I always have to contest that.
With how data transfer *currently* works, we'd not be moving consciousness anywhere. We're killing off the source of the consciousness (the human, the brain), and writing in a data storage device a copy of the consciousness in X% accuracy.
I'd be more up for it, if the tech meant either:
-we're literally transferring the consciousness, somehow (???)
-we're using a synthetic backup for our minds, which also comes with its own issues, but at least lets me be me in the meantime. It'll be me that decides to create the backup, and me who lets it go off into the world with my well wishes
People who just want to let their human body die and 'transfer' themselves to a robot body may increasingly irritate me.
But yes, once a consciousness is hypothetically synthetic/virtual, there's less issue. It isn't confined to the organic brain (that even with cell replacement, generally considers itself to be of one unit), and probably works with networking more than it does in individualism.
Theoretically.
It's a very existential question, are you still you after using a Star Trek type transporter?
What are we to begin with.
In some part we're raw data stored in the brain, it also decays over the years and cells are replaced, memories coppied into new coppies. Our thoughts while in organic bodies and actions are influenced by hormones that change with sunlight, age and alcohole and other substances.
Our genes demands reproduction and controls that in part with hormonal manipulation.
If all we do is transfer or "logical" mind as it is during the transfer, then we loose the hormone drugjunkie partof us and the genome.
If we store the genome and keep the possibility of reprodusing it, then we might have more of us left... Still the reproduction might be younger, might have the cancer your previous body had etz. Are you still you?
After about 7 years you have exchange and renewed just about every cell in your body, are you still you?
Personaly I think people worry too much about everything. Maybe transfering to a synthetic state or a new organic body would be a kind of reproduction, rather than something that keeps you alive.
Natural reproduction replicates your DNA, modified with that of your partner for the "sake of evolution" some would say. But your conciousness and most of the "valuable experiences" you have gained are lost.
There are lifeforms, mostly single cell organisms that clone themselves for reproduction.
Or hermafrodies like some worms for example.
There probably isn't a right or wrong as long as you arn't forcing your will on others. Therefor I tend to think people worry too much about everything, and especialy "other" people that they feel a need to control.
If you keep downloading your memories into new cloned bodies all the time it might get a little messy after a while.
Eventualy your perspective will have changed alot, mostly because you constantly forget things, eventualy you won't remember your youth in your first body, you might start to forget the parrents you had one or two milenia ago. Would it eventualy cause an overload or would the brain just adapt and drop old things that are less imporant.
Who knows, you might still be happy about who you are though. Also, society might not have to spend as much money on schools and education if it would be a widespread practice. Society might stagnate however and evolution might halt. Then there is the possibility that people might start to tailor their own DNA, an idea that scares a lot of people.
Then we got differnet types of bionics which would be kind of like Synthesis. Maybe evolution would continue... In some form..
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