From: Stathis Papaioannou (stathisp@gmail.com)
Date: Thu Dec 03 2009 - 03:32:21 MST
2009/12/3 John McNamara <harlequin@novastar.org>:
> If one of us happened to be dead the instant after duplication it
> would not effect the remaining me's thoughts on the situation. It
> would be the same as if one of us was ran over by a bus upon exiting
> the clinic.
No, it wouldn't be the same. If one of the copies dies instantly after
duplication it would be as if that copy had never been made. Consider
these example:
1. I do nothing.
2. I gather together the chemicals that would be used to make a copy
of you, then destroy them.
3. I assemble the chemicals to make a copy of you, but at a low
temperature so that its metabolism is suspended, then destroy it.
4. I allow the copy to warm up so that metabolic processes start up
for a microsecond, then destroy it.
5. I allow the copy to wake up, talk to it for a few minutes so that
it realises what's going on, then destroy it.
1 to 4 are equivalent: there is no termination of a stream of
consciousness, no aggrieved party. But 5 is murder.
-- Stathis Papaioannou
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