[Kegan]
That begs the question, when information can be copied and duplicated, do these synapses which are now in two or more places at once belong to the original body? Does this machine posses... a soul? Do any of us? In all reality, are we not organic machines?
The teleporter from Star Trek, it destroys you, and simultaneously recreates you... do you not die? As seen in the next generation, if this data is recieved in two places, you will be created by both machines.
see: Thomas Riker
I've given teleportation a lot of thought, and frankly if I had the chance I wouldn't do it.
I don't believe in souls, but even then. The conscious me, the me I am now, would be dead; ceasing to exist at all, while another conscious me would be born. Born with my mind, my memories, everything. He's be an exact copy.
@Kath: That's rather close-minded. His brain is the same as before, just not organic.
Let me ask you this, if you broke Sammy in his final state, would it be murder or vandalism?
@Cheesio: Your computer doesn't have consciousness, Sammy does.
The point of this topic is to think about a moral and ethical dilemma, not just jump to conclusions and say "Robots aren't alive I'm so smart."