Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!seismo!hao!hplabs!sri-unix!BUTLER@MIT-DMS From: BUTLER@MIT-DMS@sri-unix.UUCP Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers Subject: The Transporter; why it can't do that Message-ID: <3558@sri-arpa.UUCP> Date: Thu, 28-Jul-83 04:07:00 EDT Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.3558 Posted: Thu Jul 28 04:07:00 1983 Date-Received: Mon, 1-Aug-83 07:35:35 EDT Lines: 32 If you were to use the recorded pattern of a man to reconstitute him at a younger age, why would he "remember" anything that had happened to him since that recording was made? None of those things happened to him; as a result, he would be in the position of the main character of a John Varley novel (The Barbie Murders, I think) in which the central figure has paid to have a recording of his(her?) personality made, in case he/she dies. S/he does die, and when the clone comes out with the imprinted memories of its original, it does not know what events led to its original's death. When the clone is murdered, its successor is in the same boat, since it is given the same memories #2 was given. As a result, #3 knows that numbers 1 and 2 have been mur- dered, but does not have their interpretations of events, which would help #3 figure out what is happening. Now, as I recall, those animated episodes had people being restored to youth AND remembering things that never happened to the recorded version of the character. Humph. As regards Gene Roddenberry's attitude toward this use of the trans- porter, it is all well and good to say "No, you cannot do that for dramatic (or any other) reasons, but it is too late. The djinn is out of the bottle. If the transporter can record a man's pattern long enough to reassemble him on a planetary surface, there is no reason that pattern could not be recorded permanently. The pattern can't be too complex or gargatious in space requirements for the computer to handle, or the transporter wouldn't function in the first place. The problems resulting from the opening of this can of planaria are enough to drive a man to drink (or Reformed Sufiism). --RL "verbosity is ITS own reward" Butler