'm not sure which would be worse though, dying or living forever stuck in 1987
While it is a very interesting topic for SF aficionados, I think ultimately this conundrum only exists because our vision of identity is still deeply rooted in age-old socio-religious traditions that maintain that we are inhabited by a soul (The 'real' me) and it is something distinct from our body (the vessel I inhabit). To me this concept is the new, slightly more scientific, expression of the desire of people tainted by centuries of religious teachings to try to access Heaven after death.
The issue though is that nothing points to disembodied life being even remotely possible and I would even go as far as saying it is impossible (not because we haven't yet figured out how to do it, but because it is physically impossible).
To me this concept is the new, slightly more scientific, expression of the desire of people tainted by centuries of religious teachings to try to access Heaven after death.
How rarely do we see common sense like this in the general online discussion around this area
It's simply because we don't encourage discussion of religious or spiritual issues - and I'd like to see that continue, even if someone has already posted a reductionist viewpoint.