From: Eliezer S. Yudkowsky (sentience@pobox.com)
Date: Fri Jan 17 2003 - 10:42:59 MST
avatar wrote:
> Israeli astronaut, worried about the Sabbath : *Rabbi rules he can keep
> the same time as Mission Control.*
*Really*? Sabbath in Space has been an open question for Jewish SF fans
for as much of my Chicagoan life as I can remember. I read about the
Israeli astronaut in the news without making the connection that they'd
finally have to resolve the issue one way or the other.
Now being a complete atheist, it amazes me that this still gives me a
frisson of future shock similar to hearing about Dolly. "Whoa! Someone
is finally keeping Sabbath in space! We must really be living in the future!"
I'm surprised by that resolution. I would have guessed they'd call for
him to keep Jerusalem time.
So did they explain how this guy will live out 25 hours in a fragile
bubble of technologically supported life in the midst of the inky
interstellar void while reduced to a Neanderthal state of existence that
includes not being able to use or even physically touch anything electronic?
-- Eliezer S. Yudkowsky http://singinst.org/ Research Fellow, Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence
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