Alien Teleport

[Valentyne]

I've never started a thread before, so bear with me here.

It is the year 3500 and humanity has finally made contact with an alien race. However, this race lives terribly far away, and the only way to travel between the two worlds is a teleportation device, which is of course the aliens' technology. There's a hitch however. The teleportor doesn't actually transfer the individual from point A to point B. Rather it makes a copy of the individual, an exact copy, exact same DNA, same memories, same scars, the same, and that copy appears at point B. Then, the original, who is still at point A, is incinerated, and the copy who is on point B continues on, to visit the alien culture.

Now, my question is, would you step on the teleportor to go to that alien world?

My brother is an INTP and he asked me this question, he read a story about it in a book many years ago. We had the same answer of no way would we step onto that machine. However, our sisters, ESTJ and ISFJ, said that they would step on the machine, no problem. As INTP and INTJ are similar, I was wondering if there was any correlation between our answers and our MBTI.

Again, what would you do?

[Bioplasmoid]

It depends on how advanced the aliens concept is of what comprises our consciousness.

This reminds me of the theories of transfer of 'self-awareness' to a machine system. Or human cloning for life extension. I think there is a very myopic view that proponents of these ideas have, with regard to how our consciousness is comprised in more subtle levels of 'matter'. Technology is amazing, but has its limits, in my opinion...

Interesting thread, I look forward to more from you, and welcome aboard also!

[Marcus]

I've read somewhere that all of the atoms in our organism get replaced in 7 years. That is, there is nothing physically common between our present and previous selves. In this sense we are not the same person when we wake up in the morning.

I wouldn't be the first to try out a teleportation device.

[Jane]

Marcus: that 7 years observation is interesting.

And no, I wouldn't step on board the teleporter.

I would go if it is 'I' myself who's going instead of my copy.

[Mogura]

It'd suck to arrive at the alien world only to find that humans are one of their four food groups, hence the need for the teleportation technology (an intergalactic Domino's Pizza, if you will).

You could probably infer what my answer would be from my comment...

[anul]

I've always dreamed of traveling the universe, and I would gladly jump at the opportunity to do so. I wouldn't mind being a copy of myself, since the original me would be destroyed.

[Terian]

If this teleportation was done in the same fashion as quantum teleportation, I'd be fine with it.

The idea behind quantum teleportation is to utilize the phenomenon of entanglement to basically make mirror images of atom movements and groupings. If you take that further to the point of perfect replication of a human body, there would literally be no difference between you and your duplicate.

Objectively, there is nothing to complain about, as long as your previous body is exterminated instantly and painlessly. Really, the only issue anyone could have with this is if they believed in human beings having spirits attached to their bodies, but that's another issue entirely.

[antisocial one]

I've never started a thread before, so bear with me here.

It is the year 3500 and humanity has finally made contact with an alien race. However, this race lives terribly far away, and the only way to travel between the two worlds is a teleportation device, which is of course the aliens' technology. There's a hitch however. The teleportor doesn't actually transfer the individual from point A to point B. Rather it makes a copy of the individual, an exact copy, exact same DNA, same memories, same scars, the same, and that copy appears at point B. Then, the original, who is still at point A, is incinerated, and the copy who is on point B continues on, to visit the alien culture.

Now, my question is, would you step on the teleportor to go to that alien world?

My brother is an INTP and he asked me this question, he read a story about it in a book many years ago. We had the same answer of no way would we step onto that machine. However, our sisters, ESTJ and ISFJ, said that they would step on the machine, no problem. As INTP and INTJ are similar, I was wondering if there was any correlation between our answers and our MBTI.

Again, what would you do?

My best guess is that ESTJ and ISFJ don't understend the cosequences of their action.
At least not whan it comes to abstract things like this.

First when you teleport you are cut off (your copy is) from other humans and there is a good chance that they will whant to study your physiognomy. Maybe even for hostile purpose.

I would show teleporter to every person on the planet. On that I would base my request to unite entire world in order to start fast progress in tech level, space exploration and military power.
I would use the teleporter to learn more about the aliens and use it as object which can help in understanding in many things.

My whole plan is that whit some luck when we meet in space one day we will be equal.
What will probably resault whit peace but I would try to be ready for large military campaigns.

This could be a disaster from strategy but it somehow makes most sense to me.
If there is more data I could do something diffrent.

