[Merged] Immortality & Bayesian Statistics

[Filippo Lippi]

What Rough Beast, I just recognized your name. I don't know why, but that's probably my favorite poem...

Your constant evasions don't go unnoticed.

 

[Monza]

Tepidly, no. Is there any meaningful commonality between myself as a zygote and myself as a dying centenarian? (Yes, I am an optimist.) Or even between my 1-year-old self and my 30-year-old self? Do they even share the same atoms (calcium in the bone, maybe)? Some measurable attributes might rarely change, like fingerprints, or being mostly water, or the pattern of my DNA, but none of these uniquely identify me and I don't think they are meaningful in this context.

This is perhaps a weak analogy, but if you own a car for 20 years, but you have replaced all the parts, is it the same car, even if it still looks and behaves much the same?

I am still thinking about it. Thinking makes my brain hurt.

Welcome, Innocuous!

We have tried the Ship of Theseus/Lincoln's Axe/John Henry's Hammer route, with little of no acknowledgement from Mr. Savage.

Perhaps he will listen to you...

For a real life application of this notion, read about collector car restoration. This applies even more so to vintage race cars where the originality of the vehicle has some historical meaning to the enthusiast. I think there are a few cases where the only original part is the chassis serial number plate. It does become quite a mess on how much can be changed while still being the same vehicle.

It could take forever for everyone to come to a consensus. And unless someone proves otherwise, we don't have forever.

 

[Giordano]

I have been assuming Jabba is "real" based on other people's opinions. He has a website, too? Please confirm if true. Thanks!

 

[Akhenaten]

I have been assuming Jabba is "real" based on other people's opinions. He has a website, too? Please confirm if true. Thanks!

You must mean "Messiah, hot or not?" I'm fairly sure you won't thank me, but here's a link:

http://messiahornot.com/​

 

[dafydd]

http://messiahornot.com/​

Jesus Christ!

 

[dafydd]

"To see that I'm not JUST a kook, you might check out my brief autobiography."

No comment.

 

[Akhenaten]

Jesus Christ!

It's an eye opener, isn't it?

 

[John Jones]

"To see that I'm not JUST a kook, you might check out my brief autobiography."

No comment.

None necessary.

 

[Loss Leader]

You must mean "Messiah, hot or not?" I'm fairly sure you won't thank me, but here's a link:

http://messiahornot.com/​

Good gosh. Even when he has the whole field to himself, he can't advance the ball.

 

[Giordano]

It's an eye opener, isn't it?

Yes. It also makes me better understand infinity. Or eternity.

 

[Frozenwolf150]

You must mean "Messiah, hot or not?" I'm fairly sure you won't thank me, but here's a link:

http://messiahornot.com/​

I vote hot, as steaming piles usually are.

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

 

[George]

He hasn't edited this thing in years.

http://messiahornot.com/index16.php

Jesus Christ!

 

[jt512]

Monza probably thinks that hand is special.

 

[Innocuous]

You must mean "Messiah, hot or not?" I'm fairly sure you won't thank me, but here's a link:

That broke my browser - it is underlining random words on that page.

 

[Mojo]

http://messiahornot.com/​

My vote is for "very naughty boy".

 

[abaddon]

That broke my browser - it is underlining random words on that page.

Don't read it. It will break your brain.

 

[jond]

You must mean "Messiah, hot or not?" I'm fairly sure you won't thank me, but here's a link:

http://messiahornot.com/​

Sadly, last weekend I watched a couple minutes of a wretched morning "news" program that featured the following answer. Apparently, he's too hot..

http://www.eonline.com/news/517466/...ticized-for-being-too-sexy-to-play-son-of-god

 

[Aepervius]

He hasn't edited this thing in years.

http://messiahornot.com/index16.php

Jesus Christ!

It is more like

Jesus cried !

 

[Jabba]

*sighs* Here I'll just quote the post you already ignored.

If mental activity can continue after death, how do you explain brain damage?

If a part of your brain is damaged you can lose a part of your mental functioning. So how exactly would damage to your entire brain, i.e. death, allow for any part of that same functioning to continue?

And what if while I'm alive I suffer brain damage. When I die does my spirit or my ghost or my angel get that damaged part of my mental process back? Are there ghosts and angels suffering from Alzheimer or in the afterlife?

Do lobotomized people have lobotomized ghosts? Does Phineas Gage's angel have its left frontal lobe back?

Joe,

- I'll try to ignore the *sigh* and answer your basic question.

1) My answer isn't very good -- I think we can call it "post hoc." Or maybe, a good (or bad) SF story.
2) I'm suggesting in my theory that there is such a thing as consciousness, which may be an emergent property of totally physical activity, but is itself "mental" and totally non-physical and non-physically existent prior to its physical "entrance." The brain is its "stargate" into physical existence, and determines its physical capacity.
3) But the weakness of this explanation is already taken into account when I accept the "prior probability" of immortality as only 1%.

- You (and others) will have numerous questions and objections about my answer, but I need to go back and focus on the older questions and objections about my two recent questions...

 

[godless dave]

No, you don't. You think consciousness can exist separately from a physical brain. We don't. We all understand this.

Since we all agree that in the scientific model of consciousness - proposition A - consciousness can't exist separately from a physical brain, go ahead and show your math for how there are an infinite number of possible consciousnesses in the scientific model.