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TheOtherDave comments on How do you tell proto-science from pseudo-science? - Less Wrong Discussion

5 Post author: DataPacRat 27 November 2013 07:15PM

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Comment author: TheOtherDave 29 November 2013 03:34:47AM *  1 point [-]

Yes.

It's also true, though perhaps irrelevant, that we don't actually care whether kidneys are restored. If my kidneys are damaged and a surgeon successfully transplants Sam's kidneys into my body, I'm basically OK with that... I don't especially want my kidneys, I just want kidneys. I suspect that's true of most people.

If my brain is damaged and a surgeon transplants Sam's brain into my body, the corresponding thing is much less true.

That being said, I expect that >99% of my cognitive function, memories, etc could be replaced by Sam's and I would be OK with that as well, even if I make the OKness evaluation with my current brain. Identifying the <1% for which that isn't true is a tricky project, though. That being said, I expect I'm very atypical in this respect.