Re: another puzzzle

From: Quentin Anciaux <quentin.anciaux.domain.name.hidden>
Date: Thu, 16 Jun 2005 23:31:12 +0200

Le Jeudi 16 Juin 2005 16:12, Stathis Papaioannou a écrit :
> One state consists of you alone in your room. The other state
> consists of 10^100 exact copies of you, their minds perfectly synchronised
> with your mind, each copy isolated from all the others in a room just like
> yours. Whenever the light changes colour, it means that God is either
> instantaneously creating (10^100 - 1) copies, or instantaneously destroying
> all but one randomly chosen copy.
>
> Your task is to guess which colour of the light corresponds with which
> state and write it down. Then God will send you home.
>
> SNIP
>
> But just as you are about to write down your conclusion, the light changes
> to green...
>
> What's wrong with the reasoning here?

Hi Stathis,

If I was in this position, I would not even try to guess, because you (or
god :) are explaining me that it is possible to copy me (not only "me", but
really all the behavior/feelings/mental state/indoor/outdoor state copying, a
copy as good as an original or a copy cannot say which is which and even a
3rd person observer could not distinguish). If it is the case, this means
that :

1- I'm "clonable"
2- I is not "real"
3- A single "I" does not means anything

So I ask you, if it's the case (real complete copy...), why should "I" guess
anything ? Who is the "I" that must guess ?

Quentin
Received on Thu Jun 16 2005 - 17:35:10 PDT