From: nanowave (nanowave@shaw.ca)
Date: Sun Oct 13 2002 - 16:25:11 MDT
Hi, I've been thinking about this and I'd like to come at the problem from a
different angle.
First, I'll begin by stating a couple of things that I think would be true.
1. A perfectly rendered copy of myself - an xox, would consider itself to be
"me" and its normative perspective would be to view myself (the original) as
someone "other".
2. From the moment of xox's creation, our personalities would begin to
diverge given that our sensory inputs would be slightly different, even if
we were standing shoulder to shoulder staring at the same blank wall.
Now it seems to me that the essence of this thread might be stated thusly:
Is the xox "me enough" to make me feel better if I'm faced with imminent
destruction knowing with absolute certainty that my xox will go on living?
At face value, I'd have to say no way, but this begs the question: Why
should this unfortunate scenario come about in the first place? To show what
I mean, lets first consider the wondrous nature of "me".
More precisely, what exactly is *me* and where am *I* situated?
I believe most modern "sighted" individuals would situate themselves at the
point of their "mind's eye" which, for me, feels about three to six
centimeters behind the bridge of my nose. Even though I understand that my
visual cortex is located at the back of my brain, I still feel that "I"
reside in my mind's eye closer to the front of my skull. But am I really
stuck there, or can I imagine a scenario where I might feel that I am
located somewhere else?
What if, by some miracle of modern medicine, my optic nerves might somehow
be extended to a length of roughly two meters. I might then design a small
wheeled trolley and place my eyeballs on top of it such that I am able to
walk about trailing this unsightly (or sightly) contraption and it
faithfully follows my body wherever I go, all the while keeping my eyes
pointed squarely at my backside.
Now I am not certain, of course, but I "feel" that after a few days or weeks
of watching my body and *brain* go about their business from this unusual
vantage, I might begin to think *I'm* watching *someone else* and not
myself. If this seems unconvincing then toss my nose and ears on the trolley
as well.
My point is that the concept *me* and, more specifically, my *location* may
be somewhat fluid. Dreams would seem to support this. If that is so, and
given that the technology to create a xox in the first place implies
nanotechnology, I should also be able to arrange the acceptance of direct
sensual (wireless, techno-telepathic) inputs coming from my xox's physical
senses. Should accepting inputs from two sets of senses feel freaky, I/we
might each be equipped with a kind of flip-flop switch, whereby I/we can
accept the inputs from either sensual set at will. This should effectively
place either of us in the other's location, or mind's eye in the blink of an
eye. If the sensual inputs could be faded in and out, instead of abruptly
switched on or off, then either of us might easily and contently face
imminent physical destruction by quickly extracting *ourself* to the safe
remote location of the other's mind's eye.
Waddya think?
Russell Evermore
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