Day 2 - Essence

What are we made of? Is it just atoms really? (or quarks for the more advanced). Come on, I don´t buy the "21 grams" theory either but are we really just a combination of particles?

If we are I have an interesting hypothesis that I have been thinking about for some time now and I need help solving:

Assumption: humans (you and I included) are made solely of atoms.

Now imagine a day in the distant (or not so distant) future in which we humans are able to replicate any configuration of atoms. Anyone can imagine a future in which we can get a pencil, analyze it´s structure and composition and create another exact copy.

So, if we can do this with a pencil, could we do it with someone? Well, with the above assumption the simple answer should be: "Yes".

But if I was to create an exact copy of you, and you were only made of atoms, then who would you be: "John Doe" or "John Doe 2.0" (the newly created version: same bugs, same features). Would your thoughts and experiences diverge at that point? Certainly, but which would YOU experience?

It has got me pretty confused, maybe we are not just atoms. I think I need help to sort this one out.

"Dear Professor Hawkins,

What are we made of?..."