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A comment on Should laws have built-in expiration dates by default?. Parent comment

Re:Should laws have built-in expiration dates by default? by mseebach on Friday March 19, 2010 @11:44AM (#1204362)
That's all very interesting, but the "fiction" part of "science fiction" is there for a reason.

And by the way, if you're somehow successful in removing my mind from my body and torturing it in a computer, current laws would apply just fine.

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Re:Should laws have built-in expiration dates by default? by anigbrowl on Friday March 19, 2010 @01:10PM (#1204587)
Unlike fantasy, the fictional aspect of SF is not permanent. Yesterday's personal communicator is today's smartphone.

Artificial intelligences with distinct personalities are not here yet, but I see no fundamental bounds to their creation and am pretty optimistic about the timeframe. The question of whether such intelligences qualify as people will become a pressing one at that time, even if it seems abstract to you now.

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Re:Should laws have built-in expiration dates by default? by stcredzero on Friday March 19, 2010 @12:13PM (#1204443)
Maybe not. The literal meaning of "Habeas Corpus" is "You have the body." Right now, there is no separation of mind and body in most legal systems.
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