Re: Can I kill the original?

From: Dan Fabulich (daniel.fabulich@yale.edu)
Date: Mon May 08 2000 - 00:14:30 MDT


Paul Hughes (or is it Memorex?) wrote:

> A copy of "Dab Fabulich" writes:

WAIT! THAT'S not me! ;)

> "Hi Dan. I know you have no experience of being me, because you're
> still alive and kicking back on Earth. I'm an exact copy of your self
> made from a remote highly advanced brain of your brain 2 days before
> the new year. I regret to inform you that your continued existence is
> going to end in a few years from a gamma ray burst before your planet
> develops upload technology. That's the reason this alien ship I'm on
> made the copy while they happened to be traveling through our
> particular solar system. I hope you can find comfort knowing that at
> least a copy of your prior self will make it past this apocalypse.
> Take care."

While I'd certainly take steps to keep this body from getting caught in
the blast, (assuming that I took this person who claimed to be me
seriously,) believe it or not, and I know this may be unthinkable to
you, I'd probably think in response to hearing a communique like this:
"Whew. THAT was a close one."

> I know Harvey and I agree this is not acceptable, because our current
> inner selves will not experience a continuation of consciousness.
> Worse, in this fictional scenario, we have a short future to look
> forward to - one in which we will be vaporized into non-existence.
> So the question (yes or no), do you share the sense of loss that
> Harvey and I have, that the you I'm talking to right now will not
> continue?

Not really. I'd actually find a great deal of comfort in knowing that a
copy of me would manage to avoid the blast. I'd be under about as much
distress as I'd be under if I became aware that I was going to undergo
retroactive amnesia or something to that effect. In short, it would bother
me a little, I'd try to avoid it, etc. but not really all THAT much.

It would be a real shame forgetting New Year's, I had a really good time
in Barcelona with my girlfriend. But there will be other millennia.

-Dan

      -unless you love someone-
    -nothing else makes any sense-
           e.e. cummings



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