[ExI] Technical Uploading Difficulties

[Lee Corbin]

I had hoped not to be lured into this discussion, but the Griggster
has dangled an irresistable science fiction gem  :-)

> Lee Corbin wrote:
> > Of course, there are many who will never believe that anything
> > outside their own skin can be the same person that they are,
> > and for them, your example isn't of any use. Too bad. Because
> > in one sentence you've summarized exactly how personal identity
> > will be handled in the future.

Continuity! Continuity! Continuity! lol

Yeah? Yeah?  Well, I hope you've read my "Continuity of Identity:
The Last Refuge of the Soul"  (http://www.leecorbin.com/LastRefuge.html)

> The scientist who had argued that a perfect copy was not to be confused
> with the original very calmly takes a 44 magnum handgun from a desk
> drawer, points it at the head of the original scientist (not the perfect in
> all respects copy of him), and says, "now just how certain are you that
> your life is utterly indistinguishable from your perfect copy?" LOL    

Hey, on pain of losing an instance of me, I'd say whatever I thought he
wanted to hear!  But make the stakes really worth while (either I or
my duplicate dies, but if it's "me" then $10M is deposited to my account),
and I won't flinch a bit when you point the gun.

Now THIS is precious (thanks, John!):

    There was an Outer Limits episode where a race of very technologically
    advanced and yet pacifistic (roughly human-sized) Saurians came to the
    aid of a very polluted and over-populated Earth that is barely surviving.
    The aliens hold out the promise of new worlds to explore and colonize
    due to the amazing "teleportation" machines that they are willing to share with us.  

    But their alien mentality is brought out [Well, they really are more advanced
    than we and do understand better LOL] when a female human scientist is
    "teleported" to one of their worlds but the original woman is left alive.  It turns
    out their "teleportation devices" are simply a very sophisticated duplication
    technology!  They take it for granted that the original traveler at point A is
    to be killed/vaporized (according to their laws) as soon as the copy is
    successfully created at point B.  The idea of having multiple copies of the
    same being running around is seen as highly unethical by the aliens [Now
    that IS sick] and so they demand the death of the women, or they will
    withdraw their support from humanity. ...The reptilian Saurians, who despite
    being pacificists, still appear to be very cold and callous by human standards.
    [Yeah, they don't understand that we're not all up to speed on identity, LOL!]

> Stories can sometimes be good food for thought.    John  : )

Ooooh, I wish I'd seen that one.  I came up with the very same
thought experiment in 1967 to convince a friend of mine that
there was a serious issue concerning identity. "Teleportation
With Delay", or something like that, I call it.  But the Outer
Limits may very well have beat me to it, if it was the old B&W
series shown in the 60's.

Lee