Re: Cryonics and uploading as leaps of faith? (was Re: Uploaded Omniscience)

From: Brett Paatsch (paatschb@optusnet.com.au)
Date: Thu Jun 26 2003 - 17:08:48 MDT

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    Randy S writes:

    > Hal Finney <hal@finney.org> said:
    >
    > > Brett raises one of our oldest and most fruitlessly debated topics:
    > > whether an upload or a cryonics revivee is "the same" person he was
    > > before.
    > >
    > > I believe the question is meaningless

    If the question keeps coming up and cryonics and uploading is
    something we want to gain community support for, at least
    sufficient support to ensure we are not prevented from developing
    and using these options ourselves, it seems sensibly that by now
    we should have canned best answers for the reoccuring questions.

    > yes, especially seeing as how we really do not have any choice,

    Uploading is not an option today, burial or cremation seem to
    offer less chance than cryonics so it might be argued cryonics
    is the smart current choice. On what I understand at present
    I'd agree with this assessment. But I don't like the arguments
    or rather the lack of them much. Cryonics is not selling well.

    > as it is
    > apparent (to me, anyway) that virtual immortality or radical
    > life extension is not right around the corner. So, if you want
    > to live, go for cryonics. Otherwise, take your chances elsewhere.

    There are two good reasons for giving a damn.

    1) Better understanding of what is involved in preserving personal
    identity may make for better procedures.

    2) The better explanations make for better marketing and the
    success of cryonics and uploading may require not just fostering
    a more positive acceptance to these ideas in the community but
    being able to answer objections from those who may try and
    remove the right of those who wish to attempt to use cryonics
    or uploading themselves.

    Regards,
    Brett Paatsch

    (Sorry I should have bundled responses to this thread up
    a bit better).



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