X-Message-Number: 21045 Date: Mon, 3 Feb 2003 06:53:47 -0500 From: Thomas Donaldson <> Subject: CryoNet #21037 - #21044 For Michael C Price: Sorry, Michael, but I was citing (as I think you know) some suggested theories which might join relativity and quantum theory. It is not that we could detect fundamentally different particles which we now see only as electrons, but that if electrons are composite then their energy levels in various situations might differ from those we'd expect if they were not composite. They would be different in that sense. And no, I strongly doubt that whatever future physical theories we settle down with in the future (if we ever settle down with one physical theory!) must necessarily treat electrons as our current quantum mechanics treats them. Depending on the circumstance, composite particles don't behave exactly like noncomposite ones... though of course there will some circumstances in which they do. I'm not advocating any of these theories. I am simply pointing out that contrary to what you claim,. some of them will predict differences between electrons depending on their state which others will not. You are free to decide that the electrons are the "same", whatever that means. But if they have different traits (say, a property called "hyperspin") on different occasions, your thinking should take account of that. As for cryonics, other than the interesting question of just how the attempt to make a theory including both general relativity and quantum mechanics works out ... which we will no doubt learn after our revival... nobody really wants to remain the same on a quantum level, not does our sense of continuity depend on such sameness. Best wishes and long long life for all, Thomas Donaldson Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=21045