Some comments, written as I think them as I navigate your site:
1. No explanation: A first-time visitor will have NO idea what the site is about. You have a bunch of "Register now" links, but without some idea of what the site is, there's no reason for anyone to register. This is a fairly serious deal breaker that will significantly limit your rate of adoption.
2. Email confirmation sign up: Once again, this will limit the number of people who sign up. Requiring users to first give you their email, and only then register once they've received it, is slow and outdated. I'd remove the confirmation step entirely, but if you really feel you need it you should allow the user to first sign up and only then confirm.
3+ The concept vaguely intrigued me (what little of it I could glean from your confusing videos on the main page), but for this to be successful you need to seriously revamp your site. To be frank, it looks like something made in a previous era of web development.
Interfaces should be easy to use and clearly laid out. Yours does not provide enough information at the start, and presents too many irrelevant pieces upon login.
As in all startups, the ideas behind them could be great, unique, groundbreaking, etc. but if the implementation isn't up to snuff you'll go nowhere.
I realize this criticism may be harsh, but you did ask how to gain a more widespread user base. The best way to gain users is to make the concept easy to understand, and dead simple to begin using.
1. We do NOT have "the equivalent computing power of a kitten's brain." That's like saying that because we have apples we have the equivalent taste of an orange.
The only real way to translate current silicon processor-based computing into a biological brain-based form is to ask how <a href="http://www.technologyreview.com/Biotech/19767/">many neurons can we model on current hardware.</a> The answer to that is: not nearly enough... yet. At the current rate of technological growth, we can expect to model a full rat brain within ten years, with a human brain shortly to follow (remember, exponential growth moves fast!) Once we can fully simulate a brain, the only limit to its power is the speed of the processor it runs on.
This approach also addresses the "recognizing a dog" point. By accurately simulating a brain, they will use the same algorithm the brain does to recognize objects. It is also worth pointing out that <a href="http://www.onintelligence.org/index.php">advances</a> <a href="http://www.numenta.com/">are being made</a> in deriving the cortical algorithm directly and using it for the very type of pattern recognition you mention.
Finally, the point is subtly flawed. Cats recognize dogs "without having ever seen one before" because the knowledge of what a dog is is hardwired into their brains from birth. In effect, they <em>have</em> seen dogs before, or some part of their brains have.
2. The point applying survival of the fittest to robots is ridiculous. I barely know where to begin.
First, we will use the term AI instead of robot, as a robot is just an AI with a body. Second, the only thing that matters to an AI is how "smart" it is - how efficient its algorithms are and how fast those algorithms run. Having a big strong body doesn't even make sense in this context.
Additionally, the idea that AI's will design AI's smarter than them is also flawed. If an AI figures out an algorithm that allows for a more efficient thought process, what's to stop the AI from modifying itself to use that algorithm?
3. Pills: Pharmaceutical drugs have (often serious) side effects. Homeopathic medicines usually have very little side effects. I'm not saying that taking all those pills is healthy or beneficial, but the rampant side effects people seem to be suggesting probably won't manifest.
The heuristic that seems to crop up in all matters of health/eating is "in all things moderation."
4. Ray Kurzweil suggests that the final form of immortality will manifest as computer systems able to model/run our consciousnesses. That way we will be able to exist for as long as the machines do, as well as back up and transfer our consciousnesses.
I submit that, even if this is possible, it wouldn't make <strong>you</strong>. Rather, it would merely ensure that some copy of you persisted. Consider if you could make perfect clones of yourself, with all of your memories and developments. Those clones would act exactly like you, but they still wouldn't be you.
5. On a personal note, if we agree that it's possible that a method for achieving immortality will be discovered in our lifetimes, the logical course of action is to devote the entirety of ones efforts towards realizing this possibility. The reward surely justifies the risk.
I'd highly recommend the University of Maryland's "Hinman CEOs" program. UMD has been pushing entrepreneurship very heavily in the past few years (especially in the engineering disciplines.)
The Hinman program provides mentors, classes, living/learning environments, conference rooms, and other facilities to help potential entrepreneurs. Additionally, they bring in a steady stream of successful entrepreneurs to speak, network, and help you on your way.
Add that to its close proximity to Washington D.C., good tuition, and highly ranked engineering/business departments, and you have a fairly good entrepreneurship package.
1. No explanation: A first-time visitor will have NO idea what the site is about. You have a bunch of "Register now" links, but without some idea of what the site is, there's no reason for anyone to register. This is a fairly serious deal breaker that will significantly limit your rate of adoption.
2. Email confirmation sign up: Once again, this will limit the number of people who sign up. Requiring users to first give you their email, and only then register once they've received it, is slow and outdated. I'd remove the confirmation step entirely, but if you really feel you need it you should allow the user to first sign up and only then confirm.
3+ The concept vaguely intrigued me (what little of it I could glean from your confusing videos on the main page), but for this to be successful you need to seriously revamp your site. To be frank, it looks like something made in a previous era of web development.
Interfaces should be easy to use and clearly laid out. Yours does not provide enough information at the start, and presents too many irrelevant pieces upon login.
As in all startups, the ideas behind them could be great, unique, groundbreaking, etc. but if the implementation isn't up to snuff you'll go nowhere.
I realize this criticism may be harsh, but you did ask how to gain a more widespread user base. The best way to gain users is to make the concept easy to understand, and dead simple to begin using.