[ExI] Let's play What If.

[Dave Sill]

2010/10/26 John Clark <jonkc at bellsouth.net>

>
> I'd say that the two beings have a common history and at the start common
> memories, so there wouldn't really be two separate beings but only one.
>

But we're talking about an original and an upload, so there would be two
separate beings as soon as the upload is activated--one running on the
"real" atomic substrate and one running on the upload host.

However because of random quantum fluctuations, they would start to diverge
> very soon after the upload was made and become different beings; although
> they would still have a common history and would both have an equal right to
> call themselves you.
>

They might both feel that way, but not necessarily. The upload could be
aware that it's a virtual copy and consider itself a fork of the original,
and unable to claim that it *is* the original. Also, the law may well not
grant both entities the same rights. The upload would be unlikely to be able
to marry a non-upload, and may not even be considered a person.

-Dave
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