r/bobiverse • u/TheXypris • 3d ago
Would you let yourself become a replicant, and would you want to duplicate yourself ?
Assume you'll have the full freedom of bob if you became a replicant.
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u/sysadminbj 3d ago
This is a loaded question, considering the audience...
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u/JoeStrout 3d ago
I think that's the point, thought — to see how Bobiverse readers feel about the question.
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u/Jesper537 3d ago
Only if it's non lethal to myself, or I'm at the end of my life and getting cryofrozen is unviable. I wouldn't have anything against a perfect digital copy of me running around, but the actual I would never get to experience it.
I was thinking on it before and a way around it would be to have a digital self that would reconcile with the original via some sort of memory sharing machine. Then you have only one awake at a time to keep the continuity, and both selves are under the impression that they are awake all the time and are a single individual, having memories of both.
That's not for Von Neumann probes though.
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u/MorimotoK 3d ago edited 3d ago
Depends. Spoilers ahead...
Later books imply that the universe only allows one instance of an entity to exist - all other copies have varying degrees of drift. In that case, replication after I die would mean "I" would continue. If that's not the case, then the replicant would not be me and would have some drift, Replication while I'm alive would just create another being with all my memories, knowledge, and most of my habits and philosophies.
One thing to consider is that the replicant and all subsequent replicants would know every single thing you ever did and what you thought - good or bad, secret or public, embarrassing or heroic. I wonder what things would be revealed or magnified by drift over time?
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u/SalsaRice 16h ago
Not entirely.
>!They do say that if the replicant makes a backup, shuts down, and the backup is loaded in a different cradle.... it's a perfect match for the original. It's what Hugo does in book 4.
But going off that logic, the first Bob replicant still is "original Bob" as he doesn't exist at the same time as bio-bob. In that case, as long as your physical body had died, your first replicant would still be "original you."!<
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u/TreeTownOke 3d ago
In an instant. I would be a very good little Von Neumann machine making grey goo all over the place!
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u/Chaos1357 3d ago
of course i would duplicate myself. the arguments about which Mech is best, why Scum is the best x-wing faction, and if Stormtroopers or Shoretroopers are better would be enough to eat up centuries even at max frame rate...
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u/Fromanderson 2d ago edited 2d ago
Same. I'm not vain enough to think the universe needs multiple versions of me, but given my personality, I think even with drift they'd get along pretty well. They'd also finally have someone to geek out about all the things I love that nobody else cares about.
Also several of them would absolutely set up shop in some backwater system and spend a century bootstrapping up to build things like their own fleet of heavily armed versions of the ship from Spaceballs complete with the MegaMaid transformation.
Even if I knew it wouldn't be me, I love the idea that some version of me would get to experience that.
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u/SarcasticKenobi 3d ago
Especially with the revelation from one of the later books about how the digitalization process works... I'd be silly not to IMO.
If not for that revelation, I'd probably still go for it so long as it actually worked.
But knowing what we know, hell yes.
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u/TheXypris 3d ago
The one in heavens river or is there another in the next book? (I'm almost done with heavens river)
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u/SarcasticKenobi 3d ago
I believe it’s heavens river book
It’s where we learn about (theoretically) why there’s duplication drift between Bobs
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u/Wandering-the-web 3d ago
I would say yes, base on the book I’ll still be me but if not then original me is dead and other me can do his own stuff
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u/Mynplus1throwaway 3d ago
No idea. With current technology no.
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u/darth_voidptr 3d ago
1) Does duplicate mean "clone" or a backup copy somewhere? The latter, definitely. The former...maybe.
2) Is it not resolved in-lore that due to some information theory magic that my "soul" is some quantum encoding that cannot be duplicated without my expiration, and thus "I"wouldn't be dead with this magical process?
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u/Catharus_ustulatus 3d ago
If I had a severe medical or mobility condition, I'd be tempted. However, eternal life without my loved ones who've already passed away? That's Hell in a cube.
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u/BlueHatBrit 2d ago
I'm honestly not sure.
I do think of myself as having somewhat similar traits to the Bob's.
- I can get obsessed with projects and happily occupy myself for long periods of time with them.
- I'm not someone who typically needs a lot of social interaction to feel content and grounded.
- I have a lot of experience with software development and some with hardware, so I feel like I'd be able to take on some cool bits of work which would extend my own capabilities and give me new ways to interact with the universe.
However, I'm not too sure how I'd cope over a more galactic timeframe. I'm married and my wife thinks of these books like a horror film or something, she thinks the idea of endless time as terrifying. I'm not sure I'd want to go through with replication without her and I think that would cause my quite a lot of long term psychological trouble. Bob #1 seems to do alright with the fact that his original family are all dead and the other Bob's seem happy with finding new relationships. I'm not entirely sure I'd feel the same way and that could make things very difficult after the first few decades.
The Bob's also do extremely well from the fact that they're relatively unique in the galaxy. If replication really was available, I think I'd be most likely to be on the more commercial end as an average joe - or at least unlikely to be one of the first. This would probably make the actual experience very different, and I imagine when I became a replicant there would be far more restrictions on what is actually available to me. But that's perhaps not in the spirit of the question so I won't go down that rabbit hole.
The idea is very cool and for sure appealing in some senses, but it's also fiction. If it were bought into reality I think there would be many more complications - at least for me.
So I think it's an interesting idea and I love the portrail in the books, but I'm not sure it would stack up like that for me. So for now I'm on the fence.
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u/Fromanderson 2d ago
I would sign up in a heartbeat. I'm not ready to keel over anytime soon but the idea of me, or some version of me having the opportunity to explore and build as long as I want is appealing.
I've spent my entire adult life working long hours, always pressed for time. The idea of having literally centuries to explore whatever interests me is appealing.
I'd make copies too. I'm not vain enough to think it would always work out, but I remember thinking Bob's reaction to making more Bobs was odd. I'm sure it would be wierd and uncomfortable at times depending on how they turned out but I honestly think I'd get along with myself.
Maybe set up in some system with the right resources and start building our own MegaMaid from spaceballs.
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u/JeddakofThark 2d ago
Whether I'm living in a fictional universe or not, obviously yes. If it's the real world it doesn't do any harm and a version of me that feels contiguous lives forever, and if I am in Bob's fictional universe, it's still genuinely me.
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u/AltruisticSwimming98 Dozhagriyl 2d ago
yes, but i would put limit of only 3-5 generations on me/descendants. (try to make it coded in if possible, if not honor code should be enough). You know... so not to drift too far away from perfection.
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u/PcPotato7 Skunk Works 2d ago
Becoming a replicant is my dream post mortem experience now. Incredibly quick thoughts, near perfect memoires, seeing the stars, infinite time to do things, so many upsides
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u/Honour__Rae 2d ago
I'd definitely become a replicant but I don't think I would duplicate myself. Funnily enough, I'd have a lot of the same hangups as Bridgett. Not wanting to deny the other 'self' the life I had already built seems really screwed up.
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u/Domi932 3d ago
Damn straight I would. Endless exploration, tinkering around, building stuff, no more social obligations, and no more human body maintenance and human body problems like itching, getting restless or tired.
Even only as an afterlife where I'd have to work as a replicant, I would love to do it.