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From: jbs@mit-eddie.UUCP (Jeff Siegal)
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Re: matter transmission, etc.
Message-ID: <35@mit-eddie.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 8-Oct-85 16:31:25 EDT
Article-I.D.: mit-eddi.35
Posted: Tue Oct  8 16:31:25 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 11-Oct-85 08:13:46 EDT
References: <> <331@proper.UUCP> <144@codas.UUCP> <587@h-sc1.UUCP>
Reply-To: jbs@mit-eddie.UUCP (Jeff Siegal)
Distribution: net
Organization: MIT, Cambridge, MA
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In article <587@h-sc1.UUCP> moews_b@h-sc1.UUCP (david moews) writes:

>     But...computers store data by moving around electrons, so the data
>in a computer's memory *is* included in the structure of the "matter" in the
>computer. If all the electron positions were recorded correctly, the 
>computer would presumably continue running with no problems.  Anyway, it's
>not clear that the matter vs. energy distinction is really relevant at 
>this level (one might view a photon as a material particle instead of
>an energy packet), so matter transmitters will have to scan all the
>mass/energy in an object (somehow) before reproducing it.

Wrong!  The position of an electron is NOT sufficient information to reproduce
the state of the object (be it a computer memory, human mind, or whatever).
The momentium of the electron is an independant quantity which must be
measured and reproduced.  Now, here is the relevant point:  Modern quantum
mechanics tells us that the lower limit for the product of the uncertainty
obtained when measuring the position of an electon and its momentium is h, 
Plank's constant.  So, it appears this is the end of the line for matter
transmittion....(unless...:-))

Jeff Siegal - MIT EECS