RE: duplicates are the "same"

From: Lee Corbin (lcorbin@tsoft.com)
Date: Tue Jun 12 2001 - 00:37:03 MDT


John Clark writes

> Lee Corbin <lcorbin@ricochet.net> Wrote:
>
> >Would you use the teleporter system if
> >there was an overlap of two seconds?
>
> Two seconds is at the outside limit of what
> I'd tolerate and I'd be much happier with one.

Well, you'd get used to it! At least if you read
in the newspaper that there had been a "problem"
last week, and for a few days the delay had been
five seconds. But you're being consistent.

However,
> > suppose you made a backup last week. Now you see
> > that your space capsule is doomed to re-entry burn-up.
> > You're "very unhappy"?
>
> Yes, I hate it when that happens.

:-) yes...

>>I claim that this is precisely like losing all the
>>memories that you've made this week.
>
> Not precisely because as my ship burns up I'd be consciously
> aware of having a last thought and having a last thought is
> how I define death.

I can't believe that. What if the thought is erased?
What if you have that last thought, and then are frozen
for a billion years? (Well, I know, it's not a "last
thought) but then when they defrost you, they throw
that thought out (since it was only in short term
memory). What if you (mistakenly in a dream) have
such a last thought "Oh, I'm dead now!" and then don't
remember it later? All these indicate that death isn't
what you think it is.

> It's my turn to ask a question: Suppose you slowly
> burn to death in your ship, the memories of that pain
> will be destroyed once your brain is fully carbonized
> so are you saying the pain should not upset you?

On the contrary. I am a good statist. Lee Corbin
pain anywhere in space or time upsets me. Just because
I don't remember it doesn't mean it didn't happen to me.

Lee



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