Space Historian Sees Cyborgs in Our Future

Space.com ^ | 15 February 2007 | Leonard David

[theFIRMbss]

>I liked the two Crichton novels I've read so far (State of Fear, Airframe)

Yeah, I liked those two,
but to me Terminal Man
and Congo are GREAT.

(FYI Crichton:
There are excerpts and essays
at Crichton's website.)

[Billthedrill]

Hmm...mebbe that's why I feel like a Z-80 guy in a multi-core 64-bit world...

[Dead Corpse]

Life isn't fair. They need to get over this fact.

If they think life is fair, have them ask a Diplodocus over how fair they think life is. Or a Dodo. Or a T-Rex.

[Dr.Zoidberg]

I, for one, am looking forward to it.

Count me among those who would embrace cybernetic enhancement.

To many flaws in the original design that need improvement.

[Dead Corpse]

I wouldn't even call them flaws really. As an organism, we work good in our environment. However, there are things I WANT to do that are currently beyond the biological means to do so.

Seeing from infrared through to ultraviolet. Hearing from 3 meter through radio frequency another. Stronger bones and muscles. More adaptable, and durable, epidermis. Disease protection. Biological immortality or life extension via repair mechanisms.

Yes. It will run against some people morals, ethics, ect... This should be their problem to worry about. Let those who want to modify themselves do so. It is none of anyone else's concern. My body is my property. Not theirs.

[discostu]

You know how these people are, they'll never get over it.

[NCC-1701]

YOUR MOVE CREEP!!!


"You're not human. You're...PRODUCT!"

[Dead Corpse]

Not much they'll be able to do about it though is there? A bit like a bunch of unarmed hippies wanting to take away my firearms. If it's just me/armed vs them/unarmed... ain't a lot they can do about it.

[discostu]

I figure they'll probably push through something similar to the public schools, making certain types of implanted technology (especially educational) available for free. Of course much like how we have a public school/ private school eduction gap now we'll probably wind up with a welfare implant/ private implant gap. Never under estimate a socialist's ability to spend your money.

[RightWhale]

humans are destined to become a multi-planetary species

What is this evolution of time thing? Got a feeling the eminent space historian is no clearer on that than on the chances of FedGov programs ever resulting in a multi-planetary species.

[AntiGuv]

FutureTechPing!

An emergent technologies list covering biomedical research, fusion power, nanotech, AI robotics, and other related fields. FReepmail to join or drop.

[Reaganesque]

Crap! Now I see cyborgs!

[LibWhacker]

Well, I've been kind of hoping that we'll figure out how to make spaceflight relatively easy, safe and comfortable for humans before we figure out how to make full blown cyborgs.

I'm interested in the future of mankind and, personally, it's a little difficult for me to identify with or care much about some highly engineered future contraption that's 90% machine and 10% biology.

[jmcenanly]

All the time.

But seriously, the idea of using pictures of human beings with exposed wiring and mechanical structure makes as much sense as using Frankenstein's monster as a poster child for organ transplants

[Gantz]

"Where things will get interesting is when the replacements exceed the capabilities of the originals, or expand our capabilities beyond anything our biology can do currently."

Yes. And this will happen within the lifetime of many here. In addition to helping the disabled, you will also see people giving up their original, perfectly-good parts for sythentic replacements, like your "organic" eyes for cybernetic copies that look real in every way, plus can see in IR, take fotos, even go non-passive for ranging and targeting data, etc.

[timer]

What? You mean that a space historian woke up, looked around and noticed artificial teeth, knee joints, legs, stints, heart pumps, hearing aids, radio headsets, IR goggles...amazing.