X-Message-Number: 16111
From: "Andrew S. Davidson" <>
Subject: Space and Time and Identity
Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2001 22:32:51 +0100
References: <>

On 23 Apr 2001 09:00:01 Robert Ettinger wrote:

>For the moment, I can only reiterate that most writers have missed the 
>centrality of qualia or the "self circuit"--the physical nature of subjective 
>experience. Awareness must surely bind space and time--it could not exist at 
>a mathematical point in space (if there is any such thing), nor at an instant 
>in time (ditto). (This is not about quantum uncertainties, but about the 
>feeling of something happening.) 

I understand that it has been demonstrated that the conscious mind is
only aware of events in arrears and reconstructs a plausible sensation
that they are happening in real time.  It's rather like watching
streaming video - it's buffered to remove any jerkiness.  In other
words, the sensation of continuity is an illusion created because it
makes an intuitive user interface.

Be that as it may, I see that folk are still wrestling with the issue
of identity.  I don't think much of the $10M thought experiment -
seems rather unlikely to me.  Here's a more relevant one:

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Scenario:  You wake from suspension and a white-coated doctor welcomes
you back and says that they'd like to perform some tests to make sure
that all is well.  You naturally agree and he asks you a series of
questions - "How do you feel?", "What's your favourite colour?", "What
is your first memory?" and so forth.

The doctor starts to frown as the test progresses and eventually says,
"I'm sorry Mr Smith but the revival has not been a complete success.
We haven't recovered your personality to the specified tolerance and
so we're going to have to try again.  Excuse us, we'll have to
deactivate you now."

As he reaches for a red button, you exclaim, "Wait a minute!  I feel
ok - what about _me_?  And shouldn't you have worked all this out in
advance before you revived me?"

He replies, "Of course, we simulate the process in advance and the
simulation is necessarily authentic in every detail.  This is just a
dry run.  Don't worry, you won't feel a thing - *CLICK*"

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My conclusion is that, as with current surgery, it's best if you are
not conscious when the doctors are rearranging your innards/identity -
being awake during the process is bound to be painful.  But what if,
like certain types of brain surgery, the process demands that you be
conscious...?

Andrew

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