[ExI] Yesterday's Mashed Potatoes

[Lee Corbin]

Alex writes

> I would presume/assume... that you would take the view that
> 'the pattern' would be wholly intact when a subject is cryo
> preserved?

Not "wholly", any more than your pattern is preserved after
brain surgery. But cryopreservation does not appear at present
likely to destroy enough memories to wreck your "pattern".

> If so, would cryonic suspension not be the perfect temporary
> measure for those who think successful uploading is a little
> too far away? It would be a prudent insurance policy...

Don't forget:  it may be possible to do *both*.  (Oh yes, here
we go again. Some people just *cannot* stomach the idea of
there being two of them.)  On a non-destructive upload---which,
unless the technology is EXTREMELY well-proved, is the only
way to go---you can be uploaded *and* remain cryopreserved.

(Of course very interesting problems remain:  what if the matter---
kilogram after kilogram---of your frozen body is *obviously* 
wasted in the view you now have, as a really and true Alex
who is thinking a thousand times faster than pre-upload, and
a lot better.  But I've only touched the surface of the iceberg
here.)

> it would seem that the freezer is a perfect stop gap until the
> uploading technology is available. It would also solve a few
> technical problems associated with uploading.

Yes.

> The more I think about it, it would seem to solve most if not
> all the problems of cryo as well.

You mean successful uploading.  Absolutely. They potentially
serve as backups to each other, from where you're coming.

Lee