The only reason why religion is so deeply rooted in our society, is because it came first.
What do I mean by that? I mean that our ancestors used religion as a means to explain things that were unexplainable to them at the time. For example, why did people get sick and die? Why are there so many natural disasters like floods, drought, famine, etc... Our predecessors had no way of explaining these natural occuring phenomena, so they used religion to explain it. "Oh God is the one who made this man sick, cause he sinned." etc...
But now with rational and logical thnking, we have managed to break the code. We are now better able to explain these natural occurences. For example, we now know why people get sick. It's because of germs and viruses. We now know why there are natural disasters. But still religion is deeply rooted in our society because it came first.
Imagine what it would be like if science came first. There'd possibly be no room for religion to grow and develop. In fact, it'd be considered absurd and silly to blame these natural occurences on a "higher power".
Still, in anycase, religion will remain around for the next several centuries, or even forever. Until we can prove that there is no heaven or hell.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Transhuman ad
Excellent advertisment that promotes transhumanism! I;m not sure if it was intended to do so, but in any case I give it a thumbs up for promoting the theory of evolution and transhumanism. We seriously need more creative work in terms of visual art, drama, movies, music, etc, etc... to showcase to the world that transhumanism isn't all bad. So without further ado here's the video.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Is a utopia possible on earth?
Topic: Is a utopia possible?
Disclaimer: This article is merely a utopia in a nutshell. A proper understanding of a utopia requires a lot more in depth research into all braches that make up human society.
Content
1) Introduction
2) Attempts at making a utopia
3) Utopias in history
4) The requirements
5) Possibility
-In depth
6) What will it be like?
Introduction
Utopia. The mention of the word brings us to a place of peace, tranquillity and order, a place very different from where we are now. In a utopia we see people with happy faces, a place where no one is lacking; there is no poverty, no crime, and no discrimination. Just a simple, peaceful, idyllic life for all who live in such a world.
There have been many mentions of utopia in history. It even goes all the way back to ancient times, which shows that, building a utopia has always been a dream for man. The word utopia is actually a Greek word which literally means, “Good place”. There are many types of utopias; there are ecological utopias, economical utopias, religious utopias, political utopias and scientific utopias. But the utopia that I will talk about will cover a little of everything, but in the bigger picture, it encompasses everything.
Attempts at making a utopia
There have been many attempts to create utopias in the course of human history, most, if not all of them are spawned from an ideal or an ideology. For example, the ideology called communism points towards a possible utopia, where everyone is equal, and there is no discrimination between classes. The elite mingle with the lower classes, and vice versa. It will be an economical powerhouse, where everyone works collectively for the good of the nation. Art and culture will flourish as people become able to afford luxury goods, and have the time to spend on going to operas or museums. Politically, 1 party will exist, so that there is no strife, there would be a politburo, which will convene and discuss important matters. Science will develop rapidly and will benefit all of mankind. At least that’s the way it looks on paper. In reality however, it was on the other side of the spectrum. In reality, there was a huge gap between the rich and the poor, there was no equality. The rich got richer, and the poor got poorer. The 2 different classes, the elites and the proletariat, didn’t mingle, the elites had their own agenda and made use of the proletariat to achieve it. It became an economical powerhouse, but it was built on forced labour and lies. People worked collectively for the good of the nation, but saw little rewards. Art and culture couldn’t flourish as the people couldn’t afford it. There was also a lack of luxury goods for the lower classes. Art and culture was also heavily censored, so for those who could afford it, it was appallingly limited. The only art and culture that thrived was propaganda. Even though the old Soviet Union was run by 1 political party, it was a place where politicians fought one another. There was hardly any unity. Decisions that the politburo made did not necessarily benefit the people. It seemed to benefit the elites more. Science developed rapidly, with the Soviets being the first nation in history to send a man to space, but not all science benefitted the people. Comparing the 2 scenarios, the one in theory, and the one in practice, they were both on different ends of the spectrum. The theoretical one was a possible utopia. The practical one was a definite dystopia.
Utopias in History
But not all utopias were actually created, some were stories, other remained, just ideals. For example the story of Atlantis was a story that Plato, the Greek philosopher, created. Atlantis was an economic powerhouse, where every citizen was rich. The Atlanteans had an unrivalled knowledge of science, and was supposedly able to create an elixir of youth. They didn’t believe in slavery, and so created automata, robotic servants, to carry out their building projects. The Atlanteans also had a ruling system which included a king and his parliament, sort of like a constitutional monarchy. But in the end, we all know what happened. Atlantis was wiped out in a natural disaster, and sank beneath the waves.
