4 ms·

I think the fact that the original is kept around (and asked a question) might be complicating things. For example, what if you were taken apart, your molecule

by cakoose 10y ago

I think the fact that the original is kept around (and asked a question) might be complicating things. For example, what if you were taken apart, your molecules were sent to Mars, and then you were reassembled exactly as they were? Would that be continuous consciousness? If so, how is that different from the cloning option if your clone were assembled on Mars and the original were completely destroyed at the very same instant? (Or maybe the original were destroyed just an instant earlier.)

lazzlazzlazz 10y ago
The fact that the original is kept around is the entire point. Let's say your molecules were taken apart... and that's it. That's called "dying".
- mickeypi 10y ago
  Yes, and if we actually had a way to disassemble and reassemble humans, the reassembled beings would tell you that the experiment works and their consciousness goes back to their first memories as a child. But the disassembled person would have been destroyed and therefore unable to share their opinion on the matter.
  - dietrichepp 10y ago
    This dodges the question. The question is not whether the original is destroyed, but whether it matters.
    - mickeypi 10y ago
      Sorry, that was intended to be implied. The original would say that it matters to them but to any observer it does not.
- gwright 10y ago
  And yet the atoms in your body are recycled over time. Your future self consists of an almost entirely different set of atoms as your current self. I'm not sure how to reconcile this with the nature of consciousness, but it certainly makes for an interesting thought experiment. https://www.quora.com/How-long-does-it-take-for-most-of-the-atoms-in-your-body-to-be-replaced-by-others https://www.quora.com/How-long-does-it-take-for-most-of-the-...
fossuser 10y ago
This reminds of some of the thought experiments in Sam Harris' book Waking Up. This particular one reminds me of the teleporter example which is in this excerpt: https://www.getflashnotes.com/waking-up-by-sam-harris/ https://www.getflashnotes.com/waking-up-by-sam-harris/ (just control-f for teleporter). Basically our reasoning about identity is poorly evolved for duplicates. The closest we can come to feeling comfortable with it is going to sleep and waking back up. I think mostly because we're just used to doing that (since otherwise going to sleep and waking back up is similar to dying and coming back slightly different). Was an interesting book overall - I'd recommend it.

by cakoose 10y ago

lazzlazzlazz 10y ago

The fact that the original is kept around is the entire point. Let's say your molecules were taken apart... and that's it. That's called "dying".

mickeypi 10y ago
Yes, and if we actually had a way to disassemble and reassemble humans, the reassembled beings would tell you that the experiment works and their consciousness goes back to their first memories as a child. But the disassembled person would have been destroyed and therefore unable to share their opinion on the matter.
- dietrichepp 10y ago
  This dodges the question. The question is not whether the original is destroyed, but whether it matters.
  - mickeypi 10y ago
    Sorry, that was intended to be implied. The original would say that it matters to them but to any observer it does not.
gwright 10y ago
And yet the atoms in your body are recycled over time. Your future self consists of an almost entirely different set of atoms as your current self. I'm not sure how to reconcile this with the nature of consciousness, but it certainly makes for an interesting thought experiment. https://www.quora.com/How-long-does-it-take-for-most-of-the-atoms-in-your-body-to-be-replaced-by-others https://www.quora.com/How-long-does-it-take-for-most-of-the-...

fossuser 10y ago

This reminds of some of the thought experiments in Sam Harris' book Waking Up. This particular one reminds me of the teleporter example which is in this excerpt: https://www.getflashnotes.com/waking-up-by-sam-harris/ https://www.getflashnotes.com/waking-up-by-sam-harris/ (just control-f for teleporter). Basically our reasoning about identity is poorly evolved for duplicates. The closest we can come to feeling comfortable with it is going to sleep and waking back up. I think mostly because we're just used to doing that (since otherwise going to sleep and waking back up is similar to dying and coming back slightly different). Was an interesting book overall - I'd recommend it.