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Author Topic: Thought Experiment - Molecule Replacement  (Read 1991 times)
Scott
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« on: October 13, 2008, 09:16:52 AM »

What would happen if you replaced every single molecule in someone's body with an exact duplicate?

Would they be the same person?

This is like on Star Trek when Captain Kirk steps into the transport beam and materializes somewhere else.

What happens to the soul in that case?
« Last Edit: October 15, 2008, 02:24:10 PM by Scott » Logged

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pyroclasticlux
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refloexion
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« Reply #1 on: October 13, 2008, 07:11:22 PM »


perhaps the invisible soul-molecules dis(& re)place along with.
the term 'exact duplicate' is a bit of an oxymoron; either it's exactly the same as what it was or it's a copy.
if it's a copy that mirrors the first, perhaps a mirrored soul is created.
if it's the exact same as before, just displaced, then the soul would travel along.

« Last Edit: October 15, 2008, 02:24:18 PM by Scott » Logged

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Scott
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« Reply #2 on: October 13, 2008, 08:17:26 PM »



perhaps the invisible soul-molecules dis(& re)place along with.


Seriously? :]

Quote
the term 'exact duplicate' is a bit of an oxymoron; either it's exactly the same as what it was or it's a copy.

I'm just emphasizing the nature of the duplication. For instance, you can photocopy a document and it's considered a duplicate but it's never exactly the same.

Quote
if it's a copy that mirrors the first, perhaps a mirrored soul is created.
if it's the exact same as before, just displaced, then the soul would travel along.


« Last Edit: October 15, 2008, 02:24:28 PM by Scott » Logged

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« Reply #3 on: October 20, 2008, 06:49:24 AM »



Quote
perhaps the invisible soul-molecules dis(& re)place along with.
Quote
Seriously? :]

jip.
if there's an invisible entity watching our every move & he can send us to eternal torment if we're bad people, and if souls can exist without proof or physicality as well, it's a possibility.
with religion, you have to sometimes think outside the realm of logic, or you'll never get anywhere.
Tongue


also, i think it'd be a good idea to look at cloning: if we can clone something (animal/human) to make an identical copy, would it have the same personality?  that could be what would happen here, the difference being that the 'original' would disappear.  however, if we're taking the same molecules and simply displacing them, it seems more likely that the person would be at least mostly the same.

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Scott
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« Reply #4 on: October 20, 2008, 08:17:34 AM »



Quote
perhaps the invisible soul-molecules dis(& re)place along with.
Quote
Seriously? :]

jip.
if there's an invisible entity watching our every move & he can send us to eternal torment if we're bad people, and if souls can exist without proof or physicality as well, it's a possibility.
with religion, you have to sometimes think outside the realm of logic, or you'll never get anywhere.
Tongue


:] That's one big 'if' you've got there.

Quote

also, i think it'd be a good idea to look at cloning: if we can clone something (animal/human) to make an identical copy, would it have the same personality?  that could be what would happen here, the difference being that the 'original' would disappear.  however, if we're taking the same molecules and simply displacing them, it seems more likely that the person would be at least mostly the same.

Well, I don't see how the person could be different unless there are factors that we don't see (like a soul). Assuming there are no factors we're not seeing, I don't think there'd be a difference.
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« Reply #5 on: October 21, 2008, 03:51:37 PM »



^
you asked & i responded.  Tongue
 Wink

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