RE: We are NOT our DNA

From: gts (gts@optexinc.com)
Date: Thu Oct 10 2002 - 22:16:58 MDT


Lee Corbin wrote:

> gts wrote:
> > Lee Corbin wrote:
> >> One more question: suppose that protein synthesis
> >> had been stopped instead. How long before there is
> >> a noticeable effect on your delivery?
> >
> > I'd guess maybe a second or two, at most, but that's only a
>> hunch. It
> > might be only a couple of nanoseconds. I don't know.

> to which you admit that you don't know the answer, may
> be crucial! What if the answer does turn out that *hours*
> could pass with no untoward effects on me and my behavior?
> If that were established, then would you concede that all
> that is *necessary* to make me (or upload me) resides---
> ---however implicitly, in the remainder of my body?

It would make no difference whatsoever if it were hours rather than
minutes or seconds.

Your future personality as "you" is dependent on the expressions of your
genes in response to future environments. I mentioned the simple case of
exogenous depression as an example. How would Lee Corbin respond today
to the loss of something dear to him, like his partner, mother, father,
sibling or goldfish? We don't know the answer to that question, but we
do know your response to that event will be influenced by the manner in
which your genes are coded to handle such events. This means that if we
upload you today, without your genetic information, then your response
to the event after uploading will be different from the response to the
same event had we not uploaded, i.e., you will not be the same
personality if we upload you without your genetic information.

-gts

 



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