[ExI] Let's play What If.

[John Clark]

On Oct 26, 2010, at 2:36 PM, Tim Halterman wrote:

>> It would take another step but you could merge the two together and create a third being that remembers doing two things at the same time. Odd but not paradoxical. 
>>  
> I have no problem with this but this third is different from the two and different from the one the two came from.

Yes, all three would be different from one another but they would all be Tim Halterman because they all share a common history, even if they don't have a common future
> 
> 
>>>   It looks to me like this is breaking the laws of physics.
> 
>>  And what law of physics would that be?
> 
> 
>  
> The law of conservation of mass.

Consciousness has no mass, and there is no law of the conservation of adjectives (information); and that's what you are, you are the way matter behaves when it is organized in a Timhalterman way. Up to now there was only one chunk of matter in the universe organized that way but there is no reason to think that will always be true. 

>> there is an experiment to test if this theory is true or false. If atoms have individuality then when you exchange two hydrogen atoms in the same quantum state you should observe something happening; but nothing happens, you can't even be certain a exchange actually took place. 
>>> 
>>  

> I would agree that there is nothing observable to us here, at least in our current state of measurement and possibly never.  Just because you can't perceive anything does not mean that the two atoms are the same. 

Like I say, I don't believe in the soul, atomic or human.

> One is closer to x than the other, that is a difference.

How do you know one is closer, how do you know they are not constantly exchanging positions and what difference would it make if they did? If you and I instantly exchanged positions it would profoundly change things because we both have individuality; we'd both end up in a place we've never seen before and remember the bizarre experience for the rest of our lives, but if you exchange 2 hydrogen atoms absolutely nothing observable changes, not to the hydrogen atoms and not to anything that comes into contact with them. 

In addition to the above profound difficulty in basing your theory of consciousness on atoms you also have to explain why you remain the same person even after you eat or excrete.

> I do not believe atoms have a soul 

You may not believe in the word "soul" but like most people around here you do believe in the idea of a soul. I don't.

 John K Clark




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