From: Lee Corbin (lcorbin@tsoft.com)
Date: Thu Nov 21 2002 - 09:08:07 MST
Hal writes
> Lee writes:
>
> > So in the duplication chamber experiment
> > where we are talking today, and tomorrow you enter the
> > chamber, then your life stream will be suddenly expanded
> > by a factor of 100 then diminished by the same factor, and
> > you and I agree that it's back to what it was. Whereas in
> > MWI, one loses an irretrievable .99 of all of one's life-
> > paths. There is tragedy in the latter, but not in the
> > former.
>
> Yes, I think even a believer in the MWI would fight to avoid a loss of 99%
> of his possible futures. If nothing else, evolution would drive him to
> that strategy, as in fact it has if the MWI is true.
Well, believers in MWI *should* fight to avoid loss of 99%
of their possible futures (or, equivalently IMO, 99% of their
duplicates or running selves). But recall the notorious
Suicide Lottery, where mislead believers in MWI opt to
win the lottery by picking a random number, and then
killing themselves in all universes where they don't win.
> This also suggests that when it becomes possible, people might fight
> as hard to gain a 100-fold increase in possibilities as to avoid a
> 100-fold loss. In the past this wasn't really an option. But in the
> future, having a duplicate made may be as strong a positive option as
> facing a 50% chance of death is on the negative side. In fact you
> would trade off one for the other at even odds, roughly.
Of course, the last copy of one is especially important, because
if it's lost, then there is no more copying. Note that your
result here supports my long held additivity principle. Now,
if all the duplicates in all the universes remain substantially
identical (in terms of experiences) for quite a while, this might
ultimately persuade you of the value of repeated experience! ;-)
> Imagine something so valuable that you would accept a 50% chance of dying
> in order to achieve it! Making a copy of yourself may become just that
> valuable, once evolution is done with us.
Yes, I'd give up most of my wealth to get a duplicate. I can't
resist the logic of it.
> I suppose that it has already happened to some extent; many people would
> face a substantial chance of death in order to save enough copies of
> their genes in their children or siblings. The love of a mother for her
> child will be small compared to the love of a person for his duplicate.
Yes, and that's the way it should be! Of course, there is always
the problem of those who do not love themselves.
Lee
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