The General Chit Chat Thread 3

[froody1911]

Thought experiment:

Let's say that some kind of magical alien technology could take of picture of each ouf the particles your body is made of today. Let's say they wait while the particles your body is made of until virtually none exist and during that time, you age, your change your mind on many things, you learn, you forget, your situation changes, your values changes, etc. Then in 20 years the aliens magically teleport all your particles back from wherever they are in the world to the exact same spot on Earth as they are now to clone an exact copy of you today.

Who then would be the you-est? Future you or clone you?

Picture a man traveling back in time to see his younger self. In this case, they may both be considered the same person because as long as oldie doesn't interfere, youngster will grow up the same way oldie did. Your hypothetical, however, makes the clone live a different life since he is 20 years in the future.

For me, it's easily answered. The clone is now an entirely different person from me. I am me-er. He will soon be nothing like me.

[Burkingam]

Picture a man traveling back in time to see his younger self. In this case, they may both be considered the same person because as long as oldie doesn't interfere, youngster will grow up the same way oldie did. Your hypothetical, however, makes the clone live a different life since he is 20 years in the future.

For me, it's easily answered. The clone is now an entirely different person from me. I am me-er. He will soon be nothing like me.

I meant current-you-est. Not future-you-est. It's a thought experiment designed to undermine the idea that future you is really the same person as current you.

[froody1911]

I meant current-you-est. Not future-you-est. It's a thought experiment designed to undermine the idea that future you is really the same person as current you.

In that case, the clone is obviously current-me-er, but might not be for long.

[Saras]

Thought experiment:

Let's say that some kind of magical alien technology could take of picture of each ouf the particles your body is made of today. Let's say they wait while the particles your body is made of until virtually none exist and during that time, you age, your change your mind on many things, you learn, you forget, your situation changes, your values changes, etc. Then in 20 years the aliens magically teleport all your particles back from wherever they are in the world to the exact same spot on Earth as they are now to clone an exact copy of you today.

Who then would be the you-est? Future you or clone you?

That's just a rewording of the ancient Theseus's paradox. It doesn't matter, there is no correct answer so whatever answer you choose is correct.

And what some words mean in a philosophical context is just that. What some words mean in a philosophical context. That doesn't imply that it has any bearing to common, natural speech or the "well accepted" understanding of mankind.

[Burkingam]

That's just a rewording of the ancient Theseus's paradox. It doesn't matter, there is no correct answer so whatever answer you choose is correct.

I swear every time I come up with a new idea I find out that people have been thinking about it for millennia. lol

Although I disagree that it doesn't matter. If you and future you aren't the same person, then it's a huge shift in many areas of philosophy. For example, if it's true than ethical egoists should logically be shortsighted about their decisions.

It also greatly changes the relation that we have with death and immortality. If me 20 years in the future is not me then it means that in a way I will be dead in 20 years and the person there will only be an echo. It also completely negate the possibility immortality as traditionally understood as if medicine somehow manages to completely reverse aging, we would still not be immortal. Rather, our immortal body would be like an infinite echo hosting an infinite number of different persons.

[Tiffanys]

I don't get how Katy Perry's Prism CD is doing well. Everything on it sucks. It's like most of her CD's how all of her songs suck except like 1-3 of them, except without those 1-3.

[metro.]

I don't get how Katy Perry's Prism CD is doing well. Everything on it sucks. It's like most of her CD's how all of her songs suck except like 1-3 of them, except without those 1-3.

POPULAR music sells well? Holy shit guys this is ground breaking.

[Xycolian2332]

It's only popular because of her label and their advertising/connections/foothold in the industry.

Honestly, nearly every mainstream artist doesn't put out anything good, and when they do put out something "good" it's actually quite mediocre. The "good" songs nowadays are usually about contemporary shit, and they'll be forgotten before we know it.

[/hipster]

[Tiffanys]

Britney Spears is one of the few pop artists that puts out like 95%+ good stuff.  Out of 3 of her albums (Circus, Blackout, Femme Fatale) out of 12+16+12 (40) songs I've removed literally none of them from my playlist. That's why they call her the Queen of Pop.

[metro.]

Britney Spears is one of the few pop artists that puts out like 95%+ good stuff.  Out of 3 of her albums (Circus, Blackout, Femme Fatale) out of 12+16+12 (40) songs I've removed literally none of them from my playlist. That's why they call her the Queen of Pop.

This magic thing called Nostalgia is a bitch ain't it?

It's only popular because of her label and their advertising/connections/foothold in the industry.

Honestly, nearly every mainstream artist doesn't put out anything good, and when they do put out something "good" it's actually quite mediocre. The "good" songs nowadays are usually about contemporary shit, and they'll be forgotten before we know it.

[/hipster]

I'm not arguing the validitity of her music, I'm saying that it's called "popular" music for a reason.

[Motoko11]

So, I have until tomorrow morning to design a car steering mechanism from scratch, which I can practically build from sheet metal and a few steel rods. :3 Lovely.

[Tiffanys]

Britney Spears is one of the few pop artists that puts out like 95%+ good stuff.  Out of 3 of her albums (Circus, Blackout, Femme Fatale) out of 12+16+12 (40) songs I've removed literally none of them from my playlist. That's why they call her the Queen of Pop.

This magic thing called Nostalgia is a bitch ain't it?

2007, 2008, 2011... nostalgia? I don't think it qualifies. She's just damn good.

[Xycolian2332]

I'm not arguing the validitity of her music, I'm saying that it's called "popular" music for a reason.

Oh sorry if you thought I was talking to you, I was just kind of thinking aloud.

[Tiffanys]

I seem to recall this cool website that was programmed to be like your personal trainer. You'd tell it how hard you wanted to work, how much time you had, what you wanted to focus on, and how many days you wanted to do it and it'd set up a plan for you.

I dunno, maybe someone else will know what I'm talking about.

aha, found it: http://www.bodbot.com/

[megido-rev.M]

Have you used it before?

[krbee]

So, I have until tomorrow morning to design a car steering mechanism from scratch, which I can practically build from sheet metal and a few steel rods. :3 Lovely.

Good luck have fun o.o I'm not sure how to do any of that ahah

[metro.]

I think my life is complete.

[froody1911]

Although I disagree that it doesn't matter. If you and future you aren't the same person, then it's a huge shift in many areas of philosophy. For example, if it's true than ethical egoists should logically be shortsighted about their decisions.

It also greatly changes the relation that we have with death and immortality. If me 20 years in the future is not me then it means that in a way I will be dead in 20 years and the person there will only be an echo. It also completely negate the possibility immortality as traditionally understood as if medicine somehow manages to completely reverse aging, we would still not be immortal. Rather, our immortal body would be like an infinite echo hosting an infinite number of different persons.

Whether or not me and future me are the same person is a different matter from how similar these entities are. You may not be similar to your past self but you are the same person. I don't think anything can change my mind on that.

That's why they call her the Queen of Pop.

They call Madonna the Queen of Pop.

[JoonasTo]

This one night a year back or so I realised that Britney Spears was like, the second most succesfull female artist after Madonna. That kinda blew my mind. I never realised she was that big.

You're not the same person you were a second ago. Memories are what shape us and after they differ we become a different person.
The Theseus paradox is irrelevant in this case. Physical presence does not define our person in the moment. (It affects how it develops but that is a different issue.)

As to what comes to Burk's hosting infinite number of people in one body, that is wrong as the current person is constantly replaced by the evolution.
If you manage to do a self-coding AI, that's pretty damn close to what we see as a person.

[Tiffanys]

That's why they call her the Queen of Pop.

They call Madonna the Queen of Pop.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_of_Pop