Sure current engineering wouldn’t have any idea, but discovering a new subtrate that humans exist on has also the promise of engineering that subtrate. If we discover a new field effecting muon g-factor we don’t mourn for physics having an upper limit we rejoice of inclusion of new exotic stuff.
True, and I do think that’d be quite exciting. My point is that humanity not being able to develop the option of, e.g., reloading a backup of oneself, or several then merging the results into a new integrated self, would be limiting. I do enjoy science fiction dealing on those topics after all, from Friendship is Optimal all the way to Iain M. Bank’s Culture series, passing through Star Trek’s endless transporter accidents, I find the idea of “identity as data” quite appealing. Having it tied to some kind of substratum is comparatively a kinda meh proposition, even if said substratum were to be shown to have quite interesting properties in other respects.
Sure current engineering wouldn’t have any idea, but discovering a new subtrate that humans exist on has also the promise of engineering that subtrate. If we discover a new field effecting muon g-factor we don’t mourn for physics having an upper limit we rejoice of inclusion of new exotic stuff.
True, and I do think that’d be quite exciting. My point is that humanity not being able to develop the option of, e.g., reloading a backup of oneself, or several then merging the results into a new integrated self, would be limiting. I do enjoy science fiction dealing on those topics after all, from Friendship is Optimal all the way to Iain M. Bank’s Culture series, passing through Star Trek’s endless transporter accidents, I find the idea of “identity as data” quite appealing. Having it tied to some kind of substratum is comparatively a kinda meh proposition, even if said substratum were to be shown to have quite interesting properties in other respects.