Is the human body replaceable?

It seems to me that almost all the the mechanisms of the human body serve ultimately to support the brain, and to allow it to interact with the world.

While nature has done a good enough job of generating the complex machinery necessary to keep the brain alive, I tend to believe that most of these mechanisms could be fabricated and even improved upon by human technology.

We can make a new heart, a new limb, even new eyes... So, is there any salient reason why we could not fabricate the entire human machine?

Of course, I'm not saying this would be possible given modern technology. Give us twenty years, or fifty, to develop some new ideas and build upon our recent discoveries.

A mechanized body containing a human brain would grant us sustainable immortality, neatly circumventing the problem of having to feed all those undying people. It wouldn't be for everyone, but I know more than a few septuagenarians who would gladly trade food and sex for eternal life. And substituting the biological for the technological would reduce our net energy consumption significantly, staving off the spread of entropy in our fragile ecosystem.

I'm aware of the Transhumanist movement, by the way, and I consider myself a proponent of its views; there are a lot of existing websites that discuss the subject, for anyone else considering this. But I'm wondering about the prevailing opinion here on ATS... half of you make me doubt my sanity and the other half make me doubt my reality. I'm sure to learn something of interest.

I think that you hit it spot on, between 20-50 yuears from now
we will be able to.

I don't know I'd want to give up the ability to have sex,
but I could give up food, considering I sorta do that as it is.

I think that we'll eventually be able to prevent death,
but still exist biologically.
A kind of rejuvination therapy for the molecular-cellular structure.
And digitized memory stores to download into a clone body if you die.

I consider myself to be a transhumanist also.

Not enough is known about the human brain we only know about 7% of it capability and function also you would still need to feed the brain. Hormones, oxygen etc.

You would be giving up more than sex. Try smelling taste touch hearing basically every thing we live for as humans so why even bother? This is only scratching the surface trying to keep it short.

.
" Is the human body replaceable?"

Sure, imo it's close to redundant.

BUT --- the only reason they allow us to exist even in this form is in order we'll CONSUME !

So, does it seem likely they'll allow access to body-free states ?

I think the technology already exist to allow someone to live forever.
But think seriously about it, all conspiracy theories aside...look at the world leaders.
Theres no way they want the population living forever.

To many issues there...if you are lucky, a part of a select few...you probably will live on.
Sure I would personally like to know how...my only hope is that the human body itself can continue to repair itself like the rat in the experiment with the hole punched in its ear.
Cause even if the government eventually allowed it...it would be similar to the 6th day, where bugs would be inserted into the programming to knock you off if you dont stay in line.

So, best to find out how to on your own...good luck, find out anything, let me know.

Peace

Dalen

The human body is very replacible, but like many before me said, would you truely like to give up your biological body ??? Argueable there are many downsides to these bodies we have but there are also upsides...I think that our bodies will start to be evolved though the use of some form of Biotechnology. I just hope on our quest to become something more, we try not to forget who we are and what makes us human

Why machines... why.... Christ.. We really take humanity for granted...


The ones who are dedicated to this Cyborgs workings are the americans? why? America has an obsession with Androids stuff. Let nature work it out. Living forever and being made of metal I doubt that. The Solar system dosn't even have that hope. I think the issue on this thread, and is wild ideas going redicoulous...

What is going on in this world?

[edit on 24-8-2006 by mind is the universe]

Originally posted by AlBeMet
Not enough is known about the human brain we only know about 7% of it capability and function also you would still need to feed the brain. Hormones, oxygen etc.

You would be giving up more than sex. Try smelling taste touch hearing basically every thing we live for as humans so why even bother? This is only scratching the surface trying to keep it short.

Without doing any research, I'm relatively sure we know more
around 40% about the brain in whole.

If you digitalize your mind, and put it into a computer capable
of holding it and executing its commands, than you'd have no
use for a brain.
And honestly, that would give you a huge advantage over an
ordinary brain.

Not really, if you just choose to become a cyborg, you'd still
have those senses.
Also, the senses with the right technology would'nt be to hard
to replicate.

Originally posted by mind is the universe
The ones who are dedicated to this Cyborgs workings are the americans? why? America has an obsession with Androids stuff. Let nature work it out. Living forever and being made of metal I doubt that. The Solar system dosn't even have that hope. I think the issue on this thread, and is wild ideas going redicoulous...

What is going on in this world?

May I suggest you do some research before making certain
statements.
America is one of the countries that does'nt put alot of
research into cybernetics and androids, Japan and South-
Korea are.
Europe has alot more bioengineering research going on than
the U.S., since the U.S. has alot of regulations and restrictions
on that kind of stuff.

Not everyone wants to let nature be the master of there
physioloity, and they have the right to modify themselves if
they like.

Living forever is not as impossible as you may think.
And true enough, a true android wont be made of metal,
except the bone structure, but you could be made of metal if
you uploaded yourself into a metal robot.

The current Solar System will live about 4-5billion more years
before the sun bloats into a red giant, than eventually gos nova,
collapsing into a white dwarf.