Stathis Papaioannou wrote:
>
>
> Peter Jones writes:
>
>>> I think it is simpler to go back to your own clones-in-the-next-room example
>>> rather than introducing the complication of neurophysiology (or indeed physics).
>>> You are informed that your current stream of consciousness is either being
>>> generated by
>>>
>>> (a) a temporal sequence of clones, each of which lives for a second, then is
>>> instantly killed, and replaced by the next one in the series a microsecond later
>>>
>>> or
>>>
>>> (b) a spatial series of clones, each of which lives for a second, then is instantly
>>> killed, such that the whole experiment goes for a second but uses multiple
>>> adjacent rooms
>>>
>>> You have to guess whether you are in experiment (a) or (b). If appropriate care
>>> is taken to provide you with no external clues do you think you would be able to
>>> guess the right answer with greater than 1/2 probability?
>> It's quite possible that neither scenario can support a
>> subjective flow of time.
>
> Here is another thought experiment. You are watching an object moving against a
> stationary background at a velocity of 10 m/s. Suddenly, the object seems to instantly
> jump 10 metres in the direction of motion, and then continues as before at 10 m/s. You
> are informed that one of the following three events has taken place:
>
> (a) your consciousness was suspended for 1 second, as in an absence seizure;
>
> (b) you were scanned, annihilated, and a perfect copy created in your place 1 second
> later;
>
> (c) nothing unusual happened to you, but the object you were watching was instantly
> teleported 10 metres in the direction of motion.
>
> Would you be able to guess which of the three events took place?
>
> Stathis Papaioannou
Sure, it was (a). (c) violates the laws of physics. (b) might or might not be theoretically possible, but it's practically impossible.
Brent Meeker
--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Everything List" group.
To post to this group, send email to everything-list.domain.name.hidden
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to everything-list-unsubscribe.domain.name.hidden
For more options, visit this group at
http://groups.google.com/group/everything-list
-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
Received on Fri Oct 27 2006 - 12:44:24 PDT