How far would you go for immortality and super powers?
Imagine the following: I have a machine called The Box. The Box is an incredible computer. I can transfer your mind into the The Box – but at the cost is that your body is destroyed in the process. There is abundant proof that the transfer is real and complete. Once you’re in The Box, you can do anything you desire: build yourself a pleasure palace; use its power to solve tough questions; re-create a lost loved one; whatever. You could change your form, sexual characteristics, gender in a blink of an eye.
Would you agree to go into the box?
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I know it’s riddled with all sorts of frailties and problems, but I’m rather attached to this bag of meat and bone I call me. I like it. I like the feeling of waking up in the morning with the sunshine radiating into the room. I like the smell of bread in the toaster and the steeping tea. I like watching the butter drip over the sides of the toast and the sweet, slightly salty taste as it hits my tongue. I like the sounds of the birds filtering through the open windows.
I don’t think I would like those things in the same way if I was in a box.
Instantly.
Not for the immortality, but for the things I could do.
Like turn into a cat and get constantly raped by tentacles.
Couldn’t be bothered in the least, especially about immortality!
For the past two decades of my life I’ve been working at seeing through ego. Body and not having things my way have been invaluable in that effort. Your box is ego unchained.
I’ll pass.
I’m with @thorninmud
I am comfortable with my mortal limitations and not power hungry in the least.
Ego is fearful of it’s mortality and annihilation, but consciousness is at peace with the transient nature of all in the world of form.
But, it’s just a box. Anything I do will only be in the box. How will that help anyone? It will all be like a fantasy virtual reality type world. Nothing would be real. Therefore, nothing I do would benefit the real world at all. For me, that seems morally wrong. It seems rather selfish.
So, no, I will stay in my cumbersome body and do what good I can out here :)
@Plucky Love your answer but here’s the twist: the odds are better than even that we are – all of us – already in a box.I will look up that argument in a bit.
However, think of the novels one could write? Imagine the productivity of mathematicians who use all the features of being in a box to do math?
Don’t forget, you’d be able to interact with both ‘meat’ people and ‘box’ people. Were I in the Box, I would undoubtably have a palatial estate but I would remain ‘me’.
What color is the box?
I only participate when the box is a yellow with black stripes one.
Sign me up. I’d love to free my mind from this meat prison. I wouldn’t have to exercise any more, right?
Oh wait—will I still be able to taste chocolate?
The simulation argument.
There are 3 options.
1. Every existing civilisation will go extinct before it reaches the ability to run simulations of a planet, a galaxy, or a universe.
2. Every civilisation that has the ability to run such simulations, for whatever reason, does not do so.
3. We are almost certainly living in a simulated universe, because any civilisation that has the ability to runs such simulations will most likely run more than just one. Assuming these civilisations live in a universe similar to this one, meaning trillions of stars, the number of simulation running civilisations potentially numbers in the millions, or even billions. Multiplied with the number of simulations each civilisation runs, the resulting number of simulated realities vastly outnumbers the one not simulated reality.
Thus the probability that we happen to live in this not simulated reality is potentially a billionth of a percent.
If I believed immortality were actually possible, and actually attainable, and there were no trademarked genie-in-a-bottle ironic twists to follow – I’m not sure there would be any limits.
Ok. Ok, I just read the details. That’s not immortality, that’s the illusion of immortality. I would reject that utterly.
The Box sounds like a coffin. No thanks.
Since I was 11 I wanted x-ray vision to see under women’s clothes. I never got up the money for the x-ray glasses and now I’m too old to bother.
It turns out the only super power that I would want is to make my body younger but can’t imagine what I would do to get that power.
Nope. The prospect of immortality is terrifying. The sooner I’m done here, the better :)
@Blackberry It comes in a wide variety of colours and there’s an active aftermarket for special designs.
@dappled_leaves Why do you think it’s the illusion of immortality. You’d exist as long as there was power and, should the power disappear, you would be rebooted whenever it had energy again.
No. I’m still trying to get out of the current box that I am trapped in and, I don’t need another.
This question is reminding me of everything I found infuriating about the Star Trek episode The Cage. No way should Captain Kirk have approved of Pike trading his humanity for the hospitality of the Talosians, even in his state.
I can do all that stuff in my mind right now. I don’t need a box to do it in, especially if my body is destroyed, and I don’t get to actually enjoy having bat wings.
@Symbeline Keep in mind your body can take any form you wish and can have as many or as few superpowers as you wish. :)
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