Hi all
First post! I'm happy to have found this list as much of it coincides
with what I've been thinking about in the past few years, esp. after
reading about quantum roulette and realising, as many others have
done, that this leads to quantum immortality.
1) Lately, I've been thinking about euthanasia and the QTI.
Previously, being somewhat of a liberal in these matters, I've always
held that, assuming proper checks and balances (BIG assumption),
euthanasia was ok, as it relieved the suffering of the patient as well
as their loved ones.
If QTI holds then "killing" the patient won't work (from the patient's
frame of reference), so you're not actually alleviating their
suffering. You may of course be relieving the suffering of the
patient's loved ones (from THEIR pov) but I think we're on dangerous
ground when you consider whether or not you should kill someone solely
for their' families' sake.
So, should QTI-ists be campaigning against euthanasia, not because of
the traditional 'life is sacred' objection, but because it simply
doesn't work? Can anyone see an alternative - based perhaps on
anaethetising the patient indefinitely?
2) I'd like to propose a thought experiment. A subject has his brain
cells removed one at a time by a patient assistant using a very fine
pair of tweezers. The brain cell is then destroyed in an incinerator.
Is there a base level of consciousness beyond which, from the pov of
the subject, the assistant will be unable to remove any more cells,
since conscious experience will be lost? ie is there a minimum level
of 'experience' beyond which nature will appear to act to always
maintain the physical brain?
If there is, does the second law of thermodynamics not suggest that
all brains inexorably head towards this quantum of consciousness, for
as long as our brains are physical?
Razi
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Received on Wed Oct 22 2008 - 08:31:26 PDT