Would you step into a teleporter?

[snowden719]

Say that there is a teleporter like in Star Trek, such that when you enter it, the teleporter scans your body, breaks down your atomic structure, the information is sent to the other end of the teleporter, and your body is rebuilt. (I don't know if this is exactly how it is done in Star Trek, but this is a close enough approximation.) Would you go through the teleporter?

[AngryCola]

Where am I going? Is it nice there?

[snowden719]

you're going to a place that is sweet as hell.

[AngryCola]

[ QUOTE ]
you're going to a place that is sweet as hell.

[/ QUOTE ]


Hmm.. is it also quite far away?

If so, I would probably do it so long as the system had been safely used by others for a few years.

[laurentia]

Would you sit in a mashine that flies in the air?

[snowden719]

For anyone that said they would go into the teleporter, imagine that a scientist cretes a clone of you with all your attributes and memories. Would you be indifferent to being murdered as this point, knowing that the clone was still out there and would step into your place if you died (assume that nobody would know you were murdered, so your family wouldn;t experience emotional pain, etc.)

[AngryCola]

[ QUOTE ]
Would you be indifferent to being murdered as this point, knowing that the clone was still out there and would step into your place if you died

[/ QUOTE ]

No.

[einbert]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Would you be indifferent to being murdered as this point, knowing that the clone was still out there and would step into your place if you died

[/ QUOTE ]

No.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, I don't think many people are going to accept this particular offer.

[PLOlover]

The real question is, would you remain true to your rational thought out conclusions, or would you submit to societal pressure and go through with teleporting even though you know you will die.

[Dov]

[ QUOTE ]
The real question is, would you remain true to your rational thought out conclusions, or would you submit to societal pressure and go through with teleporting even though you know you will die.

[/ QUOTE ]

Based on your nickname, I think I have to ask this:

Is someone pressing you to become a suicide bomber? Is it difficult for people to turn down becoming one?

I'm not trying to ridicule or make fun of you. I'm asking seriously, so please don't take it the wrong way.

[snowden719]

please tell me you're joking.

[Dov]

[ QUOTE ]
PLO Lover:

The real question is, would you remain true to your rational thought out conclusions, or would you submit to societal pressure and go through with teleporting even though you know you will die.

[/ QUOTE ]

What kind of societal pressure pushes you to kill yourself against your own better judgement?

I wasn't joking.

[snowden719]

Just throwing it out there, but PLO might refer to pot-limit omaha, this being a poker forum and all.

[Dov]

[ QUOTE ]
Just throwing it out there, but PLO might refer to pot-limit omaha, this being a poker forum and all.

[/ QUOTE ]

You are absolutely correct.

I apologize in advance to PLO Lover if I misunderstood your name.

If you are in fact Pot Limit Omaha Lover, please disregard my earlier question. (but don't forget to clarify!)

I guess that's what happens when you play mostly holdem and stud. /images/graemlins/ooo.gif

[PLOlover]

1) PotLimitOmaha.

2) Compare to drug addiction or perhaps conscription during an obviously unjust war.

[Dov]

[ QUOTE ]
1) PotLimitOmaha.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sorry for the misunderstanding.

[ QUOTE ]
2) Compare to drug addiction or perhaps conscription during an obviously unjust war.

[/ QUOTE ]

Both of these examples do not result in an immediate and tangible death. In addition, most people can deny that it will happen to them.

Drug Addiction - Many people do try drugs due to peer pressure. Most do not become addicted, though. They also do not think it will kill them when they do it.

Conscript in an unjust war - Most people who are drafted in these situations find a way to avoid combat. Armies generally need useful soldiers on the lines. I have some experience with this. (I have some friends who avoided a draft for this reason - in another country.) Conscription also does not result in immediate death.

[PLOlover]

Yes but that's the main point. Cognitive dissonance. People will convince themselves that teleportation won't kill them even though it may be admitted that it does.

[Dov]

[ QUOTE ]
Yes but that's the main point. Cognitive dissonance. People will convince themselves that teleportation won't kill them even though it may be admitted that it does.

