[extropy-chat] What should survive and why?

[Lee Corbin]

Damien writes

> At 09:50 PM 4/30/2007 -0700, Lee wrote:
> 
>> Namely, Lee is replaced each night by a copy whose memories have been
>> vastly changed from from the Lee's of the day before (though just enough
>> to evade being exposed as an imposter). ...
>>
>> [That means that *tonight* it will---gulp!---happen to moi. And the
>> imposter will only think he's me, have just enough memories to fool
>> you all, and my *death* goes unnoticed!  But I die, just the same.]
>>
>> This is what Heartland and Damien and all of them are afraid of when it
>> comes to teleportation
> 
> No, like most organisms I'm afraid of being killed.

Now that I've spruced up my account a bit, just what is the difference
between me no longer living (and happening to be replaced by someone
that only has sufficient memories to fool himself and other people),
and you being teleported.  Just how are our fears different?

Lee

> It doesn't make 
> any difference if someone recompiles an exact copy of me in a galaxy 
> far, far away. Certain biases driven by my genes might be persuaded 
> that such simulacra should become twice as precious to me as my genes 
> estimate my kids and sibs should be, but so far they haven't even 
> done such a great job in urging me to reproduce or keep in touch with 
> my sister and brothers most of the time, let alone bequeath them my fortune.