Free will?

[OldTrees]

Cloning will let you be different since it is only a DNA thing (has been proven). Do we have actual transplants of brain swaps? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_transplant.

If this is possible and If the new body retains the brain of the person from whom it came, then we have proved that your own uniqueness/thought process is strictly to the brain.

Agree/disagree?

Strictly disagree. Replace brain with nose. If nose transplants are possible and if the recipient of a nose receives the nose, then we have proved that your uniqueness in stored in the nose? However this is irrelevant.

Take 2 people with copies of the same mind. We known the current model of the brain includes the environment shaping the brain. Since 2 bodies cannot occupy the same space, they will have different sensations. These different sensations will have slightly different effect on the brain. This results in differentiation. Since the two people started with the same mind but ended with similar but different minds, we must conclude that they had a copy rather than sharing the original. They were 2 not 1. Thus a copy of a mind is not raising the dead.

[Savage]

Let me ask this as clarification:

Person A has a brain and dies. We take person's A brain and plug into person's B head. Person B was dead when this happened. If person B came to life, are you saying that person B would be different from person A based on differentiation? If so, how do you respond to someone who argues the body is like a computer? Ex: It doesn't matter if I plug in my harddrive into a place container or a steel container, it will operate the same way still.

Nose example: I was referring to the information the brain carries as in response to your brain. Because the nose is not similar to the brain, that is a bad example.

[OldTrees]

Let me ask this as clarification:

Person A has a brain and dies. We take person's A brain and plug into person's B head. Person B was dead when this happened. If person B came to life, are you saying that person B would be different from person A based on differentiation? If so, how do you respond to someone who argues the body is like a computer? Ex: It doesn't matter if I plug in my harddrive into a place container or a steel container, it will operate the same way still.

Nose example: I was referring to the information the brain carries as in response to your brain. Because the nose is not similar to the brain, that is a bad example.

1) The original question was about uploading a copy of a brain. My statements were addressing the nature of identical copies.
2) Differentiate is what causes 2 identical beings to become non identical beings.
3) The body is like a computer. However death is not the same as shutting down. Death triggers irreversible damage. Kinda like when essential hardware breaks. If a brain transplant becomes possible then only the brain would count as essential hardware. If brain repair becomes highly sophisticated then death becomes optional. However at that point we would have the ability to create adult human clones. See my previous comments about how copying is not necromancy.


Nose example:
If you were merely referring to the information in the brain and not claiming anything about "uniqueness" then the following nose argument is accurate:
If nose transplants are possible and if the recipient of a nose receives the nose, then we have proved that your nose is your nose.
If you were making a claim about "uniqueness" then the previous nose argument is appropriate since "uniqueness" has not been located in the brain.

[Savage]

If the brain is the only essential hardware, hypothetically speaking, then, like a computer, it will run (human body) the same way it was made. The difference is the brain is more like the memory chip and processor instead of just the processor.

If the processor works the same for everyone, then it is the memory chip that changes the info. If we do a brain transplant, the new processor (brain) would allow for the computer (human body) to run and would use the information within the brain (memory chip) for it's files/default settings.

I see how differentiation can cause differences of 2 humans growing up, but for clones or transplant customers, that differentiation would progress too small imo for major changes to take place. For that reason, I believe a brain transplant would be more like transferring someone into another body if and only if the uniqueness of what makes you different is subject to the brain and only the brain, after differentiation.

[OldTrees]

@Savage
Two points:
1)I replied to a statement about copying. I am talking about copying. My statements are about copying.
2)I said differentiate occurs between copies. Notice there is a plural involved.

You might notice my frustration at being misunderstood. Please make an effort not to compound it again.


The other thing I said is:
Death is when essential hardware breaks. If the essential hardware did not break then death did not occur. Thus we cannot raise the dead via transplants.

[Savage]

I disagree. If essential hardware breaks, like for a computer, it is repairable. For humans, it is possible that maybe we are so complex we have not been able to figure it out yet.

[OldTrees]

I disagree. If essential hardware breaks, like for a computer, it is repairable. For humans, it is possible that maybe we are so complex we have not been able to figure it out yet.

Up above you will see I defined essential as something that needs to be replaced if broken. As in could not be repaired. If you have a better word to use then please substitute.
Consider memory. If memory is lost it cannot be repaired. It can only be replaced.