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[3]

Sometimes the things I upload and download become corrupted, but this has never resulted in an entirely different and functioning program.

Your point is fair, but remember that a neural network isn't structured in quite the same way as a binary file... we undergo the process of "corruption" every day of our lives. We are not linear; we constantly adapt.

Without putting any real thought towards the subject, I'd only hold faith in teleportation if it were literally instant (which is probably physically impossible unless we get outside the realm of physics as we know it). Otherwise, it's more analogous to extremely rapid cloning than anything else, which takes the preservation of conciousness out of the equation. Actually, having said that, it'd be fine so long as it's fast enough for the body not to notice the process taking place.

[fqllve]

I doubt that errors in such a process would be so orderly. More likely it would just leave one a vegetable. Sometimes the things I upload and download become corrupted, but this has never resulted in an entirely different and functioning program.

Man, don't ruin my lame jokes with your facts.

If we're being serious though, it wouldn't necessarily leave you a vegetable. I could see it leading to organ failures, perhaps even cancers, and maybe even alter the genetic structure of some of the cells in your body, which could end up making you a chimera, or, you know, kill you.

[MaximumZero]

I'm way late to this party, but I have to interject: I would be happy if there were two of me. After all, I'm my type. If there are multiple mes, on top of that, they can all get jobs and we can all live together and have zany hijinks!

[3]

Actually, that brings me around to another point: I know this is just a thought experiment, but practically speaking, why would teleportation ever be desirable? Surely by the point that you're capable of producing a teleportation effect you're also capable of copying complex, existing things very accurately and transmitting massive amounts of information extremely quickly and nigh-flawlessly, so why not just make an appropriate number of clones for each individual, link them all up to each other, and remove the travel element entirely? Everyone can be everywhere they want to be at once without having to go anywhere.

The ethical implications are there, sure, but I can't help thinking it'd turn out to be a better investment.

[Criptfeind]

Then, do these computers have a similar consciousness to our own? Or would they be mere fabrications?

Of course they would.

To anyone:
If your answer to that question is yes, they would have a similar consciousness to our own (like most every sci fi author in the past half century assumes):
- Why do you believe that? Do you have reasons beyond circular arguments like "because they do" or "because the alternatives are silly"?

Well. First thing. I do not believe the computers would be anything like humans. But when you take the idea of consciousness being the sum of our input and processing then yes computers would have a consciousness. Indeed I would say they already do have a consciousness, only that it is fully alien to the human consciousness.

But anyway. To answer your question: "because they do"

When you define consciousness by our "Touch. Feelings. Sight. You name it" then you give something else "Touch. Feelings. Sight. You name it" then by definition they are conscious.

Is a dog conscious? Yeah.

Is a bacteria conscious? When using the word conscious this way sure.

Is my computer conscious? Damn I better cut down on the freaky stuff.

In my mind, if teleportation works, it really could disprove the notion of a soul.

I don't think so. If the soul does nothing, then who says that it can not move faster then the speed of light? Who says it does not latch on to the new body?

Also as for the talk about not appearing on the other side, I'm sure there would be some kind of redundant buffer your body is stored in. so technically you would be in three places at one for a very very brief moment. The original spot your in, the buffer or a "digital plane/cyberspace", and finally your destination, before the original would be destroyed and once teleportation is confirmed the buffer is wiped.

The buffer does not really count. It is only information about how to put something together, it can not intake or output anything. It is like the instructions on how to make a computer, not a computer itself. So it would only be two. Which is why I would want to be put in a buffer, destroyed, then copied.

Actually, that brings me around to another point: I know this is just a thought experiment, but practically speaking, why would teleportation ever be desirable? Surely by the point that you're capable of producing a teleportation effect you're also capable of copying complex, existing things very accurately and transmitting massive amounts of information extremely quickly and nigh-flawlessly, so why not just make an appropriate number of clones for each individual, link them all up to each other, and remove the travel element entirely? Everyone can be everywhere they want to be at once without having to go anywhere.

The ethical implications are there, sure, but I can't help thinking it'd turn out to be a better investment.

I think two things. The ability to send such vast amounts of information does not mean you have all the materials needed for a comfortable life, nor that you could continuously send such information.

Perhaps you can not live comfortably on earth but could in some place with a receiver? Perhaps you can afford to send your information, but not set up a constant stream to connect yourselves.

[GlyphGryph]

In my mind, if teleportation works, it really could disprove the notion of a soul. A soul needs to stay i nthe body to give it life doesn't it? if you teleport, your matter is "moved" not your spirit, what would happen if you were the exact same person ( the who premise of teleportation ).

Well, only certain definition of a soul. A soul powers the body, but might very well not be limited to it. Is there any reason a soul could not express itself through two bodies at the same time? The mind is just a reflection of the soul, not the soul itself, and the soul isn't attached to the body, it merely gives it that vital spark.

In essence, you'd end up with multiple bodies, but one person, and one soul.

If you believe in souls, its not irreconcilable.

