Comment Re:Copying the brain? (Score 1) 518
Ok, this is something that's mashed my melon for ages, so i'll share it with you all..
Imagine this scenario: You have developed a technology which lets you duplicate your brain. The duplicate is perfect in every detail. The technology you have developed allows you to insert this duplicate brain into a synthetic body of your choice. The technology destroys every brain cell of the original, for each one it duplicates.
So YOU, the guy reading this article, go and sit down in the lab, put all the neccesary equipment on your head, and the replacement body is standing by...drooling slightly ;-)
You press the switch. ZAP. You're dead. If you could think about it, you'd be cursing yourself for going along with such a hairbrained scheme. However, there is now a *copy* of you, who has just opened the eyes of his synthetic body, and thought "Yes! It worked!!!", as he stands and stares at YOUR dead body!
From the point of view of the copy - the operation was a success. But from the point of view of the original you, you've just died, which i'm sure if you were alive to debate it you wouldnt think was such a great thing.
Several times here, i've said that *you* the reader, and eminent scientist dies....but perhaps you disagree...did you die? If you dont believe that you did die, then lets up the stakes. This time, the original you stay alives by some freak mishap of the machinery. The copy blinks opens his eyes, sees you sitting there looking shocked, and the next thing you know the copy grabs a gun, tells you its for your own good and blows your head off. Did you die that time?
What fries my brain here is the implications that has on conciousness, they must be wide reaching, but I have difficulty handling it - its quite a paradox. For the copy, transferring your brain between bodies does work, its a completly viable solution - he'll gladly tell you, afterall he's lived through the experience. The question here then is what defines the worth of you of the original? You tell me - was the operation a success - or a failure?
I'd love some feedback on this...
Imagine this scenario: You have developed a technology which lets you duplicate your brain. The duplicate is perfect in every detail. The technology you have developed allows you to insert this duplicate brain into a synthetic body of your choice. The technology destroys every brain cell of the original, for each one it duplicates.
So YOU, the guy reading this article, go and sit down in the lab, put all the neccesary equipment on your head, and the replacement body is standing by...drooling slightly
You press the switch. ZAP. You're dead. If you could think about it, you'd be cursing yourself for going along with such a hairbrained scheme. However, there is now a *copy* of you, who has just opened the eyes of his synthetic body, and thought "Yes! It worked!!!", as he stands and stares at YOUR dead body!
From the point of view of the copy - the operation was a success. But from the point of view of the original you, you've just died, which i'm sure if you were alive to debate it you wouldnt think was such a great thing.
Several times here, i've said that *you* the reader, and eminent scientist dies....but perhaps you disagree...did you die? If you dont believe that you did die, then lets up the stakes. This time, the original you stay alives by some freak mishap of the machinery. The copy blinks opens his eyes, sees you sitting there looking shocked, and the next thing you know the copy grabs a gun, tells you its for your own good and blows your head off. Did you die that time?
What fries my brain here is the implications that has on conciousness, they must be wide reaching, but I have difficulty handling it - its quite a paradox. For the copy, transferring your brain between bodies does work, its a completly viable solution - he'll gladly tell you, afterall he's lived through the experience. The question here then is what defines the worth of you of the original? You tell me - was the operation a success - or a failure?
I'd love some feedback on this...
