Max's point is that this is a flaw in the argument you're criticising. You
should have said 'yes way!'. But you propose a neat solution with your
brain-zapper. Where can I buy one?
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jacques M. Mallah [SMTP:jqm1584.domain.name.hidden]
> Sent: 04 December 1998 18:10
> To: everything-list.domain.name.hidden
> Subject: RE: quantum suicide = deadly dumb
>
> Higgo James wrote:
> > Jaques, try reading what Max wrote, then post a better reply.
>
> Higgo, try reading what I wrote, then post a better reply.
>
> Jacques Mallah wrote:
> > Max Tegmark wrote:
> > > However, I think there's a flaw.
> > > After all, dying isn't a binary thing where you're either dead or
> > > alive - rather, there's a whole continuum of states of progressively
> > > decreasing self-awareness. What makes the quantum suicide work is
> > > that you force an abrupt transition.
> > > I suspect that when I get old, my brain cells will gradually give out
> > > (indeed, that's already started happening...)
> > > so that I keep feeling self-aware, but less and less so, the final
> > > "death" being quite anti-climactic, sort of like when
> > > an amoeba croaks. Do you buy this?
> >
> > No way. It's a desperate attempt to save a very bad idea, and it
> > shows. I can't blame you for wanting to, but what I really respect is
> > when someone admits he made a mistake.
>
> I assume this is what you (Higgo) are referring to? I stand by
> it. Would you have us believe that if only I could hook up a device to my
> head, that could measure my neurons to see if they are giving out (which
> is of course a quantum process), and instantly kill me if they are, then
> since only the few copies of me with healthy brains will exist, that I
> would be immortal? Ridiculous.
>
> BTW, for more on the anthropic principle, see my page on it at
> http://pages.nyu.edu/~jqm1584/anth.htm
>
> - - - - - - -
> Jacques Mallah (jqm1584.domain.name.hidden)
> Graduate Student / Many Worlder / Devil's Advocate
> "I know what no one else knows" - 'Runaway Train', Soul Asylum
> My URL: http://pages.nyu.edu/~jqm1584/
Received on Mon Dec 07 1998 - 02:48:59 PST