Another utopia comes from a religious text, the Holy Bible. The utopia I’m referring to is the legendary, Garden of Eden. In it Adam and Eve would live forever, having dominion over all animals. The only condition was not to eat the fruit from the tree in the centre of the garden. Which, ultimately, they did eat from, and were cast out forever.
If there is something in common between the last 2 utopias, then it is this. They were supposedly real and ultimately either destroyed or lost, making it unable for us to ascertain its existence. Why is this so? Because, if it existed then why on earth would anyone want to live where they were? They could simply go to Atlantis or the Garden of Eden and live there forever. The stories were made to give people hope, and something to desire for. It will be the pinnacle of human civilization if we ever achieved it.
The requirements
As I’ve mentioned before the word utopia comes from the Greek, “Good place”. So what would be required to call a society a utopia? Well, it would definitely require everything that is good, and reject everything that is bad.
So what are the good things to accept? To be considered a utopia a society will need to achieve political and economical stability. Its citizens have to be understanding and tolerant. Art and culture has to be free and readily available to all. Science has to be unhindered and created not for the benefit of one person, but for the benefit of all. There has to be a constant peace, meaning no crime, no wars, internal or external. But ultimately, for a society to be called a utopia, all its citizens have to be immortal.
Why? This will be explained in the 2nd part, which is, what are the bad things to reject? Basically, a utopian society has to reject political and economical failure, discrimination and intolerance of any kind. Art and culture cannot be limited and denied to the masses. Science that benefits one, or does not advance the betterment of mankind must be rejected. Constant crime and war has to be rejected strongly. And of course, death has to be destroyed. Again you may ask why, and so here is the explanation. Let’s just say that all the requirements are met for a utopia, all except one, which is the defeat of death. Then with every death of a citizen, his/her relatives and friends will mourn, and grieve. That is not ideal in a utopia, for it is a “Good place”. And sadness and anguish is definitely not good. Thus if death is defeated, no one will have to suffer from sorrow and anguish, making it a true utopia.
Possibility
So is it possible to have a utopia? Yes, it most certainly is. All it requires is understanding and immortality in order to achieve the rest. So if you’ve read my other article “Is it possible to be immortal via melding with machines?” You would understand how close humanity is to achieving immortality. However, understanding is going to be, no doubt, harder to achieve. We live in a world of many races and cultures, each with their own perspective on the world. Each believing that their race and culture is the right one. And because these cultures have been around for so long, it’s going to be hard to get them to see things from a new perspective. Which is why, everyone in this world has to maintain an open mind when it comes to understanding one another. With understanding, the next step can be peace. With peace and cooperation from one another we can have political and economical stability. With economical and political stability, we can have art and culture for all. Science will be unhindered and man can live in a utopia.
If you can’t see the string of events then allow me to explain it.
Understanding -> Peace & Cooperation
Assuming that immortality has been achieved then what’s next? The next step will be global understanding. With understanding, we can become more tolerant of one another. Discrimination can become non-existent. This will allow each and every one on earth to live more harmoniously together, allowing for better cooperation between all the 193 different nations of the world.
Peace & Cooperation -> Political and Economical Stability
With peace and cooperation from all nations of the world, political and economical stability can be achieved. Let’s begin by talking about political stability. There is an organisation in New York that is like a world government. That organisation is called, the United Nations (UN). It is a place where all nations get together and discuss topics that affect their own country, or the world as a whole. The UN is further divided into many sub-committees that tackle specific problems, for example the United Nations Security Council tackles, specifically, topics relating to the security of the world. The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) address economical and social topics. So on and so forth. With peace and cooperation, the UN is the perfect place for all nations to gather and help one another. For example if a country is affected by natural disasters, all other nations will come to that nations aid, and help it to recover quickly, reducing the time it needs to recover, and allowing to get back on its feet economically. This leads me to my 2nd point, economical stability. When there is peace and cooperation between all nations in the world, any nation which is lacking will find itself with aid coming from all its friends. This allows them to build industries and provide jobs for all its citizens, allowing it to support itself, and maybe even help other nations. These processes take time, but can definitely be achieved.
Political and Economical Stability -> Art and Culture for all
With political and economical stability, citizens will be able to live in peace, hold a job, and support their family and themselves. This allows them to spend their free time on art and culture, which will by then, be easily accessible to the masses. That is because, not everyone will be working in factories. Some may be working as artists, singers, musicians, providing for the people’s entertainment needs, as it is an important aspect of human life to have time to relax and enjoy. Since the average citizens have stable jobs, and sufficient income, they can spend it on activities such as going to museums, going for operas, buying luxury goods for themselves, pampering themselves at spas, so on and so forth. With art and culture for all, people will feel contented and not feel bored and overworked, bringing the society one step closer to achieving utopia status.
