From: J Corbally (icorb@indigo.ie)
Date: Sat May 05 2001 - 16:59:25 MDT
Another angle on the Pascal's Wager vs. Cryonics problem is what I call
"fixity of likelihood". Basically, god (whichever of the 1000's referred
to) will be no more likely to exist tomorrow as it/he/she was
yesterday. The likelihood of god existing is unchanging.
Cryonics (or more accurately, reversal of present day cryopreservation)
doesn't have "fixed likelihood". The likelihood of success increases over
time. While god will be no more likely to exist or not in 100 years' time,
the likelihood of successful cryo-recovery will be much increased or a
certainty at that time, given continued research efforts of course.
It's a bet between a claimed supernatural being and continued advancement
by humans. Ask him, as an atheist, which one he thinks is more likely to
pan out.
James...
"If you can't take a little bloody nose, maybe you ought to go back home and
crawl under your bed. It's not safe out here. It's wondrous, with treasures
to satiate desires both subtle and gross. But it's not for the timid."
-Q, Star Trek:TNG episode 'Q Who'
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