X-Message-Number: 21636 From: Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2003 09:21:22 EDT Subject: isomorphism & qualia --part1_1c5.7dbbd72.2bd54a52_boundary Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Mike Perry's comments yesterday are well considered, as usual, but just a couple of reminders especially for newer readers: The questions of isomorphism and qualia are two different things, not closely related. The isomorphism question is whether a set of symbols can be "the same" as a physical system, or one physical system the "same" as another. Mike thinks yes, each in its own "frame of reference." The problem with Mike's view, it seems to me, is that it leaves no room for verification. It is just a postulate, or a definition, and basically useless. The question of qualia is whether a subjective condition can be "the same" as any other another physical system which exhibits the same signal exchanges with the external world. The uploaders think yes; I think it unlikely, because the binding of time and space may be crucial. Robert Ettinger --part1_1c5.7dbbd72.2bd54a52_boundary Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII" [ AUTOMATICALLY SKIPPING HTML ENCODING! ] Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=21636