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bbleeker comments on Open thread for December 24-31, 2013 - Less Wrong Discussion

4 Post author: NancyLebovitz 24 December 2013 08:58AM

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Comment author: blacktrance 24 December 2013 11:13:48PM 3 points [-]

The reason I'm not optimistic about cryonics is because I don't think it's likely that I'd be revived in the future, even if the technology would work perfectly if used properly. Imagine modern-day explorers find 5000 people cryogenically frozen in a cave 1000 years ago, and we can revive any number of them. How many would be revived? I doubt even half of them would be - because, if revived, what would they do? What would 5000 people from around 1000 AD do in modern times? And the faster pace of social and technological change compounds the problem. So if someone had the opportunity to revive me in 500-1000 years, I don't think they would.

I expect this is a common argument against cryonics. Is there a counterargument, and if so, what is it?

Comment author: bbleeker 01 January 2014 09:11:29AM 0 points [-]

What would 5000 people from around 1000 AD do in modern times?

They'd all get hired to have their brains picked by historians. I'd love to talk to them too, but I bet it'd be too expensive...