5 ms·

I read a great essay about that a few years ago. The thought experiment went like this: imagine a universe in which a machine scans your atoms one by one, trans

by andai 4y ago

I read a great essay about that a few years ago. The thought experiment went like this: imagine a universe in which a machine scans your atoms one by one, transmits the data wirelessly to Mars, and rebuilds you there, atom by atom. Does your consciousness "jump" to the new body, or do you just die? * What if the scanner is able to scan you without destroying the original body? What if you accidentally arrive in two destinations? etc... * Another fascinating question is, we'll assume the new body will be just as conscious as you were. Where does its consciousness "come" from? From its point of view, it was in the teleporter on Earth one moment, and on Mars the next! I thought the video game SOMA did a nice job exploring this area.

weikju 4y ago
“Think like a dinosaur” a science fiction story on that subject. It’s been adapted a few times for TV, I think eg in The Outer Limits (90s version or early 2000s?)
cookingrobot 4y ago
When 2 parents have a child, where does that new consciousness come from? When someone dies where does the consciousness go? I don’t think there’s any law of conservation of consciousness.
- andai 4y ago
  Sure, but also, you wake up as the same person every day.
- enlyth 4y ago
  We also lose consciousness every night when we sleep.
  - mnky9800n 4y ago
    I think it's bizarre that we all collectively cease consciousness around the same time every day as everyone around us. We all become willingly helpless for hours with no protection from any danger every day. It's ridiculous.
    - theGnuMe 4y ago
      Teens typically stay up later than parents who stay up later than grandparents. And babies tend to use a 2-3 hour feed cycle which necessitates mom at the minimum to be somewhat awake. There seems to be evolutionary reasons for this (probably to prevent predation). Interesting some schools and I think California in general has introduced a later start time for teens because of this biology. So it is staggered in general.
highwaylights 4y ago
Also worth checking out the 2006 Christopher Nolan film The Prestige if you’ve never seen it.
- viciousvoxel 4y ago
  Also worth checking out the game The Swapper

by andai 4y ago

weikju 4y ago

“Think like a dinosaur” a science fiction story on that subject. It’s been adapted a few times for TV, I think eg in The Outer Limits (90s version or early 2000s?)

cookingrobot 4y ago

When 2 parents have a child, where does that new consciousness come from? When someone dies where does the consciousness go? I don’t think there’s any law of conservation of consciousness.

andai 4y ago
Sure, but also, you wake up as the same person every day.
enlyth 4y ago
We also lose consciousness every night when we sleep.
- mnky9800n 4y ago
  I think it's bizarre that we all collectively cease consciousness around the same time every day as everyone around us. We all become willingly helpless for hours with no protection from any danger every day. It's ridiculous.
  - theGnuMe 4y ago
    Teens typically stay up later than parents who stay up later than grandparents. And babies tend to use a 2-3 hour feed cycle which necessitates mom at the minimum to be somewhat awake. There seems to be evolutionary reasons for this (probably to prevent predation). Interesting some schools and I think California in general has introduced a later start time for teens because of this biology. So it is staggered in general.

highwaylights 4y ago

Also worth checking out the 2006 Christopher Nolan film The Prestige if you’ve never seen it.

viciousvoxel 4y ago
Also worth checking out the game The Swapper