Political and Economical Stability -> Unhindered Scientific progress
With political and economical stability, peace and cooperation, the world’s greatest minds can get together and help advance science and technology for the betterment of human society. That is because the scientists would have almost unlimited research funds, and ideas from all over the world. This will exponentially speed up the progress of human civilization, and herald in a new golden age of discovery and inventions.
What will it be like?
A utopia will be a man made heaven on earth. Everything that you want to do can be done. There will be no division amongst man, and crime will be unheard of. Everyone will not be lacking, and people will live in ultimate luxury. There will be a peace that has been unheard of before, due to cooperation and understanding from everyone. There will be no more wars or civil unrest. That’s what a utopia will be like at a glance. And I do believe that it is entirely possible to create one.
Disclaimer: This article is merely a utopia in a nutshell. A proper understanding of a utopia requires a lot more in depth research into all braches that make up human society.
Disclaimer: This article is merely a utopia in a nutshell. A proper understanding of a utopia requires a lot more in depth research into all braches that make up human society.
Content
1) Introduction
2) Attempts at making a utopia
3) Utopias in history
4) The requirements
5) Possibility
-In depth
6) What will it be like?
Introduction
Utopia. The mention of the word brings us to a place of peace, tranquillity and order, a place very different from where we are now. In a utopia we see people with happy faces, a place where no one is lacking; there is no poverty, no crime, and no discrimination. Just a simple, peaceful, idyllic life for all who live in such a world.
There have been many mentions of utopia in history. It even goes all the way back to ancient times, which shows that, building a utopia has always been a dream for man. The word utopia is actually a Greek word which literally means, “Good place”. There are many types of utopias; there are ecological utopias, economical utopias, religious utopias, political utopias and scientific utopias. But the utopia that I will talk about will cover a little of everything, but in the bigger picture, it encompasses everything.
Attempts at making a utopia
There have been many attempts to create utopias in the course of human history, most, if not all of them are spawned from an ideal or an ideology. For example, the ideology called communism points towards a possible utopia, where everyone is equal, and there is no discrimination between classes. The elite mingle with the lower classes, and vice versa. It will be an economical powerhouse, where everyone works collectively for the good of the nation. Art and culture will flourish as people become able to afford luxury goods, and have the time to spend on going to operas or museums. Politically, 1 party will exist, so that there is no strife, there would be a politburo, which will convene and discuss important matters. Science will develop rapidly and will benefit all of mankind. At least that’s the way it looks on paper. In reality however, it was on the other side of the spectrum. In reality, there was a huge gap between the rich and the poor, there was no equality. The rich got richer, and the poor got poorer. The 2 different classes, the elites and the proletariat, didn’t mingle, the elites had their own agenda and made use of the proletariat to achieve it. It became an economical powerhouse, but it was built on forced labour and lies. People worked collectively for the good of the nation, but saw little rewards. Art and culture couldn’t flourish as the people couldn’t afford it. There was also a lack of luxury goods for the lower classes. Art and culture was also heavily censored, so for those who could afford it, it was appallingly limited. The only art and culture that thrived was propaganda. Even though the old Soviet Union was run by 1 political party, it was a place where politicians fought one another. There was hardly any unity. Decisions that the politburo made did not necessarily benefit the people. It seemed to benefit the elites more. Science developed rapidly, with the Soviets being the first nation in history to send a man to space, but not all science benefitted the people. Comparing the 2 scenarios, the one in theory, and the one in practice, they were both on different ends of the spectrum. The theoretical one was a possible utopia. The practical one was a definite dystopia.
Utopias in History
But not all utopias were actually created, some were stories, other remained, just ideals. For example the story of Atlantis was a story that Plato, the Greek philosopher, created. Atlantis was an economic powerhouse, where every citizen was rich. The Atlanteans had an unrivalled knowledge of science, and was supposedly able to create an elixir of youth. They didn’t believe in slavery, and so created automata, robotic servants, to carry out their building projects. The Atlanteans also had a ruling system which included a king and his parliament, sort of like a constitutional monarchy. But in the end, we all know what happened. Atlantis was wiped out in a natural disaster, and sank beneath the waves.
Another utopia comes from a religious text, the Holy Bible. The utopia I’m referring to is the legendary, Garden of Eden. In it Adam and Eve would live forever, having dominion over all animals. The only condition was not to eat the fruit from the tree in the centre of the garden. Which, ultimately, they did eat from, and were cast out forever.
If there is something in common between the last 2 utopias, then it is this. They were supposedly real and ultimately either destroyed or lost, making it unable for us to ascertain its existence. Why is this so? Because, if it existed then why on earth would anyone want to live where they were? They could simply go to Atlantis or the Garden of Eden and live there forever. The stories were made to give people hope, and something to desire for. It will be the pinnacle of human civilization if we ever achieved it.
