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From: mooremj@EGLIN-VAX
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Matter Transmission, Copying, etc.
Message-ID: <3976@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU>
Date: Thu, 10-Oct-85 08:08:36 EDT
Article-I.D.: topaz.3976
Posted: Thu Oct 10 08:08:36 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 12-Oct-85 06:17:50 EDT
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Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.
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From: mooremj@EGLIN-VAX

When an amoeba divides into two new amoebas, each an exact copy of the 
original, which is the "original"?  There is no choice between them.
The same argument holds for the transmitter/copier; both results will believe
themselves to be the original.  Don Provan and some others seem to be arguing 
that there must be a continuity of consciousness from the original to one of 
the results, making it the "original".  But if the copy is perfect, 
consciousness itself is duplicated, so there is a continuity from the original 
to *both* results; perhaps it is better to think of it as twinning, like the
amoeba, than as copying.

A wild but intriguing possibility is that the results might have *one* 
consciousness shared among their bodies.  There was a great story called 
"Let's Be Frank" (author forgotten) which dealt with a shared-consciousness 
mutation in the human race.  I highly recommend it; I'll try to research the 
author's name (unless somebody posts it first.)

                                      marty moore (mooremj@eglin-vax.arpa)