[GrimWizard]

It is the year 3500 and humanity has finally made contact with an alien race. However, this race lives terribly far away, and the only way to travel between the two worlds is a teleportation device, which is of course the aliens' technology. There's a hitch however. The teleportor doesn't actually transfer the individual from point A to point B. Rather it makes a copy of the individual, an exact copy, exact same DNA, same memories, same scars, the same, and that copy appears at point B. Then, the original, who is still at point A, is incinerated, and the copy who is on point B continues on, to visit the alien culture.

Oh Jeez, So I guess this means you haven't seen the Outer Limits episode that deals with this exact scenario? The episode is called "Think like a Dinosaur" which seems to be based on the same short story you are talking about.

Anyway, to answer the question, Yes I would get teleported. Although having 2 of me isn't exactly a bad thing...

[thod]

I could see a lot of people having religious objections. A copy of you may be made, yet you die. Thus even if the copy is exact, it is not you. If you have died what then off the soul? Has it gone off to whatever afterlife your faith decrees or has it too been copied. Perhaps it is the same soul that jumps into the new body or the copy has no soul.

[Homini Lupus]

I decided long ago that I wouldn't step, basically because there would be no way to determine if the thing that gets on the other side of the teleport has your own self or it is just a perfect copy. You could say the same of many other activities (by example sleeping) or about every single moment of life (how do I know that my self conscience isn't switching every three seconds if memory and tought are processess of the brain?). But I can't avoid those things while the teleport seems quite likely to destroy my self conscience.

I had considered in the past the religious problem but in other terms: will the current church of that future declare thet the aliens have a soul or not? If they haven't it wouldn't be a sin to kill them.

[hauteur]

Ain't no way.

There is the religious aspect that causes me to question whether or not something like that would even work. If soul or consciousness does exist independently of the body, there is the question of what would come out on the other side.

Even aside from that idea - say if it did work - I still wouldn't do it. There is just something that wierds me out with the concept. A copy of me is not me. It may appear to be me to anyone outside of me, but the fact is that it is not me. Could you step onto a device that you knew would kill you and create an identical copy? Even if your consciousness was copied along with your body, would you be confident enough in the outcome to willingly allow your conscious self to be destroyed?

[Jakalwarrior]

In the multiverse theory where you exist in many different places at once, those are all the same as you right? what would be the difference between blowing your head off right now because you are comforted by knowing you exist elsewhere versus stepping into that machine?
I see it as two of me would exist at the same time momentarily and instantly become two different people. As far as I am concerned I am still here and being killed, while another person who happens to be exactly the same as me lives elsewhere.

[fonmaneal]

I could see a lot of people having religious objections. A copy of you may be made, yet you die. Thus even if the copy is exact, it is not you. If you have died what then off the soul? Has it gone off to whatever afterlife your faith decrees or has it too been copied. Perhaps it is the same soul that jumps into the new body or the copy has no soul.

As an INTJ many say I have no soul, so its no big deal.
I would go.

[rewhu]

I would not step on the teleporter, although I’d really, really want to. The chance to travel to another planet and attempt to communicate with, or just observe, another life form would be an incredible opportunity. I’d pass it up though because there are too many variables to take into consideration.

I’d need some concrete evidence that showed me that the aliens were not hostile, for one thing. As Mogura pointed out, I don’t want to end up as a light afternoon snack. However, even faced with mountains of data showing me how save the whole event would be, I’d ultimately refuse because there is no way I could knowingly allow myself to be duplicated and then murdered (or would that count as suicide?).

This is an interesting thread, thanx for posting it.

[punkyplatypus]

Not as I am now. Perhaps if I had a terminal illness or if I were much older, I would. As I am now I still have much of Earth to travel. I'd like to experience more or my home planet before travelling to an alien one. Then there's the question of whether the machine actually worked. How do I know this isn't part of a very sophisticated suicide cult's scheme? Would the clone actually be me? What if I got stuck on the other side?And how many other civilizations of beings are out there or are there only two? What are the intentions of the alien race? What are the intentions of the human race? Could the machine copy me as I am and then create a clone of that younger me when the real me died, making immortality possible? What if a clone were made and the original wasn't destroyed? Would there be any problems with cloning clones? :thinking:

[rwyatt365]

I saw the 'Outer Limits' program as well. It was an intriguing concept.

Would I do it? Yes, without hesitation - even if I ended up on a dinner plate on the other end (would I taste good?). It would be the ultimate adventure.

