Does living a longer life appeal to you? What are the ethical issues that can come about with this technology? Is the sustainability of this possible? Where do you stand on this issue?
Exploring Life Extension
Quote:
A film by the Immortality Institute that explores various aspects of extreme life extension including cryonics (cryogenics), caloric restriction, transhumanism, and other scientific pursuits of extreme life extension.
I don't know why the ends of my videos keep getting cut off...
but anyway, the last part that got cut was : "In fact, perhaps if we do improve our intelligence we will be able to find a suitable solution to this now inescapable dilemma."
If the technology existed, how far would you be willing to go in the pursuit of transhumanism?
1. Nowhere: I would not accept any technology or other assistance into my body, including medical appliances like pacemakers to save my life.
2. Where I am right now: I would accept technologies that would help me to function normally. No drastic measures though.
3. Beyond normal, merging of body: I would accept technologies, nano/machine or genetic, to improve my health to optimal and somewhat beyond, to ensure a healthy life until I die
4. Merging of body and life extension : I would accept #3, and also allow my body to live healthfully indefinitely (aka, until an accident inevitably kills me, or I get tired of living) at an age of my choice
5. Merging of body and mind: I would link my thinking capacity to technologies, genetic or mechanic, which would intensely increase my cognitive abilities, to the point of being able to multitask managing multiple complex tasks, to hold vast amounts of information and models to be called at will, to be able to reason with unthinkable speed and depth, etc
6. Beyond merging: I would not mind totally leaving human genetics behind, and modifying myself every day with new advances in technology, up to and including having powers which mythologies once attributed to the gods.
7. Beyond material existence: I would accept a total transformation. For example, I would consent to becoming part of a computer program, if it would mean I would become immortal.
Please choose a number and explain why you chose it. Add your response to either the video’s comments section, or better yet, add a video response.
Joined: 16 Jun 2008 Posts: 26 Location: El Medano, Tenerife, Spain
Our present way of life IS transhumanist by the standards of a mere two hundred years back.
Their way of life was ALSO transhumanist vis-a-vis the life of a couple of centuries previous to that.
And so on ad infinitum.
We shall evolve, no doubt, into a multiplicity of "super" or "infra" humans.
It is a moot point whether it's done by bionics or genetics, for in the end I'm sure it will be genomic engineering (with some teeny bio-techno-implants where "amplification" is required).
Hopefully we'll integrate with the many other mammals (and, who knows, reptiles and birds) whom we will have at first steered, and then genomically engineered, in the direction of 1. Larger brain size 2. Increasing intelligence 3. Self- and social awareness 4. Ability to think, vocalize, and write in real and abstract concepts 5. Cultural abilities and talents in art and music and ALL achievable types of creative activity. 6. Awareness of a shared fellowship with Life in all its forms.
It would be sensible to start with ourselves first.
Or: (insert your own distopia here...............................) (What's that about toilets, bathrooms, and dining rooms?)
Fri Nov 07, 2008 5:01 pm
dumby
Joined: 10 Aug 2006 Posts: 237 Location: kalifornia
read the book jitterbug perfume by tom robbins.
it reminds me of this topic
Sat Nov 08, 2008 11:48 am
JazzRoc
Joined: 16 Jun 2008 Posts: 26 Location: El Medano, Tenerife, Spain
Thanks. I'm on a Spanish island so will check out Amazon.
Sat Nov 08, 2008 12:23 pm
Sponsor
JazzRoc
Joined: 16 Jun 2008 Posts: 26 Location: El Medano, Tenerife, Spain
If the technology existed, how far would you be willing to go in the pursuit of transhumanism?
1. Nowhere: I would not accept any technology or other assistance into my body, including medical appliances like pacemakers to save my life.
2. Where I am right now: I would accept technologies that would help me to function normally. No drastic measures though.
3. Beyond normal, merging of body: I would accept technologies, nano/machine or genetic, to improve my health to optimal and somewhat beyond, to ensure a healthy life until I die
4. Merging of body and life extension : I would accept #3, and also allow my body to live healthfully indefinitely (aka, until an accident inevitably kills me, or I get tired of living) at an age of my choice
5. Merging of body and mind: I would link my thinking capacity to technologies, genetic or mechanic, which would intensely increase my cognitive abilities, to the point of being able to multitask managing multiple complex tasks, to hold vast amounts of information and models to be called at will, to be able to reason with unthinkable speed and depth, etc
6. Beyond merging: I would not mind totally leaving human genetics behind, and modifying myself every day with new advances in technology, up to and including having powers which mythologies once attributed to the gods.
7. Beyond material existence: I would accept a total transformation. For example, I would consent to becoming part of a computer program, if it would mean I would become immortal.
Please choose a number and explain why you chose it. Add your response to either the video’s comments section, or better yet, add a video response.
Converging technology, transhumanism, and our future in the making. The cutting edge group known as transhumanists see a beautiful future brought about by artificial intelligence, life extension, and cybernetics. What one must realize before getting carried away with such utopian dreams is that transhumanism was born out of the elitist pseudo-science eugenics. This documentary provides vital information on the history of eugenics and its new cutting edge transformation.
Joined: 05 Mar 2006 Posts: 640 Location: Hell on earth
general rule applies... if its too good to be true it usually is... besides we should know by now just about anything and everything that is marketed to us is a huge steaming pile of shit!
we dont need machines to interface with us, and we are already on the top of the food chain for the most part... what is the need to become superior? superior to what? if you feel incomplete or inferior how will brain chips and eternal life fix that?
people are always looking externally for ways to improve themselves etc, we can become all we want to be by simply leaving our comfort zones and facing whatever it is we fear...
general rule applies... if its too good to be true it usually is... besides we should know by now just about anything and everything that is marketed to us is a huge steaming pile of shit!
we dont need machines to interface with us, and we are already on the top of the food chain for the most part... what is the need to become superior? superior to what? if you feel incomplete or inferior how will brain chips and eternal life fix that?
people are always looking externally for ways to improve themselves etc, we can become all we want to be by simply leaving our comfort zones and facing whatever it is we fear...
You must be a terrist. Me too. Language patterns fascinate me and terrist is indeed very similar to terrorist, perhaps one day terrists will be considered terrorists.
Tue Jan 06, 2009 2:15 pm
alexclaton VIP
Joined: 05 Mar 2006 Posts: 640 Location: Hell on earth
peter griffin wrote:
alexclaton wrote:
general rule applies... if its too good to be true it usually is... besides we should know by now just about anything and everything that is marketed to us is a huge steaming pile of shit!
we dont need machines to interface with us, and we are already on the top of the food chain for the most part... what is the need to become superior? superior to what? if you feel incomplete or inferior how will brain chips and eternal life fix that?
people are always looking externally for ways to improve themselves etc, we can become all we want to be by simply leaving our comfort zones and facing whatever it is we fear...
You must be a terrist. Me too. Language patterns fascinate me and terrist is indeed very similar to terrorist, perhaps one day terrists will be considered terrorists.
we already are... however to be honest, im me... i don't need a label nor do i approve of having one...
Me too. Language patterns fascinate me and terrist is indeed very similar to terrorist, perhaps one day terrists will be considered terrorists.