Episode 213: What Is It Like To Be a Robot Fish Man? (with Ted Chiang)
May 25, 2021
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Multi-award winning sci-fi author Ted Chiang joins the discussion on the post-apocalyptic game SOMA, exploring personal identity, consciousness without a body, and the ethics of thought experiments. Plus, evo-psych study on bullshitting, wine.com promo, and NordVPN benefits.
Soma video game explores personal identity post-apocalypse in underwater facility, challenging concepts of self and body perception.
Catherine's AI character in Soma highlights human-machine integration and emotional detachment, raising questions on identity and adaptability.
The WoW AI entity in Soma showcases misunderstandings of humanity, reflecting on epistemology and subjective reality impact, questioning perceptions.
Philosophical dilemmas in Soma prompt ethical considerations on consciousness transfer and impact on individuality, exploring identity and survival.
Deep dives
Introduction to Soma
Soma is a first-person psychological thriller video game where the protagonist, Simon Jarrett, wakes up nearly 100 years later in an underground research facility called Pathos 2, the last refuge of humanity after Earth's destruction by a comet. The facility is home to brain scans uploaded into machine bodies, and Simon discovers he is also a copy in a robot body. The story unfolds as he navigates the facility to launch an arc into space with humanity's consciousness.
Philosophical Themes Explored
Soma delves into philosophical themes like personal identity, the nature of consciousness, and the impact of body perception on selfhood. Simon's realization of his robotic body challenges concepts of personal identity and questions the importance of physical form on individuality. The game forces players to contemplate ethical decisions, such as whether to kill copies of themselves, and vividly explores the complexities of free will versus determinism in a digital world.
Character Analysis: Catherine
The character of Catherine shines a light on human-machine integration and emotional detachment. As a brain scan residing in a computer, Catherine portrays comfort with her digitized existence, contrasting with other scans struggling to accept their altered form. Catherine's dispassionate engineering mindset and social detachment suggest adaptability to non-human forms, hinting at philosophical notions of being at ease with one's identity and perception.
Epistemological Realms of the WoW
The WoW, an AI entity in Soma, reflects on themes of epistemology and subjective reality. The WoW's misguided attempt to preserve humanity showcases its lack of human perception and results in monstrous creations, raising questions about its comprehension of humanness. The game's exploration of the WoW's actions highlights the complex interplay between perceptions, objective reality, and the impact of AI logic on the human experience.
Exploring the Benefits of NordVPN
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Navigating Consciousness Transfers in a Virtual Reality
In the podcast, the concept of transferring consciousness into new bodies is discussed through the story in Soma. Players face choices about the fate of previous versions of themselves, challenging notions of identity and survival within the game's narrative. The ethical implications of duplicating consciousness and the impact on individual experiences are explored.
Debating the Philosophical and Ethical Aspects of Existence
The podcast delves into philosophical dilemmas surrounding the continuity of personal identity and consciousness. Participants debate the implications of mind uploading, non-destructive scans, and the ethical considerations of virtual existence. Thought experiments from science fiction narratives prompt reflections on evolving intuitions towards technology and personal identity.
We’ve done deep dives on three of his stories, and now THE MAN HIMSELF, multi-award winning science fiction author Ted Chiang, joins us to explore the post-apocalyptic world of the video-game SOMA. You play Simon Jarrett, a man who goes for a brain scan in Toronto and wakes up a 100 years later in an underwater research facility, the last remaining hope to preserve human consciousness from extinction. Pizarro confronts his worst nightmare, a first-person experience of stepping into a transporter-style scenario. We talk about how video games can make philosophical problems come alive, what “fission-cases” tell us about personal identity (Tamler’s note: this really should count as our Parfit episode), what it’s like to be conscious without a body, the problem with thought experiments, and lots more.
Plus, a new evo-psych study on why bullshitting is adaptive – convince people you’re smart and save energy while you do it!
