What happens if you Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V on the Doctor’s data files? Do you duplicate a sentient being?

In “Virtuoso”, Tom & Harry try to reproduce the Doctor but they’re basically trying to make him from scratch, so I don’t think their failure is relevant.

At the end of “Author, Author” we see many repurposed EMH Mk1s working as miners:

…and they seem to be self-aware, so I guess we have to assume that it’s technically feasible.

But then what happens if you Ctrl+Z?

  • Lumidaub@feddit.orgEnglish
    6·
    2 days ago

    Sapient being. I don’t know if he’s also sentient, but what he is is sapient.

    • Iced Raktajino@startrek.websiteEnglish
      8·
      2 days ago

      It’s one of the “just bugs me” aspects of Trek in general, but they generally don’t make a distinction between sentience and sapience and use them interchangeably.

      • Lumidaub@feddit.orgEnglish
        7·
        2 days ago

        I know, it’s a general issue in (not-hard) science-fiction and I’ll point it out whenever I can. Like the misuse of “(just a) theory” instead of “hypothesis”, especially by characters who should know better.