this post was submitted on 27 May 2026
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[–] orlyowl@piefed.ca 2 points 14 hours ago

To expand on this, all that we really have is a feeling of self-awareness, and a memory of a continuous series of events leading up to this moment. Both teleporter clones would have the same subjective-I feeling, and the memories. Which one is “real” is a meaningless distinction.

I disagree, at least if we're talking star trek transporter. For the person who stepped into the transporter, their conscious experience ends forever. The person who steps out the other side has the illusion of continuity and will understandably believe themselves to be the same person, but it won't be the same person. As I see it, the original person's life experience ended permanently when they were "destroyed" by the transporter. The fact that the copy will perceive itself to be the original doesn't change this.

In some hypothetical where you are magically moved without being destroyed, I could accept that the same person who teleports from spot A is the same person who arrives at spot B, but so far I have heard of no technological idea of teleportation that convinces me people aren't dying every time they teleport. (I know we're just debating fiction so it's arguably meaningless, but I'd for sure be the guy in Star Trek who refused to use the transporter.)