[extropy-chat] Cryonics and uploading

[John K Clark]

Bret Kulakovich bret at bonfireproductions.com Wrote:

>Here are two instances of John Clark. Now each of them is conscious.

Yes.

> Two separate conscious entities, I am assuming.

No. At that point there is only one conscious entity, there are just two
bodies.

> One walks out of the room and comes back a while later. Do they both know
> where the one who left went?

Of course not, one has had experiences the other has not so they are no
longer identical, they are thinking different thoughts, they are now
different conscious entities.

> The one on my left, is the original. On my right, the 'copy'. I could mark
> one with a Sharpie, so I don't mix them up.

Why should you care if you mix them up? For some reason whenever somebody
proposes such a thought experiment they always put themselves in the
position of the "original", but supposes you looked down and saw the word
"copy" written on your arm. Even though you were created 30 seconds ago you
feel just as you always did, you still have vivid memories of your
childhood, so is there any reason to be upset? I can't think of any.

Or suppose the duplicating chamber was symmetrical, there is a flash of
light and you are staring across the chamber at somebody who looks just like
you. Are you the "copy" or the "original"? Who cares.

starman2100 at cableone.net Wrote:

> A very vocal opponent of his view takes out a handy plasma rifle and
> pointing it at the original man's head says, "are you so sure of your
> statement that my pulling the trigger doesn't worry you?"

Certainly that would worry me because the two copies are now not anywhere
near to being identical, one is being threatened with death and having a
very traumatic experience and the other is not. I can't think of anything
that would make the two diverge faster.

    John K Clark