If you transfer your mind onto a computer, are you still alive?

[spasti696969]

Or do you die and the new entity is merely a copy of your original self?

[Xi Jinpooh, Lord of Man-Jynuhs]

It's a shade/imprint of the original soul.

[Setech]

If you make a conscious transfer into the machine while being aware of your own brain and the machine, you could argue you are "alive" and just moved residence.

If the scan is destructive and you die in the process, you died: a copy of you lives on in the machine.

If the scan isn't destructive, you will have a copy of you inside a machine. It will be weird but you can both live on. It won't be "you" as such though, it will be you if you were kidnapped and put inside a computer.

[fauxpas]

I'm firmly in the camp that the original you is dead, and the chip is a copy, but in reality we simply don't know enough about what makes you ... you to really answer the question.

[Feltaker]

If this computer can also support other needs of the mind (like emotions, reasoning, perception) then you will be alive in a sense. Most possibly the process will be similar to copying the memories. When the transfer is complete, you will think "I'm still here, it didn't work" but the copy will think "Wow, I'm inside the computer. It worked!".

[Zebedee]

"If the real Johnny Silverhand's dead, than that's his problem. Not mine."

[Ballistic Drop]

You are getting close to Ship of Theseus territory here. How much of you can get replaced before you stop being you?

Speaking about the soulkiller in CP, my opinion is that while you are stored on the chip you are not actually alive and free to act. When you are implanted back in to a body then a sense of free will can take over. As an engram you are just a recording of thoughts and experiences, unable to build on them.

Welcome to a cyberpunk topic that has been debated since Asimov.

[fauxpas]

Originally posted by Zebedee:

"If the real Johnny Silverhand's dead, than that's his problem. Not mine."

Until Alt does the same to you without you realizing.

[Zebedee]

Originally posted by fauxpas:

Originally posted by Zebedee:

"If the real Johnny Silverhand's dead, than that's his problem. Not mine."

Until Alt does the same to you without you realizing.

D:

Although I suppose, by the logic of the conversation I'm referencing, if V is distressed enough about Alt doing that then the question answers itself.

[r.linder]

What constitutes humanity is probably the mind, because bodies are just containers. Without the mind behind the personality, there's nothing inside the husk.

What we don't know is what constitutes a "soul" and if it even exists.

[Kinra]

Badge

[fauxpas]

Originally posted by 尺．し工几句ヨ尺:

What constitutes humanity is probably the mind, because bodies are just containers. Without the mind behind the personality, there's nothing inside the husk.

What we don't know is what constitutes a "soul" and if it even exists.

We also don't fully understand exactly how the physical body influences the mind, just that it does.

[d.gabi]

The question is similar to that if you use a Star Trek like transporter, will you be left alive, or you die and the exact copy of yourself will think it is you and will act as if it were you.

However what happens, if you copy yourself to 2 computers? Both will think that it is you. But which one will be you then? I think, both of them will be a copy, thinking they are you, while you are dead.

[spasti696969]

Originally posted by d.gabi:

The question is similar to that if you use a Star Trek like transporter, will you be left alive, or you die and the exact copy of yourself will think it is you and will act as if it were you.

However what happens, if you copy yourself to 2 computers? Both will think that it is you. But which one will be you then? I think, both of them will be a copy, thinking they are you, while you are dead.

What if every time they used the teleporter on Star Trek, they were dying and being reformed and didn't realize it?

[d.gabi]

Originally posted by spasti696969:

Originally posted by d.gabi:

The question is similar to that if you use a Star Trek like transporter, will you be left alive, or you die and the exact copy of yourself will think it is you and will act as if it were you.

However what happens, if you copy yourself to 2 computers? Both will think that it is you. But which one will be you then? I think, both of them will be a copy, thinking they are you, while you are dead.

What if every time they used the teleporter on Star Trek, they were dying and being reformed and didn't realize it?

Yeah, that is my suggestion. Can be. I do not know, why people are unique, and even if you have a perfect copy, it still won't be you. Someone with a religion would say, it is because your soul. Would like to hear a scientific opinion on that however.

But yeah, these things are very interesting.

[Bogmore]

I believe Commander Riker had a duplicate made of him by accident in star trek TNG episode Second chances when he was a lieutenant.

If you read about how the transporter is supposed to work, it uses the same energy to rebuild the body.

Is there really much of a difference between a mind stored in an organic computer (the brain) to one stored in a mechanical computer? It's all just data and processing said data.