[extropy-chat] Will He Who Loves His Atoms Please Stand Up?

[Lee Corbin]

Damien writes


> At 03:41 AM 4/29/2007 -0700, Lee wrote:
> 
>>    microsecond 0-1     Randall is frozen
>>    microsecond 1-2     Randall is copied atom for atom into Randall 2
>>    microsecond 2-3     Randall 1 is vaporized
>>    microsecond 3-4     Randall 2 is moved to exactly the same place
>>                                                     that Randall 1 was at
>>   microseconds 4-10000     Randall2 thinks his Randall-type thoughts
>>                                                     and experiences his Randall-type life
> 
> Stop there. *Obviously* Randall2 thinks (or at least feels) he's 
> continuous with the original. Surely nobody disputes this. It's part 
> of the definition of "perfect copy."

Right.

> The only matter at stake is whether R1 should object to being
> obliterated and replaced by R2...n.  I would, even in such a
> preposterously rigged and probably physically impossible
> procedure. I'm pretty sure Randall would.

But you are changing each nanosecond anyway. And the point
that several of the rest of us make is that what do you care if
one of your carbon atoms were surgically replaced by an
entirely "different" [har har] carbon atom?  What do you
care if instantaneously 10^23  (less that one cc) of your
carbon atoms are instantaneously replaced?  We don't see
how you can object to having *all* your carbon atoms and
*all* your oxygen atoms, etc., instantaneously replaced.
Unless you want to wrest the title "High Priest of the Atom"
away from Heartland (who doesn't deserve it anyway).
But it's John's to anoint you, not me.    :-)

Lee