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

[Samantha Atkins]

On Apr 17, 2006, at 11:23 AM, ben wrote:

> "Heartland" <velvet977 at hotmail.com> wrote:

>
> I define it as /irrevocable loss of information/. Some people  
> define it
> as /loss of the soul/. How do you define it?
>

As loss of information of sufficient (not yet known how much this is)  
detail to realistically continue the existence of the person (not  
necessarily in the same or any biological body).

> Some people seem to think that a temporary cessation of processing
> equates to death. I think that Eleizer has satisfactorily demonstrated
> in an earlier post that this can't be true.
>
> Cryonics (on a living person) is equivalent to a temporary  
> cessation of
> processing.
>
> Death, followed quickly enough by cryonic suspension (quickly  
> enough so
> that no significant loss of information occurs) is also equivalent  
> to a
> temporary cessation of processing (so long as processing can and does
> resume at some future point, of course).
>

As many writers have also mentioned, keeping a deep enough non- 
destructive scan of this information would also be sufficient to  
continue the entity's existence with starting state up to the moment  
of the scan in case of death.  Thus I suspect that cryonics will go  
out of favor as soon as we get such scans plus the ability to create  
a suitable body.   We need the latter ability to revive those people  
who don't go for full body suspension anyway.

- samantha