X-Message-Number: 18056 Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2001 21:30:00 -0700 From: Mike Perry <> Subject: Importance of Duplicate Issue Rafi Haftka, #18043: >I understand that it is difficult to tell now whether you can duplicate >consciousness and awareness by making a copy of someone's brain. >... So what do we get by >speculating on it now? For one thing, what we get is possible preferences for our own future reanimation. If you are comfortable with the idea of using duplicate material rather than original in your reanimation, you could so state in your cryonics paperwork, and it might affect the procedures that will be used. This assumes, of course, that the necessary methods involving duplication are developed. However, signing up involves assuming certain procedures will be developed that are not available today--there's no way to avoid it. You have to speculate on things you can't be sure you can attain. I think we get more out of it than just this, however, such as a better understanding of what makes you "you." I have long felt too that duplication will be necessary for immortality, agreeing with Scott Badger's "duplicate or die" in #18044. Immortality is one more thing we speculate on, without being sure we can attain it. Mike Perry Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=18056