the-star-trek-problem
Original: the-star-trek-problem on Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal
Transcript
Panel 1 (a Starfleet officer in a red uniform, in front of a starship):
In philosophy there's a concept sometimes called "the Star Trek problem." When the teleporter breaks you apart and reforms you on the planet's surface, doesn't that mean *you* are dead, and there's some copy of you on the surface?
Panel 2 (a woman with dark curly hair, hand to her chest):
There are a couple of ways to resolve it. Maybe there's a soul that transfers between locations. Or, maybe that conscious, persistent identity isn't a meaningful notion, so nothing is lost in the teleportation.
Panel 3 (the starship over a planet):
The weird thing to me is that the people in Star Trek are humanists, so they probably don't believe in souls. And, they live in a post-scarcity society, so they don't do their jobs for money.
Panel 4 (a smiling man with flame-like red hair standing at a console):
...which really makes me wonder what was up with the teleporter operators. I've killed everyone I know hundreds of times! You're welcome, society!
Votey:
The same red-haired man, now a huge grinning close-up face:
Now to kill myself again, for the first time!
In philosophy there's a concept sometimes called "the Star Trek problem." When the teleporter breaks you apart and reforms you on the planet's surface, doesn't that mean *you* are dead, and there's some copy of you on the surface?
Panel 2 (a woman with dark curly hair, hand to her chest):
There are a couple of ways to resolve it. Maybe there's a soul that transfers between locations. Or, maybe that conscious, persistent identity isn't a meaningful notion, so nothing is lost in the teleportation.
Panel 3 (the starship over a planet):
The weird thing to me is that the people in Star Trek are humanists, so they probably don't believe in souls. And, they live in a post-scarcity society, so they don't do their jobs for money.
Panel 4 (a smiling man with flame-like red hair standing at a console):
...which really makes me wonder what was up with the teleporter operators. I've killed everyone I know hundreds of times! You're welcome, society!
Votey:
The same red-haired man, now a huge grinning close-up face:
Now to kill myself again, for the first time!
Alt text
A four-panel SMBC comic about the "Star Trek transporter problem." Panel 1: a Starfleet officer in a red uniform stands before a starship and explains that in philosophy there's a concept called "the Star Trek problem" - when a teleporter breaks you apart and reforms you on a planet, maybe *you* are dead and only a copy survives. Panel 2: a dark-haired woman offers resolutions - maybe a soul transfers between locations, or maybe persistent conscious identity isn't meaningful so nothing is lost. Panel 3: over a shot of the ship, the narration notes that Star Trek's people are humanists who probably don't believe in souls and live in a post-scarcity society, so they don't work for money. Panel 4: a cheerful red-haired man at a console delivers the punchline - this makes him wonder about the teleporter operators - "I've killed everyone I know hundreds of times! You're welcome, society!" Votey (aftercomic): a giant grinning close-up of the same man saying, "Now to kill myself again, for the first time!"
Transcribed by Claude Opus 4.8.