'Second Earth' found, 20 light years away

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/story/0,,2064843,00.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/25/science/space/25planetcnd.html

A funny note: The planet runs 13 days per year. So there should be at most 3 holidays if we're going to live there. XD

That makes me 645 years old on that planet.

cheong wrote:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/story/0,,2064843,00.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/25/science/space/25planetcnd.html

A funny note: The planet runs 13 days per year. So there should be at most 3 holidays if we're going to live there. XD

Um... I'm not sure about "Second Earth". All evidence regarding its characteristics seem inconclusive as of now. But IT is promising. It's something to keep an eye on.

Let wait until scientists find out how we can travel in the speed of (ly/h).

cheong wrote:

Let wait until scientists find out how we can travel in the speed of (ly/h).

Let's not be too hasty. Let's focus on just lightspeed for now.

Bas wrote:



cheong wrote: Let wait until scientists find out how we can travel in the speed of (ly/h).

Let's not be too hasty. Let's focus on just lightspeed for now.

No, I won't settle for less that instantaneous teleportation.  I don't have time to waste on interplanetary travel.


Herbie

Dr Herbie wrote:



No, I won't settle for less that instantaneous teleportation.  I don't have time to waste on interplanetary travel.

The odd thing is that may well be easier than faster-than-light travel.

Sod interplanetary travel, I don't have time to waste going to the shops.

ENGAGE!

Doesnt the fast rotation of the planet make you dizzy? Just wondering.

I always wondered. What if teleportation meant that you would disintegrate and die, but a perfect clone of yourself (including memories and personality) came out on the other end? How would you warn people that teleportation is lethal?

LOL, I can hear that planet groaning from here.  Where is Clancy Brown when you need him?

Cool.  Maybe we can send all the linux fan boys there and in 1000 years they will become the Borg.

Bas, your argument reminds me very much of the movie 'The Prestige'. Those who have seen the movie should know what I'm talking about.

Bas wrote:

I always wondered. What if teleportation meant that you would disintegrate and die, but a perfect clone of yourself (including memories and personality) came out on the other end? How would you warn people that teleportation is lethal?

You're just being paranoid ...


... don't worry, it won't hurt ... join us ....


Herbie

Bas wrote:

I always wondered. What if teleportation meant that you would disintegrate and die, but a perfect clone of yourself (including memories and personality) came out on the other end? How would you warn people that teleportation is lethal?

Is it lethal if there's continuity of personality and memories? [6]

Drat, I still haven't seen The Prestige. But this makes me wonder even more.

Massif wrote:

Is it lethal if there's continuity of personality and memories?

That's the trick, isn't it? It's not -me- continuing with my personality and memories, some clone is.

If I step in and get disintegrated, my consciousness will end, because I'm dead. Whatever is created on the other end will think it is me, and so will everyone else, but that doesn't help me, because I'm dead.

Should I see the day that a teleporter becomes a common transportation device, I think I'll choose to refuse to enter it, much like people in the old days were afraid of cars and escalators. I'd rather be old-fashioned and paranoid than dead.

If I step in and get disintegrated, my consciousness will end, because I'm dead. Whatever is created on the other end will think it is me, and so will everyone else, but that doesn't help me, because I'm dead.

Whatever is created at the other end will be you. Same hardware (identical), same memories, same diseases, same wetware. It IS you.

So you didn't die, just shuffled to some other mortal coil.

Bas wrote:



Drat, I still haven't seen The Prestige. But this makes me wonder even more.

Massif wrote: Is it lethal if there's continuity of personality and memories?

That's the trick, isn't it? It's not -me- continuing with my personality and memories, some clone is.

If I step in and get disintegrated, my consciousness will end, because I'm dead. Whatever is created on the other end will think it is me, and so will everyone else, but that doesn't help me, because I'm dead.

Should I see the day that a teleporter becomes a common transportation device, I think I'll choose to refuse to enter it, much like people in the old days were afraid of cars and escalators. I'd rather be old-fashioned and paranoid than dead.

See, I'm genuinely not so sure that - given a clone has complete continuity - you are dead at all. I guess I don't see anything special about "me" that won't continue to exist in the clone.

Here was my thought experiment which led me to this:

If all electrical activity in my brain is halted, temporarily for a short period of time, and restarted again - am I dead? I'd say no, my memories and personality continue so I'm still alive.

However if I'm in a train and the same thing happens, all the molecules have moved a non-trivial (for a molecule) distance. Am I dead in this case?

So if all electrical activity in my brain is halted, and then recommenced in a perfect replica of my brain am I still dead? There's nothing special about the matter which makes up my brain, so I figure I'm just as alive as I ever was.

Your mileage may vary, naturally.