X-Message-Number: 13701
From: Joseph Kehoe <>
Subject: me
Date: Wed, 10 May 2000 18:12:22 +0100

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> The transporter doesn't solve the problem.  The way I view it, every
time
> someone transports, they are killed at the point that they are
disassembled.
> An exact copy is apparently created somewhere else.  Since it
behaves
> exactly like the original, no one else is alarmed and since the
original is
> dead, there's no one to complain.  Kirk died a thousand deaths.
> 
> But if we stay in our original form to avoid the copy dilemma, how
long
> could we survive with our organic brains? How far could we really
evolve? As
> has been mentioned by Fred C., we'd soon fall far behind those who
do
> upload. I don't know the solution.  Wish I did though.


Philosophically this problem has been around for a long time (since
before Socrates)
"I can never step into the same river twice"

Every day old cells die and are replaced by new ones.  Does this mean
I am not the same person that I was ten years ago.  Have I died in the
meantime?  I have learnt a lot and in a sense I am not the person that
I was ten years ago but it is still me.  Surely uploading is the same
idea?

The fact is that we change each day we live.  The only way we can stop
changing is by dying (as far as we know).

Try the following:
1. The disassembler takes me apart and reassembles me exactly in the
exact same place immediately (same molecules same configuration)
Is it me?

2. What if there is a half second delay before I am put back?
3. 2 minute delay?
4. no delay but moves me one micrometer left?
5. 1 meter left?

6. I go into a disassembler - It takes me apart and moves all my
molecules next door (next city/planet) where it reassembles me exactly
(same molecules same configuration)
Is it me?

7. I go into a disassembler - It takes me apart and reassembles me
next door using some new molecules (same configuration - some
different molecules)
Is it me? (if not when is it not me 10% diff molecules, 20,50)

8. The disassembler just takes my blueprint leaves me where I am and
makes an exact copy next door
Are they me?

Where am I?
(replace disassembler with cryonics freezer in the above scenario - it
makes no difference)

If I make a perfect copy of myself then by definition it must be me. 
Now as soon as it starts to have different experiences it will diverge
and become someone else (albeit someone with an awful lot in common
with me). This should happen within half a second of its being
created.

This seems perfectly reasonable and logical and I do not see how it
could be disputed.  The difficulty is what this does to our world
view.  We have assumed that we are this physical entity. Now we find
that we may not be.  This physical entity is not static it changes
every day.
Is it an accident that we thought that brain cells were unchanging? 
Western scientists always associated me with my brain.  Convenient
that the brain was the one organ that remained (relatively) static! 
Now we find that the brain is also changing, cells die and are
replaced by new ones.  Brain connections change continually.  Even the
brain changes from day to day.
So where are we? What are we? When do we become not we?

must go now (work to do and all that)
Joseph.


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