----- Original Message -----
From: "Chris Russo" <extropy@russo.org>
> As I've mentioned, this wouldn't be my first choice. Slow uploading
> has the benefit of not triggering my survival instincts...
>
> ... but yes, I would allow destruction of the original in the copy
process.
As you've noted, survival instincts would be real tough to avoid.
Particularly if the threat was explicit:
"Alright Mr. Russo, the teleportation was successful, you are now in Paris!
Please enjoy your vacation! And now, as you can see, there is a
high-calibre caseless flechette gun on the table in front of you-- please
aim towards face and squeeze repeatedly until death results. Have a nice
day."
Of course, if I were in that situation, my primitive little instinctual
ape-brain would be like: "Whoa dude. You better back off right now, or I'm
gonna go all kung-fu on your ass."
> If I someday have a brain death and resuscitation experience as
> described by others in this thread, that's effectively what would
> happen.
mmm.... maybe.
>
> If I someday allow myself to be teleported in a Star Trekesque
> fashion, that's effectively what would happen.
Definitely yes.
>
> If I someday allow my body and mind to be cryogenically stored for
> later revival, that's effectively what would happen.
Probably yes.
> My brain has been replaced atom by atom my whole life. Pretending
> that there's a real difference if it happened much faster or even all
> at once would seem to be an intellectual dishonesty.
Definitely no. Damnit Chris, why do you have to pull this "intellectual
dishonesty" stunt again?
Of course there's a real difference. As we've repeatedly stated, the
substrate doesn't matter-- you can replace every neuron in my brain with a
synthetic one, and I'd be as pleased as punch, as long as you do so in a
fashion that preserves my original reality experiencer. In your prior post,
you -had- correctly identified the nature of the disagreement-- why are you
falling back to this position now?
> For all I know, this process happens every time I go to sleep at
> night. Little fairies may be copying me every time I lose
> consciousness.
Yes, but I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that those little fairies have
heard of Occam.
--::jason.joel.thompson:: ::founder::
www.wildghost.com
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Mon May 28 2001 - 09:50:36 MDT