriculture Initiative MIT Media Lab *Please contact Mr.David Zack for scheduling [email protected] Caleb Harper TED Talk OpenAG Community Forum EFTA01024182