Re: Immortality

From: Emlyn (emlyn@one.net.au)
Date: Sun Dec 10 2000 - 20:59:29 MST


> Emlyn wrote:
> >
> > Samantha Atkins wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Emlyn wrote:
> > > > > The problem is that we are equating consciousness with
> > information.
> > > > > I don't think that it is information.
> > > >
> > >
> > > Is a computer program information? Yes, when looked at statically as
> > > bits, no when considered dynamically running in some system.
> >
> > Exactly! And consciousness it the running program (process), or even an
> > emergent property of the process, and not in any way is it the program
> > itself. Techies metaphor: One program, run twice, yields two distinct
> > processes.
>
> Ah, but this brings up another can of worms. If the nature of the
> system (in this case consciousness) is dependent not only on the bits
> but on the surrounding and embedding actual context it is "executing"
> within, then this adds fuel to the argument that your consciousness bits
> instantiated and running on some super-computer or within a cloned body
> is NOT you.
>
> - samantha
>
That's my position. It's someone, but it's not the original.

Emlyn



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