08-24-2022, 06:06 AM
Interesting observation.
A posthuman, or other post biont, or an aioid, might inhabit a large and complex database with no specific body associated with it. Such an entity might acquire or create a new body, either an artificial ('robotic') body, or a biological body controlled via brain/machine interfacing, or even a virtual body inside a virtual environment (which might be quite abstract). Yes, such an entity would be able to control such a body, and receive sensation from it as necessary.
However, a sufficiently complex entity (such as a transapient) could control more than one body at a time, and even divide its locus of consciousness into separate instances which have little or no shared experience. Each of those remotely controlled bodies might believe that they are independent persons, but they are in fact remotely controlled puppets. Of course these puppets could be merged back together into the original mind at any time, a process which is assumed to be routine in OA, even though it is a demanding process. And the puppet bodies could be dismantled with no discomfort to that original mind.
At the same time, the 'true' location of the sophont entity would be inside the database, possibly many kilometres away from the physical body (or bodies) under its control. Indeed, the database itself might be maintained and defended by completely autonomous, non-sophont robots, capable of sustaining the existence of the sophont mind(s) contained within without any input from those minds.
In short, it is not impossible for a sophont to be completely divorced from its own primary physical substrate, while continuing to experience a complex and satisfying lifestyle.
Quote:...the vampires of Blindsight will notice that their hands respond to their internal thoughts, but the hands of other entities around them do not obey in the same fashion. Self feels pain; pain is not felt when other entities are injured.
A posthuman, or other post biont, or an aioid, might inhabit a large and complex database with no specific body associated with it. Such an entity might acquire or create a new body, either an artificial ('robotic') body, or a biological body controlled via brain/machine interfacing, or even a virtual body inside a virtual environment (which might be quite abstract). Yes, such an entity would be able to control such a body, and receive sensation from it as necessary.
However, a sufficiently complex entity (such as a transapient) could control more than one body at a time, and even divide its locus of consciousness into separate instances which have little or no shared experience. Each of those remotely controlled bodies might believe that they are independent persons, but they are in fact remotely controlled puppets. Of course these puppets could be merged back together into the original mind at any time, a process which is assumed to be routine in OA, even though it is a demanding process. And the puppet bodies could be dismantled with no discomfort to that original mind.
At the same time, the 'true' location of the sophont entity would be inside the database, possibly many kilometres away from the physical body (or bodies) under its control. Indeed, the database itself might be maintained and defended by completely autonomous, non-sophont robots, capable of sustaining the existence of the sophont mind(s) contained within without any input from those minds.
In short, it is not impossible for a sophont to be completely divorced from its own primary physical substrate, while continuing to experience a complex and satisfying lifestyle.