X-Message-Number: 19069
Date: Tue, 14 May 2002 07:13:11 -0700
Subject: Re: Computer people & cryonics
References:  <>
From:  (Tim Freeman)

Message #19059
From: 
>Computer people are unique, or close to it, in the following combination of 
>traits and experience:
>
>1. They are not only logical, but accustomed to putting logic to work, and 
>getting extremely reliable results, in their work-a-day world. ...
>
>2. They are accustomed to rapid advances...
>
>3. They are generally not hung up on vitalism, and many assume the brain is a 
>kind of computer. ...

As a computer person, I suppose I'm qualified to add:

4. They tend to be overly optimistic.

It's mentioned on the web at http://www.agilemodeling.com/values.htm,
so it must be true.  

Seriously, I observe this in my work and in myself.  The assumption is
that since we know how the computer works, then there can't be any
troubles in the next project beyond the ones we anticipate.  The same
false assumption can apply to the real world: since the laws of
chemistry are pretty much known (quantum electro dynamics), then
reassembling the frozen people can't present any obstacles beyond the
ones we've anticipated.

At least one error in this is that you just don't have enough compute
power in your head (or anywhere else) to derive all of the
consequences of known laws except by completing the project.

I don't see anything practical to do about this.  I'm posting in hopes
that someone else will.

-- 
Tim Freeman       

GPG public key fingerprint ECDF 46F8 3B80 BB9E 575D  7180 76DF FE00 34B1 5C78 

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