Date: Wed, 5 Apr 1995 19:21:08 -0400 (EDT)
From: Alan Sondheim <sondheim-AT-panix.com>
Subject: Re: human body transformation




On Wed, 5 Apr 1995, Patrick Hopkins wrote:

> Of course moral and political problems arise here, but I don't think many 
> phenomenological problems arise.  After all, in the Moriarty Returns episode
> they contemplate at the end that maybe they have all already been in a 
> holodeck sim and don't know it--which is possible as many other episodes
> have shown.  Now, what is scary in this is that if one is trapped in a VR
> world and doesn't know it, all your philanthropy and solving of great 
> philosophical problems isn't benefitting whatever *real* people exist.  That
> is a problem for those people.  However, there is no problem for the 
> person *inside* the VR because (given the right tech) their life is just as
> rich as it would be on the *outside*.  After all, in one of ST:TNG's few
> technologically perspicacious moments, they didn't feel as though they had
> cheated or harmed Moriarty--because his life would be just as rich and varied
> as their own.

I was speculating today on exactly what would be the result if we were 
currently within a VR simulation. Further, if there were _only_ such 
simulations. I think this needs be considered; VR will certainly change 
our view (?) of the real. More on this perhaps later.

Alan



> 
> Patrick
> 
> 
>      --- from list technology-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
> 


     --- from list technology-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---

     ------------------