[/ QUOTE ]

There's a difference between an immediate causative effect and corrosive effect over time.

In the teleport example, you will simply cease to exist - instantly. That is very clear.

If you modify the drug example to an obviously lethal dose, then do you think most people would do it even with peer pressure?

I think the conscript example is not analogous enough so I'm going to let it go.

[PLOlover]

[ QUOTE ]
If you modify the drug example to an obviously lethal dose, then do you think most people would do it even with peer pressure?

[/ QUOTE ]

Sure I do. Every once in a while you read in the paper how some college kid chugged a gallon of vodka and died.

[NotReady]

No chance. I've seen "The Fly".

[SomethingClever]

[ QUOTE ]
Based on your nickname, I think I have to ask this:

Is someone pressing you to become a suicide bomber?

[/ QUOTE ]


rofl

[disjunction]

The way you describe it, no, of course not, because you are being killed and an exact replica created. If, however, the technology were to scan your body, break it up into infinitemal pieces with no mass, and send those pieces faster than the speed of light to some other location, than my answer would be yes. I kind of assume that the Star Trek technology is the latter. If not, Dr. McCoy had a point.

[disjunction]

[ QUOTE ]
No chance. I've seen "The Fly".

[/ QUOTE ]

nh

[jakethebake]

Am I the first person to go through this confounded contraption?

[snowden719]

assume that it is perfectly safe, used millions of times by others without anything going wrong.

[jakethebake]

[ QUOTE ]
assume that it is perfectly safe, used millions of times by others without anything going wrong.

[/ QUOTE ]

then why would anyone say no, if they knew it was perfectly safe?

[meow_meow]

It seems like some (but not all) of the respondants are missing the point:
When you go through the teleporter, "you" are destroyed - broken down atom by atom. A person identical to you is rebuilt at the other end using the information gathered during your destruction, but I think most people (except the clone of course!) wouldn't claim that the new being is "you".
You step in, you die.

A little extra argument for those who think that it will be them on the other side of the transporter goes something like this: "lets say the transporter mark II does the same thing, but in a non-destructive way - it just creates a copy of you at the other end, without destroying the original you."

[jakethebake]

[ QUOTE ]
It seems like some (but not all) of the respondants are missing the point:
When you go through the teleporter, "you" are destroyed - broken down atom by atom. A person identical to you is rebuilt at the other end using the information gathered during your destruction, but I think most people (except the clone of course!) wouldn't claim that the new being is "you".
You step in, you die.

A little extra argument for those who think that it will be them on the other side of the transporter goes something like this: "lets say the transporter mark II does the same thing, but in a non-destructive way - it just creates a copy of you at the other end, without destroying the original you."

[/ QUOTE ]

Not that it amtters to my thinking but I thought the atoms themselves were actually transported so it's still the same atoms put back together and therefore the same you. In any case, if the new me is identical, I don't care.

[AngryCola]

[ QUOTE ]
You step in, you die.

[/ QUOTE ]

I knew it was a loaded question from the beginning, but it wasn't worded the way you describe. If it had been, I'm sure many people would have given a different answer.

[snowden719]

thank you for being one of the few people who can remotely see the question for what it is.

[NotReady]

You make a good point which is are we just physical or is the real human a spiritual being? Are our bodies all we are or are they the physical house for the immaterial soul? Cloning raises a similar issue. The movie "The 6th Day" explored this a bit or at least provoked some thoughts about it.

[Wes ManTooth]

Yes, I would.

Then I would drive this...
http://modelart.co.kr/bbs/data/modelcar/BACK_TO_THE_FUTURE_5.jpg
...and go back in time on a mission to tell my past self not to be stupid and not get into a teleporter

[SheetWise]

Can I redesign what comes out on the other side? /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[EliteNinja]

Yes. I hate taking public transit.

I'd do it if it was in the Next Generation Era, because they have triple containment buffers. It's safer than riding in public transit and I won't smell like urine when I go places!

[Dov]

[ QUOTE ]
I won't smell like urine when I go places!

[/ QUOTE ]

If you change your underwear, you won't have this problem. /images/graemlins/crazy.gif