🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <RICHARD.92Nov9172845@cantor.harlqn.co.uk> richard@harlqn.co.uk (Richard Brooksby) writes:

>Anyway, if the brain were to make use of chaotic behaviour, or at
>least be influenced by chaotic functions, then it is unlikely that
>duplicating a person completely (setting aside quantum physics for the
>moment, *ahem*) would duplicate their behaviour.  Their chaotic nature
>would cause them to diverge unpredictably.

I don't think that the divergence would be very noticable--i.e. you would
probably still recognize that particular individual's behavior in the 
construct.  Realize that if the chaotic effects of a system (brain) are
cumulative, then even if they are very small, they can influence the final
state of the system by a very large degree.  Therefore, any cognitive event
that I experience has the potential to, and in fact, must, affect my behavior,
if the chaotic model of the brain is correct.  Regardless of the difference
between my two/three/four...n possible behavior patterns for a particular
day, I will be exhibiting normal behavior, considering my personality, at
the end of the day.  This outcome is almost certain, no matter which of the
patterns I take (so long as no drastic events take place, such as my death),
or which of the patterns you expected me to.  Thus, if it were possible to 
duplicate a person enitrely, their behaviors would almost certainly be 
extremely different, but both would be recognizable as the same individual,
and, in fact, neither's behavior could be said to be more representative
of the individual than the other.

Chris Stecker						gstecker@ucsd.edu