The Problem With Teleportation

[elenadragon]

This is my exact argument for why teleportation should not be invented

Comments

[aquaenumen]

Two words: time travel. At least teleportation would only affect one person. Also, I think it would be a really convenient ability - talk about saving on airfare!

[elenadragon]

Time travel is at least still vague enough that it doesn't necessarily involve disassembling the molecules of your body. :O

Teleportation would be convenient, but I don't want to non-exist! At least not until I die anyway. :P

[aquaenumen]

Hahahaha honestly teleportation would be THE superpower I'd want... and aren't we technically different people from one second to the next, what with cells breaking down, neuron connections, etc.? Like the river metaphor - it's never the same river that you step in.

If the newly assembled person has all the memories, and the disassembled person doesn't exist, then the new person IS the old person... just like if you save a data file in a new place. The problem actually is in the ethics of cloning if the disassembled person continues to exist instead...

[elenadragon]

If it was a superpower, in theory there might be a way to actually transport the same molecules rather than assemble new ones as you would have to with science (unless we figure out how to transport quickly instead).

I see your point about how we are always changing... but somehow we maintain the same consciousness. The problem is defining that and determining how it stays constant. With teleportation, there isn't a way to know whether or not the same consciousness is transferred without trying it yourself (and if not, you cease to exist).

Just scary to think about. :)