Human Augmentations - Hell yeah!

Human enhancement

Human enhancement refers to any attempt to temporarily or permanently overcome the current limitations of the human body through natural or artificial means. The term is sometimes applied to the use of technological means to select or alter human characteristics and capacities, whether or not the alteration results in characteristics and capacities that lie beyond the existing human range. Here, the test is whether the technology is used for non-therapeutic purposes. Some bioethicists restrict the term to the non-therapeutic application of specific technologies — neuro-, cyber-, gene-, and nano-technologies — to human biology.

We've all seen and played the Deus Ex games. We all know about human augmentation. The replacement of existent or non-existent limbs, and repair of non-functional bodily functions, such as something so simple as walking when you're lame. The possibilities with this stuff is endless. Many people are, however, weary of it - and rightly so - because they feel there is great risks with it. For example, what happens if I enhance my brain with a chip, and the government starts controlling my thoughts through it? What happens if somebody can hack into my mechanical limbs and control my movements?

And perhaps the worst and biggest concern of them all - what happens if these "enhanced" humans become a new "elite", while un-enhanced humans are pushed to the fringes and lower class of society, turned down for jobs in favor of human+ (augmented humans)? We have enough racism in this world without us paving the way for more of it, right? And let's not even talk about the anti-rejection drugs that will be required, and the spiking cost when the demand goes through the roof. Will people be able to afford it, or will they become little more than indebted slaves to pay for their augmentations?



Honestly, though, putting my cards on the table, I don't give a rat's behind.

Let me be blunt. The thought of human augmentations kick ass! It is awesomely cool, even outright badass. If I got the choice to augment myself, I would jump on that without a second thought, simply because it's really, really badass. There are also the obvious benefits of increased intelligence, strength, reaction, agility and stamina, just to name a few things. The military applications are also clear, whether they be used against other countries, or - which in my book seems more likely in the next hundred years or so - against an extraterrestrial civilization. And of course, an extension of our lifetime.

Wouldn't you want to give blind people the ability to see again? Give lame people the ability to walk? Deaf people the ability to hear? And more broadly speaking, wouldn't you want to give humans the possibility of becoming "more" than human?

While the deciding factor for me is that it is extremely cool, the fact also remains that it is the next step in Evolution. Humanity has reached its limit when it comes to natural evolution (in my opinion). In other words, Nature, or God, depending on who you believe in, cannot evolve us any further. The next step in the staircase of evolution is in our hands - biomechanical evolution. If you will - human+. I won't say that is when we reach our full potential as homo sapiens - but it is damn much closer to it than we are now.

Of course, some people will say no to augmentations. That's their choice, and by no means should we ever force them to take augmentations. It's their choice, however, and with that choice comes consequences. We should not discriminate against non-augmented humans - or rather, we should do our best not to - but in the end, it will still be inevitable that we do, because whether true or not, it will be perceived that human+ is more advanced, and bluntly speaking, better, than a regular human. Essentially, a person that chooses to evolve to a human+ chooses a direction in life that will probably bring him more success than somebody who chooses to remain "just" human.

Bluntly speaking; Suck it up. With all decisions and choices comes consequences. Discrimination when it comes to high ranking job positions, against humans, may very well be one of them. Such is life. I'm sure there will be side-effects for human+ for their choices as well, such as phantom pains, organ rejection, and so many other things.

So, what about you? Would you augment yourself or not? Would you even want to allow it in the first place?


Edit to add: This might be more suited for the Rant forum. If so I apologize.

I'm with you on the changes....the eyes had always interested me since I read ender's game....However, I have one contention to post in response:....Why is the human body at it's evolution's end? what says there isn't more out there our bodies can learn to do? That aside, Great OP

reply to post by pointr97


Thanks, man. And you're right. I realized this afterwards. While our human body is at its PHYSICAL end when it comes to Evolution (I have a hard time believing we'll sprout another two arms for example. ) we're not necessarily at the end of our mental evolution. There's nothing to say we will not develop a Hive mind or psychic abilities, for example. So I shouldn't have said that, but it still feels like we're partially reaching the end of our ability to evolve naturally.

Found this video when searching Ray Kurzweil in Youtube. The man's a genius. This video seems to just have taken his name for more hits, but it's cool nonetheless.

reply to post by Gauss
Pro-tip, your vocabulary really is a window into your intellect.
While I agree that human enhancement is terrific, I also do not forget the vanity of humans. I can see people cutting their own hands off to obtain these mechanical ones, or even worse cutting their own children's hands off because they want them to be better piano players.
Human vanity knows no bounds.

reply to post by Thunderheart


Haha, yeah, I do have a certain vocabulary, don't I? Hope nobody took offense, as that wasn't my intention.

