From: Samantha Atkins (samantha@objectent.com)
Date: Wed May 01 2002 - 14:43:23 MDT
Louis Newstrom wrote:
>
> I disagree. There may be no difference in the position of matter and energy
> that I perceive, but there IS a big differnce.
>
> It would mean, for example, that those in pain could be cured, but that some
> intelligent being has decided not to. Also, our loved ones who die, need
> not die. They could be saved. This is diferent from reality, where these
> things are beyond anyone's control.
But, from the point of view of the VR running entity, the pain
is part of a reality to those in the VR but has no reality
beyond that. If it is part of the very nature of the VR
universe and/or part of the purpose that pain exists as a
condition of the VR and perhaps as a goad or training tool to
overcome the conditions that result in pain, then simply
removing it externally is pointless. In a humane VR there is no
true death only the perception of such. There is no sentient
lost, only the perception of such.
Again, we have no way of proving whether "reality" is or is not
any different from this. It can be asserted using something
like Occam's Razor, but not proved.
>
> As a related analogy: Imagine a child on the railroad tracks gets killed by
> a train. Now imagine that an adult knew this was going to happen and didn't
> stop it. Would you say "the result is the same, so it doesn't matter"? I
> wouldn't.
>
Utterly inapplicable analogy.
- samantha
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