Transhumanism,cybernetic designer bodies and racism

originally posted by: snowspirit

originally posted by: John_Rodger_Cornman
Could we put cyborgs on Mars and Venus that can survive the harsh environments and help us terrestrialize those worlds?

We can't live on Venus but a human in a special cyborg bio-suit(think Mobile suit Gundam) can live in that extreme heat,pressure and acidity.

Let's hope so. The prejudice is already on earth, as seen by some people's posts.

Are you a Canadian?

What do Canadians think about Transhumanism?

a reply to: John_Rodger_Cornman

I think most people would be into getting enhancements done if cheap enough, and weren't too frivolous. It's hard to say really, but Canadians generally aren't very religious, and that seems to be one of the prejudices against cyborgism.
I'd want to know first that the enhancements had all the bugs worked out, and that no one could hack into any robotics, or chips.
It would have to be available to all, not just the rich. That way no one is entitled to more than the next person, keeps a level playing field.
Privacy is also an issue, no mind reading tech.

I've been reading a sci fi series from Peter F Hamilton - Pandora's Star, the Dreaming Void...they live forever through technology, rejuvenation, downloading the mind to save in case of body death (build a new body, put back the mind).
I would love to live forever, in such a world.

a reply to: Abysha

'We are part of nature and nothing we do can ever be unnatural.' So said a friend of mine, possibly quoting someone famous. I agree entirely. Indeed, I can't remember when I last used the word 'unnatural'.

I don't regard the increase of a population as the advance of a species. It is part of a natural sequence of events that leads to extinction.

Transhumanism is merely the latest of our heartbreakingly futile efforts to overcome mortality. It will fail like all the others.

Biology is destiny.

a reply to: 0zzymand0s

You assume a great deal about me, I must say. It seems to me you have invested a great deal of your emotional capital in the Transhumanist myth and are therefore compelled to talk up the share price.

Timor mortis or just youthful enthusiasm? Perhaps they are really two sides of the same thing.

I think it could be a good thing if it wasn't only restricted to the wealthy. You would have a severe case of haves and have-nots, otherwise.

originally posted by: Asktheanimals

originally posted by: Abysha
a reply to: John_Rodger_Cornman

I imagine the only racism that would arise from this would be racism towards the people who are taking steps towards cybernetics. I'm guessing these will be religious conservatives and certain hippies who will be the most hostile, like the Luddites of the Industrial Revolution.

That would be me. Once money enters the game there will be few limits on human enhancement through technology be it through DNA manipulation or biomechanical means. How fair will it be that people can be given immunity to nearly disease and cancer? have hearing and vision that are 10x better than normal human eyes and ears? biomechanical suits that will give superhuman strength or speed or have a set of built-in weapons and tools available? how about built in wireless allowing one to access cloud information. This is what the elites seek for themselves. Once the planet is depopulated a new Eden will be created for their enjoyment alone. It is the ultimate end of transhumanism to hold the power of life and death over all others deemed below them. There simply aren't enough resources for everyone to enjoy the fruits of technology is the reason it must become this way


This will create a caste system of the enhanced above the natural bodied. Humans cannot compete with machines in strength, speed, accuracy or computers thought and memory processes. With God-like powers come God-like delusions of grandeur. That is part human nature that can never be eliminated and only given means to do whatever evil comes to mind with impunity.

Acctually i see this as a good thing. why? because space exploration will become something the elites encourage then for the lesser beings. We will finally have a will and a way to get to the stars. SO hey its not all Blade runner gloom and elysium doom.

a reply to: John_Rodger_Cornman

Would GM athletes make sports a joke?

In the short term, this is how I see this possibly happening. It's already sort of happened with Oscar Pistorius - did I spell that correctly? Anyway.....

So a baseball player loses a arm, or a eye, and gets it replaced with a "bionic" - for lack of a better term - piece. I could possibly see this in the next few years. Is he allowed to play? If so, what does that mean about PED's and the whole stink about them?

I just keep thinking about the Law of Unintended Consequences and how this could play out, not even trying to think of other applications of this law, and I honestly have no clue.

What if the internet is implanted in us all(sort of like how a stupid phone is implanted in everyone now) and it goes wonky, like in H+ ?

Too many implications, so many ways this will shake out, I can't even begin to think of them all nor name them.

Cybermen, Daleks, clones(Orphan Black, anyone?) and that's just other people's ideas and that's not even getting into old sci-fi like Brave New World. I could probably throw out hundreds with enough time and a crazy discussion to stimulate the mind. I'm just a stupid person, after all, and I can think of many different ways this plays out.

Kinda glad I'm old and won't live long enough to see this play out.

a reply to: TheSpanishArcher

Yeah you will have people being banned from sports because they have a "performance enhancing prosthetic".

Think about it. How do you screen for "gene doping"?

ANyone here seen Deus ex? remade version with main character adam jensen. It addressed this issue somewhat.

Thats why I loved playing Deus Ex.


I support Trans-Humanism, either to help with diseases, limb problems, or to help people in general.

a reply to: yuppa

I heard its a good game.

I never played it though.