X-Message-Number: 3738 Date: Tue, 24 Jan 1995 07:40:50 -0800 From: John K Clark <> Subject: SCI.CRYONICS Yes, uploading is odd -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Andro <> Wrote: >If a brain was uploaded into a computer, and then downloaded, >twice, into empty brainless bodies cloned from the original, >which would be the original person? Both? Could one download >*be* both downloads? [...] My conclusion is, the upload is not >the original person. It's backwards to decide how nature works and then look for reasons to support that view. Let me change your thought experiment a little and get rid of the computer and download directly from you to the empty brainless clones, I don't think you would say that proves that you are not the "original person". I think there's a tendency for people to say that uploading and self duplication is not possible because if they were things would be odd, not illogical, not self contradictory, just odd. Well of course it would be odd, these things are not in any of our experience, yet, so how could they be anything but peculiar? Nature will be the way it wants to be and it doesn't give a damn if late 20th century human beings think it's odd or not. Someday well have to confront fundamental facts about our existence that few of us have thought about and most just assumed is the natural order of things ,but it's important to remember that as long as something does not violate the laws of logic or physics it can not be ruled out just because it's odd. >They would be identical (in some ways) initially, In what ways would they not be identical initially ? >but would diverge rapidly Yes, they would diverge, how rapidly would depend on the environment. We tend to think of identity and survival as an all or nothing matter and at the present time it's largely true but things change, sometimes in odd directions. >To the child, or the upload, or both downloads from the single >upload, none of this matters as much as the fact of their >personal existence; their being is more important than >their origin, and more important than the continued existence >of their "parent". I agree. I don't give much thought to my origin or whether my 5 year old self still survives or not , my double wouldn't either. John K Clark -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.i iQCzAgUBLyR+1H03wfSpid95AQHuSgTtFcoQX64JYZZvp9sPnZQ5R/3kQIMR7spE PZrW3sz+tbKbt/avhCCXttaPWQraGi55IIXOTc9HmhdNI/S5xQsgsB7wc2vUFBm4 weNjemBHWKnJC1njumlOvTDE2ZzT50kHbBTaz4z8SkkYJOzfVExLycseUFdqfTUX 1UkoR4Aeys2ZDIUaYYf9yUzm/eDC8wzgZ2sPPa3Pd7+ztRbYLww= =OBGv -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=3738