X-Message-Number: 25173
Date: Sun, 28 Nov 2004 08:05:03 -0500
From: Thomas Donaldson <>
Subject: CryoNet #25163 - #25172

HI everyone!

A number of comments:

To both Yvan and Henri Kluytmanns:

Thanks for the references. To HK: I've had some problems getting
Cryonets and other messages, which I hope have now been resolved.
Your message may have been one that I simply never received. I will
add that what I wanted was NOT a net reference but a reference to
some actual writings --- but I will try to check out your reference
anyway.

About biology: I was not saying that a brain that works like ours
would have to be built of biological components. Not at all. I was
saying that it would have to have some of the CAPABILITIES of
biological brains --- not the same thing. 

As for creating a human (in some other form, or otherwise) who is to
be a copy of someone else, the solution is simple: the created 
human is asleep until the brain of the person to be transferred is
"uploaded" to him/it, and then awakened. I see no moral problems
with doing this. However, if we don't work like present computers,
and we don't, then "uploading" would have to be far more complex
than uploading a program (or data) to a computer. Basically we'd
have to adjust the number of neurons and their connections in the
the recipient copy to match those of the person to be "uploaded",
something quite different from simply reading off a file. So I see
physical problems to doing it, but no moral ones.

To RBR:

A small question: first, suppose you have been copied, then 
destroyed, and then rebuilt exactly --- for the sake of the metaphysics
involved, with the very same molecules. In just what way do you
fail to be the same person?

Again, how do we know that while we sleep our QE (= Qualia Experiencer)
isn't destroyed and then recreated when we awaken? Suppose this
happens every time we sleep. How could we tell the difference?

              Best wishes and long long life for all,

                  Thomas Donaldson

PS: And if you own a copy of A GUIDE, remember about the new Updates.

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