Star Trek Transporter - not practical!

Discussion in 'Science and Technology' started by larryman, Jul 30, 2013.

  1. YellowSubmarine

    YellowSubmarine Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Unless supernatural properties of the soul exist, I don't see how the other you will be anything other than you yourself.
     
  2. JarodRussell

    JarodRussell Vice Admiral Admiral

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    There's the point where religion and philosophy enter the room. IF there is a soul, IF there is a god, then your consciousness will survive the process and transfer from A to B. I don't think god would allow humans to kill themselves and copy their souls at the same time. That would be pretty inflationary.
     
  3. Psion

    Psion Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Okay ... how about this: Your little boy or girl are trapped in a high-rise apartment building that is on fire and about to collapse. There is no way to rescue them.

    But there is a duplicating transporter available. It kills the subject relatively painlessly, but creates an exact copy that will remember everything you've taught her and she'll even call you "daddy".

    Do you beam her up and "rescue" her?
     
  4. DarthTom

    DarthTom Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    The rhetorical answer to that question is of course, yes. However, such a device would also theortically be able to de-age people using their DNA and create a younger clone And end result of that is immortality for those to have access to it.
     
  5. JarodRussell

    JarodRussell Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Immortality only if you have infinite energy resources.
     
  6. PurpleBuddha

    PurpleBuddha Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Yes, I would make a copy of my kids if they were about to die and the technology existed.

    Anyway, why does destroying the original make this concept difficult for some? If you did it without destroying the original, then you could have a conversation with your copy and know that if you died at that very moment you would no longer be conscious even though your copy is standing right next to you.
     
  7. Data's Cat

    Data's Cat Lieutenant Red Shirt

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    This topic is getting a little creepy.
     
  8. Gary Honis

    Gary Honis Cadet Newbie

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    No need to be creepy; a transporter can be loads of fun. I recently built one for my grandkids to play with and have instructions for building your own transporter HERE.

    Gary