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From: ethan@utastro.UUCP (Ethan Vishniac)
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Re: Matter transmission and duplication
Message-ID: <733@utastro.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 17-Sep-85 13:12:28 EDT
Article-I.D.: utastro.733
Posted: Tue Sep 17 13:12:28 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 20-Sep-85 05:24:10 EDT
References: <3675@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU>
Organization: U. Texas, Astronomy, Austin, TX
Lines: 21

> From: don.provan@A.CS.CMU.EDU
> 
> look at it this way: you make two copies of yourself.  which is you?
> both?  how is your consciousness going to be in both?  that seems to make
> it obvious to me that it would be in neither.  information is only good
> for making copies.  for the external observer, the copy might be identical,
> if we assume that everything that makes me is physical.  and, in fact, the
> copy will serve just as well.  but internally, my consiousness will be blown
> away.  the continuity that make me will be blasted.

On the other hand, each of the copies will have the precise sensation of
continuity whose loss you fear.  As far as they are concerned nothing
happened.  Which brings us to the question, what exactly do you mean
by "the continuity that makes me"?  To the outside observer it's just
not obvious that that has any meaning.
-- 
"Support the revolution        Ethan Vishniac
 in Latin America...           {charm,ut-sally,ut-ngp,noao}!utastro!ethan
    Buy Cocaine"               ethan@astro.UTEXAS.EDU
                               Department of Astronomy
                               University of Texas


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