You're definitely right in what you say. I said in my original post that I wouldn't hesitate for a second to augment myself if I got the chance - that includes cutting off one of my limbs to replace it with a mechanical one, in all likelyhood an arm, possibly also legs. (As a side-note, I'd never ever sacrifice my right arm, though. It's been loyal to me for all these years, it deserves to stay with me to the end.)

But, naturally I could never, ever, in any form or way support a parent who would get augmentations for their own children at an age where they were unable to say no/consent to it, or at an age where they were not yet mature enough to make such a decision for themselves. I would personally feel that one would have to be at least eighteen years old to decide on augmentations for oneself. Possibly with the exception of cerebral implants and the like that enhances intelligence and such - but even that is borderline vicious.

A few examples of vanity unchecked.







I think you get my point...

reply to post by Thunderheart


Point very much taken.

Now allow me to retort.



I rest my case.

What was it in "Cyber punk" Cyberpsychosis? I would become a "Chromer" if I live that long.

reply to post by Gauss


DAMN can i augment my man in his sleep? or better yet a robot man?

reply to post by tluna1


Jeez, girl, that's between you and your man!

But yes.

evolution never ends, if we find ourselves in a situation that technolagy cannot help us with (long term of course) then our bodies will adapt.

i think the whole idea of artifial limbs and organs sooooo kickass aswell, we could bassically use this to eliminate any transplant list, rehabilitate all amputees and enhance the abilities of sportsman, soldiers and generally anyone that wanted it.

although i dont see myself getting the 1o million dollar man treatment on the NHS

reply to post by tluna1


just buy a rampant rabbit

reply to post by Gauss


My friend is on Dialysis due to both kidneys are now the size of walnuts. I can not belive we have not comeup with an artifical kidney yet! Its really like reverse osmosis where you are filtiering the blood. So i am in favor of any type of augmentation because you never know when one prothetic can lead to a better, more usefull one.

reply to post by DaveNorris


Exactly, man. If we can bridge the distance between man and machine - actually effectively merge the two and get it to work, then there's no end to the possibilities that lie before us.

One thing that strikes me is, however, the idea of weaponized augmentations. Many countries do not allow the possession of firearms in their citizens. This would mean that say an American coming to Europe would have to deactivate his augmentations or something similar, if they contained weapons, while he's staying in Europe. Or, you know, Europe could just get with the times and ratify the Right to Bear Arms. (Haha, get the joke? Augmented arms. Bear arms.)

Originally posted by tluna1
reply to post by Gauss

 

My friend is on Dialysis due to both kidneys are now the size of walnuts. I can not belive we have not comeup with an artifical kidney yet! Its really like reverse osmosis where you are filtiering the blood. So i am in favor of any type of augmentation because you never know when one prothetic can lead to a better, more usefull one.

That sucks. I'm sorry to hear that. And yes, this is exactly the kind of situation where augmentations would be put to their best possible use. If augmentation technology existed she could remove her kidneys and replace them with biomechanical ones (that probably worked just as well if not better than organic kidneys).

If you know of Ray Kurzweil, he speaks a lot of exponential development in technology. Basically, what this boils down to is that with all new technology being developed, the speed increases also in technological development, in an upward curve on a diagram. (I suck at explaining). Basically, though. I think that strictly speaking, we're looking at the first functional augmentations appearing on the market in ten to twelve years or so. And I'm pretty sure Mr Kurzweil will be at the forefront of their development. I'm also semi-certain that internal organs like kidneys would be one of the priorities, rather than the more cool stuff like weaponized arms.

ill be first inline but only if and when the augments are way superior or enhance what we can do already.
hopefully ill live long enough to see it happen

i dont think its actually not that far off, with the advances being made in bio-circuitry and prosthetics not to mention new materials that allow better healing around implants.

see intraosseous transcutaneous amputation prosthetics

Have to admit, love the idea despite all the drawbacks. I think like any new technology, it'll be abused by some and there will be problems as well, so everyone fearful or threatened by it will hold those up as reasons we shouldn't do it. Then the whole "God" argument will bring them out in droves, but again, worth it.

The first few years will likely result in a couple of million men running around with 15" tents in their pants...and not one will care what bit how much it costs

reply to post by DaveNorris


Whoa, dude. That is cool # on so many levels I don't even know where to begin. I had no idea it was this close - and that article was written six years ago to boot. Of course, those prosthetics would not be on a level where you would voluntarily give up your real limbs for one - but it's definitely the beginning of it.