Seriousness When science fiction meets science fact - Page 2

mjh215 · 04-05-2009, 06:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I remember some years ago either reading a short story, or seeing a short film - I forget which it was - about the "ethics" of transporter technology, the whole point of which was that it inevitably involves the "death" of the person being "transported", and the ethical implications of that.

You may be thinking of an episode of Star Trek:Enterprise which had the inventor of the transporter and him and Archer discussed this topic and how it was debated and protested during the initial developement of the technology.

-MJ

HarryT · 04-05-2009, 06:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mjh215

You may be thinking of an episode of Star Trek:Enterprise which had the inventor of the transporter and him and Archer discussed this topic and how it was debated and protested during the initial developement of the technology.

-MJ

No, it can't be that; I gave up watching "Enterprise" after the initial episode, I was so annoyed by it. Nice thought, though!

MickeyC · 04-05-2009, 07:36 AM

I like the conundrum associated with time travel; what if you went back in time, found your father and killed him?

I expect you'd spend the rest of eternity wandering mindlessly around the MobileRead Forums, no wait...

montsnmags · 04-05-2009, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cassidym

I like the conundrum associated with time travel; what if you went back in time, found your father and killed him?
...

Hmm, someone's got daddy-issues, huh?

In relation to Time Travel and its possibilities/explanations/uses, the following page ("SF Chronophysics") elaborates somewhat entertainingly on its use in SF:

http://www.xibalba.demon.co.uk/jbr/chrono.html

Although I think it might be an interesting read for anyone who's enjoyed the SF tropes of time travel, I suspect it might be of specific interest to BOb and his listing of it as an impossibility (the author notes that he is working on the premise that Time Travel is "any process involving chains of cause-and-effect which are discontinuous and/or retrograde. Nearly-as-fast-as-light starships or the like do not in my book count as "travelling into the future"")

Cheers,
Marc

DixieGal · 04-05-2009, 09:19 AM

I would like a single outpatient injection of nanobots that would repair my eyes permanently, also fix everything nice and young and thin and keep it that way. Immortality?

Xenophon · 04-05-2009, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I remember some years ago either reading a short story, or seeing a short film - I forget which it was - about the "ethics" of transporter technology, the whole point of which was that it inevitably involves the "death" of the person being "transported", and the ethical implications of that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by montsnmags

For some reason (and it may be a short story I read once), this is what came to my mind too when I first saw it on the list. I don't want to assume that's the basis of BOb's "impossible", but if it is, then it would clarify that particular parameter of "impossible" in my mind.

Cheers,
Marc

There was a sequence of stories that eventually became a novel (I think) on this topic. ISTR that the inventors of the transporter picked up and pushed (in the advertising sense) a 'religion' called "reformed Sufi-ism," because adherents of said religion were OK with the transporter. One of the stories involved the founder of said religion supposedly travelling by transporter to a distant star -- except that

Spoiler:

Can't remember the author or any titles, though.

Xenophon

Xenophon · 04-05-2009, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DixieGal

I would like a single outpatient injection of nanobots that would repair my eyes permanently, also fix everything nice and young and thin and keep it that way. Immortality?

Ooooooh! The Magic shot/pill/fix! We wants it, we does! Preciousssssssss

Xenophon

pilotbob · 04-05-2009, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by montsnmags

Are you talking about an ethical "problem"?

Sort of yes. But more the "I don't want to die to visit grandma" problem.

BOb

pilotbob · 04-05-2009, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

If you get a chance, Bob, read Jim Al-Khalili's book "Black Holes, Wormholes and Time Machines". It's a wonderful exploration of the possibilies for time travel inherent in Black Holes, written in a very readable style by one of the experts in the field of Black Holes.

Gee... just what I need... more books on my to-read list. Thanks H, I'll look into it.

BOb

pilotbob · 04-05-2009, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by montsnmags

In relation to Time Travel and its possibilities/explanations/uses, the following page ("SF Chronophysics") elaborates somewhat entertainingly on its use in SF:

I spawned a thread on Time Travel here. https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44249 Please join in all.

BOb

Greg Anos · 04-05-2009, 11:26 AM

Pilotbob - There is a big difference between extremely difficult and unlikely and Impossible. Time travel is extremely difficult and unlikely, not Impossible.

Re: teleportation. Just because it may kill the person using it doesn't mean that if it could be built, it wouldn't be used for non-living cargo. A lump of iron wouldn't care about living or dead.

pilotbob · 04-05-2009, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DixieGal

I would like a single outpatient injection of nanobots that would repair my eyes permanently, also fix everything nice and young and thin and keep it that way. Immortality?

Oh... good one. I do think nanobots doing medical repairs is highly likely. I know there are several companies working on them.

BOb

pilotbob · 04-05-2009, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward

Pilotbob - There is a big difference between extremely difficult and unlikely and Impossible. Time travel is extremely difficult and unlikely, not Impossible.

Re: teleportation. Just because it may kill the person using it doesn't mean that if it could be built, it wouldn't be used for non-living cargo. A lump of iron wouldn't care about living or dead.

True, but this would be closer to a replicator type thing. Why destroy the original in this case. Also, you aren't really "moving" it right. You still need to raw material at the destination.

To me, it will be IMPOSSIBLE to move something from the origin to the destination if the destination didn't have the correct constituent parts.

BOb

Greg Anos · 04-05-2009, 11:37 AM

Yes, but that's a slightly different case. I used iron just as a common example, I could have been rare drugs or chemicals or any other non-living whatnot.

pilotbob · 04-05-2009, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward

Yes, but that's a slightly different case. I used iron just as a common example, I could have been rare drugs or chemicals or any other non-living whatnot.

I still personally think it is impossible. But, I would be happy to be proved wrong.

BOb

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04-05-2009, 07:36 AM	#18
MickeyC Grand Sorcerer Posts: 16,732 Karma: 12185114 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Florida Device: iPhone 6 plus, Sony T1, iPad 3	I like the conundrum associated with time travel; what if you went back in time, found your father and killed him? I expect you'd spend the rest of eternity wandering mindlessly around the MobileRead Forums, no wait...

04-05-2009, 09:19 AM	#20
DixieGal Hi There! Posts: 7,473 Karma: 2930523 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Ft Lauderdale Device: iPad	I would like a single outpatient injection of nanobots that would repair my eyes permanently, also fix everything nice and young and thin and keep it that way. Immortality?

04-05-2009, 11:26 AM	#26
Greg Anos Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,248 Karma: 35000000 Join Date: Jan 2008 Device: Pocketbook	Pilotbob - There is a big difference between extremely difficult and unlikely and Impossible. Time travel is extremely difficult and unlikely, not Impossible. Re: teleportation. Just because it may kill the person using it doesn't mean that if it could be built, it wouldn't be used for non-living cargo. A lump of iron wouldn't care about living or dead.

04-05-2009, 11:37 AM	#29
Greg Anos Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,248 Karma: 35000000 Join Date: Jan 2008 Device: Pocketbook	Yes, but that's a slightly different case. I used iron just as a common example, I could have been rare drugs or chemicals or any other non-living whatnot.

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