How do you feel about human augmentation?

[Gingerbread Demon]

This includes artificial limbs, organs or prosthetics that enable people to live a somewhat normal life under ideal circumstances.

How do you feel about the whole notion of artificial parts for the human body that allow it to have functions that were once lost again, or enhance functions that are damaged?

If I lost an arm or leg and could get one that functioned just like the old organic one I'd be fine with that. As it stands I do have prosthetics in the form of two lenses attached permanently to my eyes. Long story short I was born with cataracts and the original lenses were needled. This was 1968ish. Since then I have had to wear very thick and heavy glasses. The implants only came in 2007 and it was only because my optometrist suggested the idea to me in an effort to give me a cosmetic change and improve my appearance.

I haven't improved my vision as it's the same as it was with the heavy glasses but now I don't need those, instead a lighter, thinner pair for distance and slightly thick pair for reading / computer or books and stuff.

So in short I'm all for this kind of stuff.

How do you feel about this kind of stuff?

 

[Markonian]

Go for it. Abuse by the fascists has given eugenics a bad name. But implants and prosthetics can smoothen our usage of technology (imagine screens projected on the retina, subcutaneous chips for keys/payment), and genetic engineering can be used to improve body functions and abilities.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

Go for it. Abuse by the fascists has given eugenics a bad name. But implants and prosthetics can smoothen our usage of technology (imagine screens projected on the retina, subcutaneous chips for keys/payment), and genetic engineering can be used to improve body functions and abilities.

Those chips you mention sound good but there's room for abuse with the wrong governments and you know exactly what I mean. For example citizens on a no fly list could have their "spending" cut back or withheld and thus they are stuck in a geographic area so there's control of movement and such, and that's just one example. I think cash and coins should stick around a bit.

I wouldn't mind an augmented retina with more then normal capability... That might be nice but without too much information overload.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

My rusty bones cannot handle the infinite power of nano-augmentation.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

My rusty bones cannot handle the infinite power of nano-augmentation.

Ah but we could coat your rusty bones in a nano alloy. They'd be stronger.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Ah but we could coat your rusty bones in a nano alloy. They'd be stronger.

But then I'd start popping claws out of my hands and saying "bub" a lot. Not sure if worth it.

 

[SPCTRE]

 

[Markonian]

Cash is already on the way out. Any new tech is available for abuse, e.g. remote control of citizens through their cranial implants. But one still drives a car even though it could be crushed.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

Cash is already on the way out. Any new tech is available for abuse, e.g. remote control of citizens through their cranial implants. But one still drives a car even though it could be crushed.

True but I wouldn't want stuff like that inside my head if it could be hacked. It's bad enough today with credit cards and all you need is an NFC reader and good antenna and you can get your info swiped..

 

[Markonian]

^ A government could decide every citizen (and visitor) is chipped at birth.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

^ A government could decide every citizen (and visitor) is chipped at birth.

Yeah, that could happen..... But would the public protest or just suck it up?

In Australia a previous government led by then PM Bob Hawke tried to get the Australia Card passed many years back but it was the churches that put a stop to that by rallying people in protest. Had that happened it would have been a national ID card for every person of adult age in the country.

 

[Markonian]

We have a national ID card in Germany. When I lived in Ireland, I noticed how people need to carry passports for alcohol shopping. As a consequence, these passports look extremely shoddy after a while. Unlike the neat credit-card sized German ID card.

And in my job, I frequently have to deny service because people are unable to provide passport or driver's license to identify themselves. And no, a credit card ain't count - it's no photo ID.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

We have a national ID card in Germany. When I lived in Ireland, I noticed how people need to carry passports for alcohol shopping. As a consequence, these passports look extremely shoddy after a while. Unlike the neat credit-card sized German ID card.

And in my job, I frequently have to deny service because people are unable to provide passport or driver's license to identify themselves. And no, a credit card ain't count - it's no photo ID.

I don't see why people object strongly to this idea.

 

[Nyotarules]

I never understood the anti-augmentation line the Star Trek franchise took, it seems based on a 1960's concept of future medicine that is flawed. I doubt Khan was a megalomaniac because he was augmented, there was nothing augmented about Hitler and other psychopathic historical figures in real life. No one would suggest 'lets ban Austrians and Germans from reproduction just in case another Hitler & Goebbels etc comes along'...that is the weird line that Star Trek takes, lets ban augmented medicine throughout the entire Federation just in case we get another Khan.... Utter nonsense and so Terrancentric!

 

[Robert Maxwell]

I never understood the anti-augmentation line Star Trek took, it seems based on a 1960's concept of future medicine that is flawed. I doubt Khan was a megalomaniac because he was augmented, there was nothing augmented about Hitler and other psychopathic historical figures in real life. No one suggested lets ban Austrians and Germans from reproduction just in case another Hitler comes along...that is the weird line that Star Trek takes, lets ban augmented medicine throughout the entire Federation just in case we get another Khan.... Utter nonsense and so Terrancentric!

Right, genetic therapy was allowed, but only to make you "normal." And if you didn't fall below a certain threshold of "normal," nothing was available to you. So if you were just a little slow, tough luck. Seems like a cruel position for the supposedly egalitarian and humanist Federation. "Yes, we see your intelligence isn't as high as average... but if we correct that, you might become a tyrannical superman, and we just can't take the chance."

^ A government could decide every citizen (and visitor) is chipped at birth.

They could, but whether people go along with it will vary from country to country. A national ID system was implemented after 9/11, and we still have many states which refuse to comply with it. And that's not even a very big ask. Demanding people be chipped at birth? Think about how many doctors will straight-up refuse to do it. People will cut their kids' arms (or whatever) open to get the chips out. Americans, at least, wouldn't stand for it--not without some major cultural shifts that haven't happened yet.

 

[Nyotarules]

Right, genetic therapy was allowed, but only to make you "normal." And if you didn't fall below a certain threshold of "normal," nothing was available to you. So if you were just a little slow, tough luck. Seems like a cruel position for the supposedly egalitarian and humanist Federation. "Yes, we see your intelligence isn't as high as average... but if we correct that, you might become a tyrannical superman, and we just can't take the chance."

No wonder they never show Denobulans after 22nd century, they probably decided they did not want to join a smug bunch of human controlled Federationistas... 'We're outta here'!
However I would not trust a 'chipped at birth' policy in this day and age. I believe when Caucasians go right wing minorities need to worry, so the less access the state has to our bodies the better. What happened in the past is still within living memory.

 

[Tenacity]

Augmentation that might allow someone to hack and "re-program" the brains of thousands of people is a scary idea.

Tying yourself into the internet could have this downside, as we've seen many times, no security measures are perfect.

 

[Doom Shepherd]

I am putting a clause in my living will that Extraordinary Means are only permissible if the end result is:
A) My mind being copied/uploaded into an independent AI.
B) My being transformed into "a robot and/or freaky cyborg thing." Preferably with at least one minigun arm.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

I am putting a clause in my living will that Extraordinary Means are only permissible if the end result is:
A) My mind being copied/uploaded into an independent AI.
B) My being transformed into "a robot and/or freaky cyborg thing." Preferably with at least one minigun arm.

I love this.

Abraham Lincoln: Terminator I love it.

Call my producer..

 

[psCargile]

Yes, if it's affordable.