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:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: 04 December 1998 18:10 > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > 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 ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) > 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/
