Human Perfection

[clarsct]

Been thinking, a dangerous hobby, I know. Especially while reading.

But I did so. I was reading a PopSci, not the most reliable of publications, I admit.

But the subscription was free.


Anyway, there was a rather lengthy article about being able to 'improve' our bodies. New Alhziemer's drugs that could improve th ememory in healthy humans by up to 100%. Adding extra cones(or is it rods? I might be misremembering) to allow us to see hues that we can't really imagine now. Non-steriod injections that are safe, but can add muscle mass. A chip in your head that connects you to your cell phone, laptop, etc. Even a hormonal treatment to make you more faithful to your mate. (as well as one to make you mate more....hrm....available?)

But is it ethical, or even desirable to do so? How far do we go in our pursuit of a better life?

 

[Soapy Sam]

Depends. How bad is your arthritis?

 

[Donks]

But is it ethical, or even desirable to do so?

Yes.

How far do we go in our pursuit of a better life?

As far as you can before running out of will or funds. And as long as you don't screw up your neighbor in the process.

 

[boeingJr]

Anyway, there was a rather lengthy article about being able to 'improve' our bodies. New Alhziemer's drugs that could improve th ememory in healthy humans by up to 100%. Adding extra cones(or is it rods? I might be misremembering) to allow us to see hues that we can't really imagine now. Non-steriod injections that are safe, but can add muscle mass. A chip in your head that connects you to your cell phone, laptop, etc. Even a hormonal treatment to make you more faithful to your mate. (as well as one to make you mate more....hrm....available?)

But is it ethical, or even desirable to do so? How far do we go in our pursuit of a better life? [/B]

Personally, I wouldn't like to see humans using drugs to increase their brain capacity, and wouldn't like to do it myself. I'm not sure why, but I dislike the idea. But generally I'm somewhat pragmatic on the ethics side, just because I think it is wrong, doesn't mean I want to stop others from doing it if they think it is the right thing to do. As long as it doesn't greatly inconvenience others.

The problem with these human enhancements, to me, are: Would they really be optional? Could you get an interesting office job even if you couldn't or were unwilling to increase your memory? Would a company be able to continue existence if it allowed its employees to not be enhanced? I fear not.

Actually, right now, from your examples I can only see the increased memory as problematic. So the question is still open for me as well: Where do we draw the line?

Shouldn't we even research such ideas? I'm convinced such research could improve the lives of somehow disabled people, but:

I'm not sure that our lives would be better if normals[TM] were enhanced. If we could make ourselves wiser, perhaps, but smarter, stronger, prettier, more long-lived, more technologically able, more faithful... well.

 

[Roboramma]

But is it ethical, or even desirable to do so?

Sure, why not?

How far do we go in our pursuit of a better life?

I guess my view is that there's nothing sacred to the word "human". I think you agree, we weren't created in God's image. So what's wrong with changing what "human" means? Or even with becoming something that couldn't be called human anymore?
I think there's a lot of beauty and wonder in human life, but there's also alot that's messed up. Why not do our best to improve upon it? If we can, anyway.
Of course I'm sure that there are a lot of people who don't see it that way. But they'll probably come around when they have the chance to download Hindi into their brains. Might be a while I guess.

 

[clarsct]

Well, I wasn't necessarily speaking from some sort of 'sacredness' point of view.

Is there a point at which we start losing empathy for those weaker than us, when we can afford to not be weak?

I have to agree with the idea of 'this bothers me', but I also don't know why. I think that maybe it is our imperfections that make us perfect.

What about a "Robocop" idea, of a brain in a machine body...true immortality? Would this be ok, too?

 

[Roboramma]

Well, I wasn't necessarily speaking from some sort of 'sacredness' point of view.

I know, but I think that comes up a lot when people discuss this idea - for instance about human cloning.

Is there a point at which we start losing empathy for those weaker than us, when we can afford to not be weak?

I think that's an important question. Something we have to be very careful to avoid is that kind of inequality arising that boeingJr talks about. If there is some kind of way to make people exceptionaly more intelligent, say it costs $100,000 for this treatment. It would certainly create an even greater gap between the rich and the poor.
Those are issues that would need to be dealt with. But I don't think they are insurmountable, if we approached with foresight anyway.

What about a "Robocop" idea, of a brain in a machine body...true immortality? Would this be ok, too?

Yeah, I think that'd be cool.