Editing 659: Lego
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
| − | {{w|Lego}} is a popular brand of building toy, which [[Cueball]] here uses to describe a philosophical conundrum: the distinction between a composition and the collection of parts that make up that composition. For example, the pieces of Lego that he and his daughter, [[Ponytail]], used to make a house are still around; they were put back into the bin, and can be used on future designs. However, the house itself, as a specific combination of those blocks, is gone. It ceased to exist when they took it apart. In essence, they "killed" the house. Those elements could be used to build a car or an airplane, so if there is still a house in the box after it has been dismantled, then there is also a car in the box and a plane in the box, and a large number of other objects in the box: making it a very crowded box. Thus, it is more logical to consider the house to be one possible arrangement of the LEGO® brand building bricks that only exists when the blocks are put into that arrangement | + | {{w|Lego}} is a popular brand of building toy, which [[Cueball]] here uses to describe a philosophical conundrum: the distinction between a composition, and the collection of parts that make up that composition. For example, the pieces of Lego that he and his daughter, [[Ponytail]], used to make a house are still around; they were put back into the bin, and can be used on future designs. However, the house itself, as a specific combination of those blocks, is gone. It ceased to exist when they took it apart. In essence, they "killed" the house. Those elements could be used to build a car or an airplane, so if there is still a house in the box after it has been dismantled, then there is also a car in the box and a plane in the box, and a large number of other objects in the box: making it a very crowded box. Thus, it is more logical to consider the house to be one possible arrangement of the LEGO® brand building bricks that only exists when the blocks are put into that arrangement. |
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Later in her life, Ponytail extends this thinking to humans and {{w|organ donation}}. The US has an opt-in system for organ donation; in the event that you die, any of your organs or tissues that remain functional after your death can be donated for transplantation or medical research, provided you've opted into the organ donor registry. Ponytail compares her organs to the Lego blocks she's carrying - even if she (the composition) dies, her organs (the pieces) can continue to serve another. As such, she is compelled to register as an organ donor. | Later in her life, Ponytail extends this thinking to humans and {{w|organ donation}}. The US has an opt-in system for organ donation; in the event that you die, any of your organs or tissues that remain functional after your death can be donated for transplantation or medical research, provided you've opted into the organ donor registry. Ponytail compares her organs to the Lego blocks she's carrying - even if she (the composition) dies, her organs (the pieces) can continue to serve another. As such, she is compelled to register as an organ donor. | ||
