X-Message-Number: 27497
Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2006 08:04:12 -0800 (PST)
From: Scott Badger <>
Subject: Re: Woo-hoo Singularitarian - Funny but Scary

Flavonoid wrote:

> I'll take cryonics if needed, and uploading may be a 
> fine idea, as long as my individuality is preserved 
> in all the "enhancement," and the Big Boy still has 
> an Off switch and a power plug.

I empathize, but I wonder how feasible individuality will be as
an uploaded mind. It seems likely there'll still be an economic
system that involves competition between "individuals". I would
expect some individuals to merge certain aspects of their
identities and share databases in order to gain a competitive
edge. In so doing, they'd each become more like the other than
before. Then three might merge aspects of themselves to gain an
advantage over two who had merged. I'm no Economicist, but it
seems reasonable to me that it'll be hard to thrive without
becoming part of a larger complex of individuals. Perhaps we'll
have the ability to voluntarily detach from the Borg-like state,
but who knows whether that experience will seem preferable in
comparison.

The very concept of Identity will likely undergo significant and
unpredictable change.

Best regards,

Scott

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