X-Message-Number: 5214 From: (Brian Wowk) Newsgroups: sci.cryonics Subject: Re: Mind Uploading -> No revival of cryonics patients Date: 18 Nov 95 19:27:51 GMT Message-ID: <> References: <46q9ef$> <> <> <> <> In <> (Brad Templeton) writes: (material deleted) >I think cryonics, to work, requires that almost all people be living in >biological bodies, and that they be dependent on them, so that they work >to develop repair technology for their own purposes, that as a sideline can >be used to revive the frozen. Brad Templeton desribes a future scenario in which everyone uploads into a virtual computer space, losing all interest in physical reality and the technological development required to revive cryonics patients. I have a number of technical and sociological problems with Brad's scenario, but rather than list them I will simply observe that the scenario he describes is simply one variation of the classic "Why will they revive us?" question of cryonics. Stated in general terms, is it not likely that the social priorities of a hyperadvanced future civilization will stray very far from revival of ancient, primitive life forms like us? Of course they will. But we don't need every intelligent life form on Earth (virtual or otherwise) in the year 2200 to passionately pursue the revival of cryonics patients for cryonics to succeed. All we need is one small subset of sufficiently intelligent creatures to remain committed for this idea to work. If there is one thing about the future I am certain of more than anything else, it is that the future will be DIVERSE. It will be filled with entities and ideas spanning a broader range of interests than we can possibly imagine today. Just as it is our challenge to physically maintain our patients, it is also our challenge to maintain and nurture the ideas and values that will make revivals of patients possible in the distant future. These values-- love, loyalty, empathy, respect --are very personal, and very powerful. I would never knowingly "upload" (or otherwise fundamentally change my nature) in such a way that I would lose my desire to see my friends and loved ones revived. I hope that my children (and their children, and their children...) will feel the same way, and that there will always be room in the world for these values. If so, then cryonics can still work in a future world where prevailing social interests depart radically from those today. ---Brian Wowk Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=5214