I would pose a question to those that might consider the StarTrek transporter (and other similar devices) to be more 'ethical'; What is the difference between scanning and re-creating an exact copy of one's self, and deconstructing one's self atom by atom and beaming that information across the galaxy? Isn't that deconstruction essentially destroying the original? And isn't the reconstruction essentially creating a copy? The only difference to me is that the original is destroyed in-line within the transporter, whereas the original is part of a post-processing step with the "copy-maker".

Just asking...

[notoppings]

I would step in and enjoy the ride. Just for the adventure. Just think (If you believe in an after life) of the conversations you could have with Carl Sagan, and confirming his beliefs on the existence of life out among other stars.

I just wouldn't want to be the person who has to clean up the teleporter, here after people go through. What is left behind could be almost anything, at best it's some powder, can you imagine snorting human up your nose by accident. At worst it could be rather bloody. Either way Travel yes, janitor no.

[Valentyne]

Thank-you for all the fascinating replies, so much for any correlation with the MBTI though.

True, I have never heard of Outer Limits, is it any good?

The way I see it is one's life can be seen as a line segment, with it's colour, thickness, and pattern 'describing' the individual. When one steps on the teleportor that line stops, even if an identical line starts right beneath it, it still isn't the same line, no matter how much they look alike.

[xwalka]

No way no how. I wouldn't be experiencing anything other than incineration. I would get nothing out of it. A copy doesn't transfer my conciousness, it only replicates it. There would be no adventure. It would be like making a savings account and cloning myself then committing suicide so my clone can grow up and be rich. Great for the clone, totally worthless for me.

[Pirate1650]

So the copy of you actually isnt you, it is just a clone with my memories so I am actually dead?

If that is the case the only thing I'm teleporting is going to be used for alien practical jokes or sudoku answers (provided they can return things).

Viking funeral for me when my natural life ends.

[Lestaticon]

I've never started a thread before, so bear with me here.

It is the year 3500 and humanity has finally made contact with an alien race. However, this race lives terribly far away, and the only way to travel between the two worlds is a teleportation device, which is of course the aliens' technology. There's a hitch however. The teleportor doesn't actually transfer the individual from point A to point B. Rather it makes a copy of the individual, an exact copy, exact same DNA, same memories, same scars, the same, and that copy appears at point B. Then, the original, who is still at point A, is incinerated, and the copy who is on point B continues on, to visit the alien culture.

Now, my question is, would you step on the teleportor to go to that alien world?

My brother is an INTP and he asked me this question, he read a story about it in a book many years ago. We had the same answer of no way would we step onto that machine. However, our sisters, ESTJ and ISFJ, said that they would step on the machine, no problem. As INTP and INTJ are similar, I was wondering if there was any correlation between our answers and our MBTI.

Again, what would you do?



Without TONS more date from the aliens and the results from the two ESTJ and ISFJ guinea pigs above (ha!), I wouldn't actually go. Though I would love to have the opportunity to actually be in that situation.
I would also have to find a way to disrupt or turn off that incinerator. I think it would be cool to have a duplicate, not to mention a backup.

[Beery Swine]

Heeeeeeeeeeeellllllllllllllllllll no, nigga. You won't find me committing suicide any time soon, and that's exactly what would happen in that situation. All it does is make a copy of the original person. The fact that the original gets destroyed simply means someone has been murdered. I'd step on the machine if they wouldn't friggin incinerate me, then there'd be another person over there doing all sorts of things and having a gay ole time, but that's no reason to destroy this person.

[Dreamer]

Nope, don't wanna die so my clone gets all the fun and glory.

[nrk112]

No way no how. I wouldn't be experiencing anything other than incineration. I would get nothing out of it. A copy doesn't transfer my conciousness, it only replicates it. There would be no adventure. It would be like making a savings account and cloning myself then committing suicide so my clone can grow up and be rich. Great for the clone, totally worthless for me.

I would have to agree with this.
Ask yourself this: If the original didn't get destroyed do you think that you would be living two lives? Probably not. That leads me to believe that xwalka is correct in that the clone is not really me.

[Seppuku Savant]

As an INTJ many say I have no soul, so its no big deal.
I would go.

^ ha ha I could see other types offering introverted rationals up as guinea pigs for the trial experiments. It wouldn't work because the people controlling the experiments would most like be introverted rationals.

I wouldn't set foot on it.