Say you have an image. You copy it perfectly. You then destroy the original.

If you really do copy it "perfectly", in my mind, including all the effects of history so that the items are perfectly interchangeable... then you don't have an original and a copy, in my opinion, you simply have two copies of the original. They are both original.

But we're talking minds, not objects, so tell me this - when you listen to a song file on your computer, are you listening to that song? Or are you listening to a /copy/ of that song? If you create a copy of the file somewhere else, is the thing you copied it from an "original" and the other a "copy"? Does the concept of "original" even make sense for something made of information?

Because for continuity, think of it like sending someone an email - you, your mind, exists continously before, during, and after the teleportation, it just spends a good chunk of that time in a somewhat different state - like sleeping, but moreso. There's no spontenous stuff happening on the other side. The information that makes up YOU still travels, there's still continuity, it's just a chance in shape for a bit.

[Tarran]

But we're talking minds, not objects, so tell me this - when you listen to a song file on your computer, are you listening to that song? Or are you listening to a /copy/ of that song? If you create a copy of the file somewhere else, is the thing you copied it from an "original" and the other a "copy"? Does the concept of "original" even make sense for something made of information?

I'm listening to a recorded copy of the song. If I was listening to the song, I would have to be where it was created.

Yes, if I create a copy, then one is the original and the new one is a copy. To me, original is a property that cannot ever be moved or replicated. Each word I type, each letter, is not the original, it is a copy of the original. In my mind of course.

No, it does not matter in the sense of computers. But humans are not computers.

Because for continuity, think of it like sending someone an email - you, your mind, exists continously before, during, and after the teleportation, it just spends a good chunk of that time in a somewhat different state - like sleeping, but moreso.

No, the mind would completely stop during teleportation, at least as far as I can think of. And that's the thing that gets me. If it never does stop, then I'm perfectly fine with teleportation. But as it stands, how would it even be possible to continue thinking in transit?

There's no spontenous stuff happening on the other side. The information that makes up YOU still travels, there's still continuity, it's just a chance in shape for a bit.

I'm not arguing against this. I agree that your body, mind, memories, yadda yadda still transfer, but I'm not concerned with that. Once again, I'm concerned with... well, this 'line' of consciousness. I'm concerned that, if it ever stops, it will never come back and instead a new one will replace it, which is perfectly identical but not the same.

[darkflagrance]

I think two things. The ability to send such vast amounts of information does not mean you have all the materials needed for a comfortable life, nor that you could continuously send such information.

Perhaps you can not live comfortably on earth but could in some place with a receiver? Perhaps you can afford to send your information, but not set up a constant stream to connect yourselves.

Teleportation cannot be used to send raw materials without a true revolution in energy, like fusion reactors x10^1000

Given teleportation that is the sending of material, you have to have the materials on the other side to reassemble. Therefore, you cannot send a human across a teleporter without an equivalent amount of corresponding raw materials to rebuild him out of.

If you send something over teleporter, you therefore assume that the materials on the other side already exist. Better just to use a 3d printer.

[zombie urist]

What really bothers me about this entire system is that the new copy would know that the original copy is destroyed.

[mcclay]

I would personally be fine if there was a clone of me running around, espically if that clone was a girl. That does bring up the question of if you have sex with alternate or clone you does that count as masturbation or incest?

[Interus]

I would personally be fine if there was a clone of me running around, espically if that clone was a girl. That does bring up the question of if you have sex with alternate or clone you does that count as masturbation or incest?

Incest.  And you wouldn't like somebody with your personality if they weren't attractive to you?

[Criptfeind]

Teleportation cannot be used to send raw materials without a true revolution in energy, like fusion reactors x10^1000

Given teleportation that is the sending of material, you have to have the materials on the other side to reassemble. Therefore, you cannot send a human across a teleporter without an equivalent amount of corresponding raw materials to rebuild him out of.

If you send something over teleporter, you therefore assume that the materials on the other side already exist. Better just to use a 3d printer.

Yes? Is this you agreeing with me? Because this is pretty much what I was talking about.

What really bothers me about this entire system is that the new copy would know that the original copy is destroyed.

Why would that bother you? It would only bother the copy if the original would be bothered by it, and if that would be the case they would not have done that.

I would personally be fine if there was a clone of me running around, espically if that clone was a girl. That does bring up the question of if you have sex with alternate or clone you does that count as masturbation or incest?

We seriously already did all this.

[mcclay]

Your last sentance makes zero sense, can you please rephrase?

Also oh, I should have read the entie thread.

[darklord92]

mcclay does raise a slightly different point. This is coping our atoms, it could be possible to implant things within our structure just by using the teleporter? It could give shadier organizations a new meaning to putting words in your head. As for the soul topic before; thats an interesting way to view it, I've always seen the body as a sort of container for the soul, without it/life it leaves, hence when you teleport your original body and soul remains to be destroyed, if there is a soul per-say.

[Urist Imiknorris]

Your last sentance makes zero sense, can you please rephrase?

We've had that discussion before.