> Many sf writers have posited a regular (once a century, say) purging
>or rewriting of the memories and habits, leaving just enough to retain
some
>measure of continued consistent identity... assuming you wish to be
>`essentially' the `same person', which most transhumanists appear to
doubt.
>
If that last case turn out to be true, immortality would be a sham!
Unless *something* of my self survives the ravages of time, by
definition and simple logic, *nothing* of my self survives. If nothing
of my self survives, then *I* am not immortal. If anyone disagrees with
this conclusion, then I would counter then that you are already at least
11 billion years old, since all of the matter and energy that composes
your current self has existed for that long. (The transmutation of
lighter elements into heavier nuclie during nucleosynthesis not
withstanding).
Paul Hughes
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