It's not so much if a copy is the same as the real thing, but rather how do
you define the difference between an all-at-once copy with a simultaneous
destruction of the original and a piece by piece replacement of the parts?
It seems to me they only differ by the size of the part replaced.
BR
John
 Den 23 apr 2013 18:13 skrev "Tristan Slominski" <
[email protected]>:

> With great trepidation, I will try to keep this to computing :D
>
> It may revolve around the meaning of "uploading", but my problem with the
> uploading approach, is that it makes a copy. Whether a copy is the same as
> the real thing I feel is beyond the scope of a computing discussion in this
> particular sense. I assert, that I am not interested in a copy of Me (in
> legal style, I will use capitals for defined terms).
>
> The next thing is the definition of Me. For the purpose of this, Me is
> defined as the pattern of interaction of physical processes that happens
> within the volume bound by my skin. I will further refine to a concept of
> Sensory Me, which I will define as the pattern of interaction of physical
> processes that happens within my nervous system. I will further refine to a
> concept of the Conscious Me, which I will define as the "pattern of
> interaction" from the definition of Sensory Me, and it is separate from the
> "physical processes" of the same.
>
> With the definition of Conscious Me in place, what I am interested in is
> preserving the Conscious Me whether in its original form (i.e. implemented
> on top of original physical processes, that is embodied in a human body),
> or over a different substrate.
>
> Side note: if you disagree with my definitions, then please don't argue
> the conclusions using your own definitions. I consider it axiomatic that
> from different definitions we'll likely arrive at something different, so
> no argument is to be had really.
>
> It seems to me to be possible to one by one replace various physical
> processes with a different type that would result in supporting the same
> pattern of interaction (Conscious Me).  The distinction I am making, is
> that I am interested in continuing the existing pattern (Conscious Me),
> hot-swapping, so to speak, the physical processes implementing it. This is
> the best illustration of why I feel "uploading", which to me implies a
> copy, would be wrong and horrible. Because the existing pattern would then
> be discontinued as the uploaded pattern would be permitted to endure.
>
> More on computation...
>
> There is ample evidence, that I will sort of assume and handwave, that our
> Conscious Me's are capable of great flexibility and plasticity. For
> example, when I drive a car, my concept of "me" incorporates the machine I
> am operating. This effect is even more pronounced when piloting an
> aircraft. Or our ability to train our brains to see with our 
> tounges<http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=device-lets-blind-see-with-tongues>
>
> I am very interested in the Hierarchical Temporal 
> Memory<https://www.numenta.com/technology.html#cla-whitepaper>(the "HTM") 
> model of how the human neocortex computes and a lot of my views
> about Conscious Me are informed by the HTM model. HTM proposes one
> algorithm, implemented on a certain physical architecture, that can give a
> rise to "Metaphors We Live 
> By"<http://www.amazon.com/Metaphors-We-Live-By-ebook/dp/B006KYECYA/ref=tmm_kin_title_0>types
>  of thinking that human beings seem to have.
>
> The reason I am very interested in dynamic objects all the way down (types
> of systems VPRI is building) is because I am looking at them through the
> lens of preserving the Conscious Me. Fully dynamic objects running on
> hardware seem promising in this regard. The Actor Model also helps to frame
> some of the things through a slightly different lens, and hence my interest
> in it. Both seem to allow emergent behavior for processes that may in the
> future support Conscious Me.
>
> Admittedly, the interface between the two physical processes remains as a
> subject for future research.
>
>
>
> On Tue, Apr 23, 2013 at 10:11 AM, Loup Vaillant-David 
> <[email protected]>wrote:
>
>> On Tue, Apr 23, 2013 at 04:01:20PM +0200, Eugen Leitl wrote:
>> > On Fri, Apr 19, 2013 at 02:05:07PM -0500, Tristan Slominski wrote:
>> >
>> > > That alone seems to me to dismiss the concern that mind uploading
>> would not
>> > > be possible (despite that I think it's a wrong and a horrible idea
>> > > personally :D)
>>
>> Personally, I can think of 2 objections:
>>
>>  1. It may turn out that mind uploading doesn't actually transfer your
>>     mind in a new environment, but actually makes a *copy* of you,
>>     which will behave the same, but isn't actually you.  From the
>>     outside, it would make virtually no difference, but from the
>>     inside, you wouldn't get to live in the Matrix.
>>
>>  2. There's those cool things called "privacy", and "free will" that
>>     can get seriously compromised if anyone but a saint ever get root
>>     access to the Matrix you live in.  And we have plenty of reasons
>>     to abuse such a system.  Like:
>>
>>     - Boost productivity with happy slaves.  Just copy your best
>>       slaves, and kill the rest.  Or make them work 24/7 by killing
>>       them every 8 hours, and restarting a saved state. (I got the
>>       idea from Robin Hanson.)
>>
>>       Combined with point (1), this is a killer: we will probably get
>>       to a point where meatbags are not competitive enough to feed
>>       themselves.  So, everyone dies soon, and Earth becomes a giant
>>       City of Ghosts.
>>
>>     - Make a number of psychological experiments by simulating a giant
>>       cube of 27*27*27 rooms with lots of traps.
>>
>>     - Indulge your base instincts by inflicting the unspeakable to the
>>       copy of your chosen victim(s).  Nobody will notice anyway.
>>
>> I still think there's a potential for paradise there, but if we screw
>> up, it could be worse than Hell.
>>
>> Loup.
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