- #1
DaveC426913
Gold Member
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Stolen shamelessly - and then subjected to the indignities of paraphrasing - I'm taknig a thread from Whitestar and re-organizing it as a poll:
"The transporter in Star Trek is one of the most fascinating theoretical technologies on board the starship Enterprise...
The transporter works by disassembling crew members at the atomic level and converting them into energy. Once the energy arrives at the appointed destination, the process is reversed...
The problem is there no way to actually account for the first person point-of-view, or know if the person would survive the procedure, unless you or I decide to undergo it. Still, it's rather chancy, but I would think that the individual who first underwent this form of teleportation has ceased to exist and replaced with a replica, who would have all your memories and experiences.
What does everybody else think?"
So:
You awake to find yourself suddenly and miraculously aboard the Enterprise. After much shock and a little looksie around, you are told you will be sent back home. They're going to send by way of the transporter.
You've seen every show and read every book on the subject, and have debated with yourself about the "Am I still me?" quandary. You know that everyone around you has taken the transporter at least once. They will look and act exactly the same as before. But are they the same? You ask yourself just how positive you are that a] there is no such thing as a soul, or b] there is, and it goes with you.
The crew is waiting expectantly. What do you do?
(See poll above.)
"The transporter in Star Trek is one of the most fascinating theoretical technologies on board the starship Enterprise...
The transporter works by disassembling crew members at the atomic level and converting them into energy. Once the energy arrives at the appointed destination, the process is reversed...
The problem is there no way to actually account for the first person point-of-view, or know if the person would survive the procedure, unless you or I decide to undergo it. Still, it's rather chancy, but I would think that the individual who first underwent this form of teleportation has ceased to exist and replaced with a replica, who would have all your memories and experiences.
What does everybody else think?"
So:
You awake to find yourself suddenly and miraculously aboard the Enterprise. After much shock and a little looksie around, you are told you will be sent back home. They're going to send by way of the transporter.
You've seen every show and read every book on the subject, and have debated with yourself about the "Am I still me?" quandary. You know that everyone around you has taken the transporter at least once. They will look and act exactly the same as before. But are they the same? You ask yourself just how positive you are that a] there is no such thing as a soul, or b] there is, and it goes with you.
The crew is waiting expectantly. What do you do?
(See poll above.)
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