X-Message-Number: 11263
Date: Sat, 13 Feb 1999 01:57:20 -0700
From: Mike Perry <>
Subject: Re: CryoNet #11254

Thomas Donaldson, #11254, writes
>
>The real issue you raise is that of whether the Universe itself is
>finite-state. It seems to me that if it expands indefinitely then that
>idea looks shaky from the start --- and current cosmological results,
>especially experimental results, suggest an indefinite expansion. 

No, you are misunderstanding me again. Let's say "digital" rather than
"finite state." What is "digital"? Well, related to finite-state, but not
the same, if you take infinite time & unbounded space into account. 
(To really explain this would get involved, but maybe you get the 
basic idea.) By the way, I'm *glad* the results suggest an indefinite 
expansion. If the universe were finite-state (I mean forever), it would 
lead to (no better than) Eternal Return, not to immortality.

Why is "digital" important to me? It says something significant about
the nature of personhood, if we can accept the implications. That we
are not mystical essences, or even the type of process that might
happen just once but never again. If we can happen over again (which
also needs some idea of "multiplicity" such as a multiverse), it
opens a pathway to resurrection. It doesn't negate the possible value
of cryonics, but it does provide a "backup." This is very important
philosophically, irrespective of the difficulties of "understanding"
people in terms of some very large number of states, which
are obviously considerable. These points are argued at length in 
my book--more details on request.

Mike Perry  

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