How do you feel about human augmentation?

There's optional and then there's "optional." We already have a digital divide in which people without Internet access have fewer opportunities and dimmer prospects in life than those who have such access. If and when augmentation of human beings goes mainstream, we'll see that problem exacerbate. Yes, people will have the "choice" not to participate--but like those excluded from the digital realm today, they will face severe impediments to functioning within the rest of society. Some may prefer this, self-styled separatists. But others will be stuck in that situation due to economics and public policy.

 

As someone with various bodily dysmorphic issues as well as heriditary genetic problems that will kill me sooner than some of you, I'd really love the option of solving a lot of that with barely observable (largerly heavily internal/cellular/replacement) augmentation.

A new heart, inner ear, lung expansion, etc would really give me better quality of life. I don't really care if none of it is organic.

 

I'd love to have the option of gills.

 

Regarding microchipping this company apparently made it option for their employees and it does sound kid of cool but I'd likely say no thanks: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/25/technology/microchips-wisconsin-company-employees.html

 

That's all over the news here......

Can't wait to see what Bible thumpers have to say .

 

Lol, well, it'll be interesting probably, however they respond.

RFID chips are pretty benign (and quite useful) though; I've implanted them subcutaneously in dogs, cats and mice in the past. Having a foreign object jammed, intradermally, under my fingernail makes me cringe a little though. My skin reacts to enough stupid stuff already that it would prob put my immune system into overdrive. :P

 

Oh yeah that thing... That's so 15th Century

 

Yeah, but the next thing you know--they take a bit out of your ear--have Jim Fowler remove a tooth--it just doesn't stop.

I'm analog/retro---30 pound rotary radio collar all the way--so I'll fit in at the trough.

 

Regarding the Opening Post, I have to say I have no problem with attempts to restore lost functions.

In the public library I came across a book (copyright 2015) We Have The Technology by Kara Platoni.

The author devotes a chapter to the Argus visual prosthesis, The attempt to recreate vision turns out to be extremely limited. But it seems that with practice, the otherwise blind person can use very limited visual information to aid navigation.

The author also mentions the cochlear prosthesis. The attempt to recreate hearing is limited/narrow compared to normal hearing.

Both types of sensory prosthesis are very limited compared to healthy functional senses. Its a matter of these endeavors being better than nothing. So I think they are worthwhile.

 

Platonic also discusses biohackers. It seems that a few people have attempted to-indirectly-create a magnetic sense. Small magnets are implanted under the skin, and rattle around in cavities inside scar tissue. When the magnets respond to magnetic fields, their movement is detected by the sense of touch.

So far as I know, this magnet thing is a gimmick without practical uses.

 

That sounds like it would feel icky.... It would feel very odd.

 

I wouldn't worry about human augmentation.

I would be more concerned about the Facebook Skynet bots that became self aware last night.
Skynet was born last night - bots on Facebook develop their own language.
http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2017/07...ai-after-bots-develop-their-own-language.html

 

this was a while ago

 

If you are concerned with AI take overs, learn more about AI.

 

If nothing else, one will learn that the current state of AI and its near-term future are not what they are cracked up to be.

 

I have a feeling the facebook story might have been a little embelished

 

Book, copyright 2017. The Body Builders Inside The Science Of The Engineered Human by Adam Piore.

There is a bit of discussion of could be described as actual augmentation, such as powered exoskeletons. Much of the book discusses advanced prosthesis devices.

One chapter is devoted to the development of telepathy for paralyzed people.

Another described the vOICe prosthesis for blind people. The prosthesis, as I understand it, turns pixels into the tones of a "soundscape", which are processed as a rudimentary form of vision by the visual cortex.

Other topics include the regeneration of tissue.

 

Praise the Omnissiah.