Absolutely Picking my Brain
 

Even though I don't believe it results in valid conclusions, I enjoy taking a dichotomous approach to a topic in order to tease apart some of it's factors and then take a broader and more relative view of it.

One dichotomy that I'd use to look at a difference people that are attracted to more fundamental relgions and others is their need for absolutes. Perhaps a better statement is 'their seeing the world in terms of absolutes'.

Death is one such issue. If aliens kidnap me and start removing my brain for study one cell at a time is there any specific moment that I can be said to have died?

My main contention is that 'alive' and 'dead' are states but the boundaries between them like almost all boundaries don't have an absolute demarcation. To some, when you say the boundary doesn't exist they incorrectly conclude that both states must therefore be the same. You'll hear versions of this claim in many time-wasted discussions. This seems different than the 'excluded middle fallacies' like "you're either for me or against me." although it may just be a variation of it.

There seems to be an attraction to creating an arbitrary demarcation and then treating it as an objective one.

luckyme, ..as different as day and night

Re: Absolutely Picking my Brain
 

[ QUOTE ]
Death is one such issue. If aliens kidnap me and start removing my brain for study one cell at a time is there any specific moment that I can be said to have died?

[/ QUOTE ]

Or you can stick around this forum and witness the death of some of our brains before your very eyes.

Welcome to the Hotel California, luckyme.

Re: Absolutely Picking my Brain
 

Relax said the nightman
We are programed to recieve
You can check out any time you like
But you can never leave

Re: Absolutely Picking my Brain
 

They stabbed it with their steely knives
but they just can't kill the beast

Re: Absolutely Picking my Brain
 

[ QUOTE ]
There seems to be an attraction to creating an arbitrary demarcation and then treating it as an objective one.


[/ QUOTE ]

In order to win on some of the major Poker sites, I am reliably told that an expensive alien implant is required as this enables you to see the opponents hole cards.
I do not know how much of the brain is removed to facilitate the implant, but would you still be the same person post op. Or would you be dead, like some sort of soulless poker playing zombie.
Imagine hovering at your keyboard for hours on end, scanning the screens in a deep mindless trance.