The coin toss revisited

[GhylTarvoke]

I agree that neither scenario is a coin toss. I also agree that the right answers are "yes" to #1 and "no" to #2. This has some unpleasant consequences, though.

If you find #2 unappealing, then I assume you would also find the following scenario unappealing, because it works like the room in #2. (A copy is created, and the original dies.)

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Scenario #3:

A transporter works by breaking you down into atoms, then recreating you elsewhere with different atoms.

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I also assume you would have no problem with the following scenario, because it doesn't create a copy. (It just changes your location.)

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Scenario #4:

A transporter works by breaking you down into atoms, then recreating you elsewhere with the same atoms.

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Now we have a dilemma. The only difference between #3 and #4 is which atoms are used to recreate you. But this isn't an important difference, because the atoms in our body are being replaced all the time, as Sarang explains:

Did you know that the human body consists of up to 75 trillion individual cells? They typically don't stay with us till we die - some live a few days while others live a few years. We're not affected by their short lifespans, as they're replaced by new cells which help sustain our bodies. I don't think anyone would argue that we ever lose our persona due to this process, yet we are clearly in a constant state of transformation.

In short: I think we're on the same side, but Sarang has a strong counterargument.