[extropy-chat] I keep asking myself...

[Heartland]

Ben wrote:

> So, in your scenario, the you that was vitrified, revived and repaired,
> then later died, is one you. The other copy is also you. So 'you' do
> survive, but not the 'you' that was woken from vitrification. That one
> is just as dead as any of us who dies at present.

Is there really any difference between death before vitrification and death after 
revival? There is none so a person who is dead before vitrification "is just as 
dead as any of us who dies at present." And if so, then I must ask: "What is the 
point of cryonics?"

When I die, does it really matter to me if all that's left after my death is a 
bunch of photographs of me or identical copies of my brain? No amount of recorded 
information about me, including photographs, videos or structure of my brain can 
ever bring my original instance of mind process back to life.

The awful truth is that when minds die, they die forever, and there's nothing 
anyone can do about it.

S.