From: Samantha Atkins (samantha@objectent.com)
Date: Mon Dec 04 2000 - 05:11:37 MST
Nicq MacDonald wrote:
>
> > If death were to become a subversive act (whether "ultimate" or not
> > matters not at all), then subversion would disappear as subversives
> > self-destruct. "Eerie"? Who cares... as long as we get rid of them.
>
> Schopenhaur pointed out that taking one's own life is the ultimate act of
> will- essentially the ultimate subversive act.
Since it subverts one's very existence, I guess I can't argue with
that! Sort of difficult to enjoy one's subversion and glory in it
afterward though.
> Life extension really
> doesn't change much of anything except duration- every entity will still
> perish at some time.
Really? Are you sure? If that time can be put off and put off over and
over again and one gets better and better about handling all
contigencies and having backups of one's self in case of mishap, then
you get a lot closer over time to "and then you die" not being so. It
is not clear that even the heat-death of the universe will necessarily
end it. It looks so now, from here, but I will not take bets that we
will not eventually see even this ultimate trump beat.
> So-called "immortalism" just turns the journey towards
> the inevitable into a length game. Remember folks, a computerized
> consciousness would be vulnerable to EMP pulses, solar flares, gravitational
> disturbances, and power outages.
Passe. Not difficult to guard against.
> A star goes nova and your stuck in the
> system? Goodbye.
So as long as accidents are possible you are saying that not dying
except by such unforeseen and unprepared for accident is simply not a
good thing? Or not good enough for you to be particularly interested?
> Pass too close to a black hole? Goodbye again. War and
> strife won't come to an end- even transhumans will have their passions,
> desires, and reasons for conflict.
Maybe so, but so what? Would you rather stay on this size of stage you
are on now for these few short years followed by oblivion or expand the
stage and the time, perhaps enough to find real answers to whatever it
is you seek?
> Although every major evolutionary step
> (one in which the original entity is combined with others of a similar type
> to create a superbeing and thus transcends the original form) results in an
> increased life span, the step never results in immortality. In the long
> run, we're still destined to be eaten by worms or sucked through a wormhole.
Does this somehow comfort you or are you somehow confronting us with
something you think is for our own good or what?
- samantha
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