From: Michael Lorrey (retroman@tpk.net)
Date: Mon Jan 06 1997 - 16:37:51 MST
Eric Watt Forste wrote:
>
> Nadia writes:
> >I am not locked into one mind set about uploading. i am not sure it had merit
> >to me, unless as a backup. I see longevity as the first motivation. After
> >that, self improvement. Then in different orders, scarcity (environmental and
> >poplation type concerns), curiosity ( of the type you mention, being able to
> >explore say space, or physics unknown as yet etc), augmentation and
> >redesigning ( more freedom of form), a general dislike of things physical (
> >in some peoples case), and more...
> >Mostly it is to avoid entropy and obsolescence.
>
> I do keep seeing that "general dislike of things physical" one
> popping up over and over again, and I don't understand it at all.
> Some people seem to somehow think that it is possible to have a
> computational process without an identical corresponding physical
> process. Uploading is not about leaving the body, it's about swapping
> an old body for a new *physical* body, or about gradually transforming
> one's body into a different *physical* body. It's distressing to
> see silly dualistic metaphors pervading so much talk of uploading.
>
> I am quite fond of my body. I find it wanting, primarily, in only
> two areas: the planned obsolescence (accumulated delayed-action
> death genes... our evolutionary conditions did nothing to weed out
> fatal mutations that don't express until after 30 or so) and
> inability to function under the conditions that obtain in most of
> the physical universe. But I can't even form a coherent notion of
> what it would be like to exist without a body. I just want a body
> that isn't engaged in low-level self-destruction and that is more
> comfortable to wear while traveling off-planet. Utility fog might
> work nicely, if it can be built. ;)
>
I agree with you here, and in response to your previous reply to me, I
do plan on getting as much augmentation as I can as a biobased organism
to expand my ability to explore and appreciate this universe, I just
plan on waiting till my current body is near the end of its usefulness
before I go totally past it.
The need for failsafe suspension techniques is of great importance to
me, as unless an FTL drive system can be developed, the time between the
stars, even at 99.9% of C is a goodly chunk of time to play solitaire,
and depending on a machine or another person to unfreeze and rebuild me
is not this engineers idea of useful technique.
While many in this "Machine Stops" world are fully satisfactory with
telepresence, I am not, except when unavoidable, for the important
experiences. Some would say that having a camera link is the same as
having a link to your own eyes, but I say nay for now. Skiing knee deep
powder at Alta live and in person is nothing like anything telepresence
would offer. IF you think otherwise, prove me wrong. Telepresence and
other remote sensing technologies are great for expanding ones sensory
awareness, but for now cannot replace one's existing awareness. Sure
having remote probes to do advance scouting are great, especially when
exploring space, at least in the sense of reducing risks and maximizing
time utility by culling out negative possibilities (i.e. stars with no
planets, etc), but they will not replace actually setting your own foot
down on an alien beach, meeting alien life forms in person, or skiing
ammonia glaciers on the moons of gas giants....
--
TANSTAAFL!!!
Michael Lorrey
------------------------------------------------------------
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If I saw further than others, it is because I had an
unjoggled view from standing on my own two feet.
- Mike Lorrey
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