Comments on: My most profound quandary. https://habitablezone.com/2013/11/29/my-most-profound-quandary/ Fri, 03 Apr 2026 22:41:18 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: DanS https://habitablezone.com/2013/11/29/my-most-profound-quandary/#comment-28738 DanS Fri, 29 Nov 2013 23:43:47 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=41046#comment-28738 Um-m -- Matrix 201 . . . ? (n/t) Um-m — Matrix 201 . . . ? (n/t)

]]> By: FrankC https://habitablezone.com/2013/11/29/my-most-profound-quandary/#comment-28736 FrankC Fri, 29 Nov 2013 21:22:17 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=41046#comment-28736 I read a book, Planet of the Dreamers, by John MacDonald many years ago. As my memory serves me, it went something like this. Humanity has perfected a machine that allows you to live in a perfectly realistic dream world. In this dream world you can compress time, which allows you to effectively live forever, in whatever circumstances you choose. Your body is kept in perfect health and you have the ability to pause your dream and tweek the program from time to time. In other words, if you tire of your life as King, you can change to a life as a great painter, poet, or whatever. On the surface this seems to be a pretty good deal. In the story our hero must find a way to wake everyone up to save the world. I read a book, Planet of the Dreamers, by John MacDonald many years ago. As my memory serves me, it went something like this.

Humanity has perfected a machine that allows you to live in a perfectly realistic dream world. In this dream world you can compress time, which allows you to effectively live forever, in whatever circumstances you choose.

Your body is kept in perfect health and you have the ability to pause your dream and tweek the program from time to time. In other words, if you tire of your life as King, you can change to a life as a great painter, poet, or whatever.

On the surface this seems to be a pretty good deal. In the story our hero must find a way to wake everyone up to save the world.

]]> By: DanS https://habitablezone.com/2013/11/29/my-most-profound-quandary/#comment-28735 DanS Fri, 29 Nov 2013 19:10:06 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=41046#comment-28735 Matrix 101. (n/t) Matrix 101. (n/t)

]]> By: DanS https://habitablezone.com/2013/11/29/my-most-profound-quandary/#comment-28734 DanS Fri, 29 Nov 2013 19:03:02 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=41046#comment-28734 Eons ago, I used to think that bit of news would make you healthier, provided you quit some nasty habit a decade ago. Today, I realize it also depends upon a healthy environment, and getting your element replaced by healthy elements. I think I'm doing pretty good in all that... Eons ago, I used to think that bit of news would make you healthier, provided you quit some nasty habit a decade ago. Today, I realize it also depends upon a healthy environment, and getting your element replaced by healthy elements.

I think I’m doing pretty good in all that…

]]> By: Jody https://habitablezone.com/2013/11/29/my-most-profound-quandary/#comment-28731 Jody Fri, 29 Nov 2013 16:43:14 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=41046#comment-28731 "If something you can touch, taste, feel, hear or see is real, then being real is nothing more than electrical signals that can be interpreted by your brain." If you were forever physically asleep with something stimulating those parts of your brain, would your World be real then? “If something you can touch, taste, feel, hear or see is real, then being real is nothing more than electrical signals that can be interpreted by your brain.”

If you were forever physically asleep with something stimulating those parts of your brain, would your World be real then?

]]> By: Jody https://habitablezone.com/2013/11/29/my-most-profound-quandary/#comment-28730 Jody Fri, 29 Nov 2013 16:41:41 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=41046#comment-28730 Your body completely replaces all the atoms in your body every 8 years, so once a decade, you get new matter... so the body you have now, you did not have 8 years ago... are you even you? Your body completely replaces all the atoms in your body every 8 years, so once a decade, you get new matter… so the body you have now, you did not have 8 years ago… are you even you?

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