{"items": [{"author": "Todd", "source_link": "https://plus.google.com/112947709146257842066", "anchor": "gp-1313464328718", "service": "gp", "text": "I guess I can't speak for you, but it seems like you could just strike suicide from the list, and adjust the probability accordingly. I'd do so in my own case, at least.\n
\n
\nI hope David is right about the horizon on life extension. I think that factor overwhelms a lot of the others in terms of importance- if it turns out life extension is 50 or 100 years further away than he estimates, pushing your life expectancy out another 5, 10, 20 years isn't going to make a difference (though is obviously still intrinsically valuable). And the error bars on that estimate are a lot bigger than on your life expectancy.", "timestamp": 1313464328}, {"author": "Jeff Kaufman", "source_link": "https://plus.google.com/103013777355236494008", "anchor": "gp-1313497967291", "service": "gp", "text": "@Todd: I think lots of people who eventually suicide weren't planning to. So while I haven't had suicidal thoughts, because it is such a common killer of people like me it's possible that I should be trying to avoid it. Perhaps by making sure to continue to get enough social interaction and physical contact.\n
\n
\nAs for life extension, it's possible 5 years could make a difference (in expected number of additional years) much greater than those 5 years by slightly increasing the chances that you would live for much much longer.", "timestamp": 1313497967}, {"author": "David Chudzicki", "source_link": "https://plus.google.com/106120852580068301475", "anchor": "gp-1313606442900", "service": "gp", "text": "Re cryonics: I would expect that if this is ever a real possibility, the amount of cash you can spend on it will make a huge difference to how soon it's available (or if it ever is). ", "timestamp": 1313606442}, {"author": "Jeff Kaufman", "source_link": "https://plus.google.com/103013777355236494008", "anchor": "gp-1313607785887", "service": "gp", "text": "@David Chudzicki\n there are people who are signed up for cryonics now [1]. Freezing brains so they stop deteriorating after death isn't that hard. It's reviving them that no one knows how to do.\n
\n
\n[1] Some who think it's crazy that most people (who can afford it) are not: \nhttp://lesswrong.com/lw/1mc/normal_cryonics/", "timestamp": 1313607785}, {"author": "David Chudzicki", "source_link": "https://plus.google.com/106120852580068301475", "anchor": "gp-1313610009405", "service": "gp", "text": "I've always figured no one really knows if damage that would prevent revival is being done, but I should read thte article. ", "timestamp": 1313610009}, {"author": "Jeff Kaufman", "source_link": "https://plus.google.com/103013777355236494008", "anchor": "gp-1313610757697", "service": "gp", "text": "@David Chudzicki\n that article is less arguing cryonics is possible and more demonstrating that there are thoughtful people that believe it is worth signing up for. For the former you might want: \nhttp://lesswrong.com/lw/wq/you_only_live_twice/", "timestamp": 1313610757}, {"author": "David Chudzicki", "source_link": "https://plus.google.com/106120852580068301475", "anchor": "gp-1313680333496", "service": "gp", "text": "I looked at that one. Haven't followed links to the articles it references, but at least right now it's really unclear to me that it could work. For example, I strongly suspect that we don't know whether the state of the current electrical activity in the brain (presumably not preserved) is essential information. \n
\n
\nStill, maybe likely enough to be worth the hope. ", "timestamp": 1313680333}, {"author": "Jeff Kaufman", "source_link": "https://plus.google.com/103013777355236494008", "anchor": "gp-1313681815117", "service": "gp", "text": "@David Chudzicki\n I think the argument is not that \"this is certain\" or even \"this is likely\" but that even if you believe you have a 5% chance of being revived (and then living for a very long time) then it makes sense from a cost-benefit standpoint.", "timestamp": 1313681815}, {"author": "Jeff Kaufman", "source_link": "https://plus.google.com/103013777355236494008", "anchor": "gp-1314024500427", "service": "gp", "text": "@David Chudzicki\n I recently went to a talk by ken hayworth, a neuroscientist working on very low level brain scanning with the potential for mind uploading. He claimed that we have good evidence that all of the information in the brain is stored in the static configuration and that the electrical configuration is not needed. When I asked him how we know that, he described a (rare) surgical technique where you are brought down to 15C and drained of blood, and you can stay in that state for about an hour before they need to put the blood back and warm you back up. (They do this when they need to operate without blood getting in the way.) \n
\n
\nThinking now, I believe people have survived lightning strikes, and I think that's enough to scramble the electrical pattern of your brain.", "timestamp": 1314024500}, {"author": "David Chudzicki", "source_link": "https://plus.google.com/106120852580068301475", "anchor": "gp-1314038177647", "service": "gp", "text": "Makes sense. I know the argument is about \"even if you believe you have a 5% chance of being revived\" -- I just had a problem with taking it for granted that the chance is more like 5% than 0.0000001%. But maybe they're right.", "timestamp": 1314038177}, {"author": "Jeff Kaufman", "source_link": "https://plus.google.com/103013777355236494008", "anchor": "gp-1314039635211", "service": "gp", "text": "@David Chudzicki\n even if we assume that the technology will get there, I'm also not sure we should expect future people to be interested in reviving us.", "timestamp": 1314039635}, {"author": "David Chudzicki", "source_link": "https://plus.google.com/106120852580068301475", "anchor": "gp-1314039899156", "service": "gp", "text": "Right, that's a major part of my doubt. (It's also not clear if they \nshould\n be interested in reviving us, I think.)", "timestamp": 1314039899}]}