From: Dickey, Michael F (michael_f_dickey@groton.pfizer.com)
Date: Thu Oct 24 2002 - 09:49:43 MDT
-----Original Message-----
From: Eugen Leitl [mailto:eugen@leitl.org]
On Wed, 23 Oct 2002, Travis Shutt wrote:
> It's seems I may have heard somewhere that there are no two subatomic
> particles that are the same? So it seems that any copy of yourself
"Two systems in the same quantum state are indistinguishable. It's not just
a good idea, it's the law."
But to be in the same quantum state, they must occupy the same space, which
is impossible. That is also the law. Thus one can not look at a copy and
an original and claim they are the same because there atoms and molecules
are each individually identical, they are different because one is on the
right of you and one is on the left.
> would theoretically be different, but I'm not sure how that would
> apply to your soul or psychological make up.
"If you can build me a soul detector, you have a case."
Its not necessary, just keep the original and the copy around and ask one if
he sees what the other sees, if not, there is no soul.
On Wed, 23 Oct 2002, Jeff Davis wrote:
> Each has a different history. One is "the original".
> It is unique. It is the first of its kind. It is
> 'unprecedented'. It's history runs from its moment of
> origin, up to the present.
"Please show you how you can tell which is the original, without resorting
to external storage."
It is not necessary to prove which one is the original to acknowledge that
one of them must be.
"This is meaningless, as long as you can't provide a measurement procedure
allowing you to tell two copies apart."
You can, they do not occupy the same time and space, thus they are different
from one another.
"Why do we keep having the same discussion, year, after year, after year?"
Because all of our lives and existence depend on this subject.
Michael
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