[ExI] Human extinction

[Lee Corbin]

Keith writes

> > >My best guess is that physical state humans will not exist long
> > >after the singularity--something I can't see holding off even half
> > >way to the end of this century.
> >
> > >Then the question becomes how our intellectual descendants deal with
> > >the problems. I suspect at best humans will have the status of
> > >cats--in some ways an unnerving prospect considering what we do to
> > >cats.
> 
> I know at least 4 people that if they got their hands on the
> technology would upload the lot of the religious folks looking for
> the Rapture.  I know it isn't ethical.

Yes it is ethical!  And for a very clear reason, (see below).

> Perhaps I should write a story about a police officer who enters
> a rapture simulation to offer a rescue to the people in it.

Evidently only a very few people will keep in mind,
as I do, the possibility of doing *both*.  In fact, I
would upload everyone on Earth right now if I could,
simply in order to save billions of lives should the worst
occur. From my point of view, it would be very unethical
to expose countless people to unknown hazards, such as
Gamma Ray bursts, if I could do something about it.

Moreover, let's not forget that as they're presently
constituted, and on the present hardware they're
running on (i.e. the Earth), many are going to die
very soon. Around 100,000 religious people perish
every single day.  Or do you want to upload their
brain tumors and heart conditions too? How about
a compromise: everyone starts to feel a little better,
the truly despondent and suicidal start to feel a lot
better, and though they continue to be reported on
the news, no one actually hears about anyone they
know being involved in traffic accidents, accidental
deaths, wars, or disease.

And for those who are reading too fast, I would not be
affecting the people who live here and their lives right
here *at all*.  No reason they can't live uploaded while
they continue to live here too.

> Story background, the evil dweeb hacker from Perth Amboy saved a copy
> of their state vector when they were uploaded.  Their bodies are
> preserved.  The simulation runs at 100 times wall clock, so by the
> time (a week) the poor cop goes in to tell them they are in a fake
> heaven they have been there 2 subjective years.
> 
> They are offered:
> 
> 1) reloading into their bodies with existing memories.
> 2) termination and reloading of their memories prior to the uploading
>      into their physical bodies.
> 3) continuation in their current uploaded environment with memories
>      that they are in a fake heaven
> 4) same as 3 but erasing the memory of the cop's visit.
> 5) same as 3 or 4 but forked with the original body being put back on
>     the street with no memory of two years in heaven.
> 
> Did I miss anything?  What would you do with such an offer?
> Heh heh


:-)

Okay, so you do mean duplicates in step.  Then indeed that's
what I'd go for.

Otherwise---leaving just 1) through 4), I'd definitely pick 1). 
Knowledge is good.  Besides, it is not kind to wipe out someone's
memory, even for two years, especially if wasn't unpleasant.

Lee