The requirements
As I’ve mentioned before the word utopia comes from the Greek, “Good place”. So what would be required to call a society a utopia? Well, it would definitely require everything that is good, and reject everything that is bad.
So what are the good things to accept? To be considered a utopia a society will need to achieve political and economical stability. Its citizens have to be understanding and tolerant. Art and culture has to be free and readily available to all. Science has to be unhindered and created not for the benefit of one person, but for the benefit of all. There has to be a constant peace, meaning no crime, no wars, internal or external. But ultimately, for a society to be called a utopia, all its citizens have to be immortal.
Why? This will be explained in the 2nd part, which is, what are the bad things to reject? Basically, a utopian society has to reject political and economical failure, discrimination and intolerance of any kind. Art and culture cannot be limited and denied to the masses. Science that benefits one, or does not advance the betterment of mankind must be rejected. Constant crime and war has to be rejected strongly. And of course, death has to be destroyed. Again you may ask why, and so here is the explanation. Let’s just say that all the requirements are met for a utopia, all except one, which is the defeat of death. Then with every death of a citizen, his/her relatives and friends will mourn, and grieve. That is not ideal in a utopia, for it is a “Good place”. And sadness and anguish is definitely not good. Thus if death is defeated, no one will have to suffer from sorrow and anguish, making it a true utopia.
Possibility
So is it possible to have a utopia? Yes, it most certainly is. All it requires is understanding and immortality in order to achieve the rest. So if you’ve read my other article “Is it possible to be immortal via melding with machines?” You would understand how close humanity is to achieving immortality. However, understanding is going to be, no doubt, harder to achieve. We live in a world of many races and cultures, each with their own perspective on the world. Each believing that their race and culture is the right one. And because these cultures have been around for so long, it’s going to be hard to get them to see things from a new perspective. Which is why, everyone in this world has to maintain an open mind when it comes to understanding one another. With understanding, the next step can be peace. With peace and cooperation from one another we can have political and economical stability. With economical and political stability, we can have art and culture for all. Science will be unhindered and man can live in a utopia.
If you can’t see the string of events then allow me to explain it.
Understanding -> Peace & Cooperation
Assuming that immortality has been achieved then what’s next? The next step will be global understanding. With understanding, we can become more tolerant of one another. Discrimination can become non-existent. This will allow each and every one on earth to live more harmoniously together, allowing for better cooperation between all the 193 different nations of the world.
Peace & Cooperation -> Political and Economical Stability
With peace and cooperation from all nations of the world, political and economical stability can be achieved. Let’s begin by talking about political stability. There is an organisation in New York that is like a world government. That organisation is called, the United Nations (UN). It is a place where all nations get together and discuss topics that affect their own country, or the world as a whole. The UN is further divided into many sub-committees that tackle specific problems, for example the United Nations Security Council tackles, specifically, topics relating to the security of the world. The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) address economical and social topics. So on and so forth. With peace and cooperation, the UN is the perfect place for all nations to gather and help one another. For example if a country is affected by natural disasters, all other nations will come to that nations aid, and help it to recover quickly, reducing the time it needs to recover, and allowing to get back on its feet economically. This leads me to my 2nd point, economical stability. When there is peace and cooperation between all nations in the world, any nation which is lacking will find itself with aid coming from all its friends. This allows them to build industries and provide jobs for all its citizens, allowing it to support itself, and maybe even help other nations. These processes take time, but can definitely be achieved.
Political and Economical Stability -> Art and Culture for all
With political and economical stability, citizens will be able to live in peace, hold a job, and support their family and themselves. This allows them to spend their free time on art and culture, which will by then, be easily accessible to the masses. That is because, not everyone will be working in factories. Some may be working as artists, singers, musicians, providing for the people’s entertainment needs, as it is an important aspect of human life to have time to relax and enjoy. Since the average citizens have stable jobs, and sufficient income, they can spend it on activities such as going to museums, going for operas, buying luxury goods for themselves, pampering themselves at spas, so on and so forth. With art and culture for all, people will feel contented and not feel bored and overworked, bringing the society one step closer to achieving utopia status.
Political and Economical Stability -> Unhindered Scientific progress
With political and economical stability, peace and cooperation, the world’s greatest minds can get together and help advance science and technology for the betterment of human society. That is because the scientists would have almost unlimited research funds, and ideas from all over the world. This will exponentially speed up the progress of human civilization, and herald in a new golden age of discovery and inventions.
What will it be like?
A utopia will be a man made heaven on earth. Everything that you want to do can be done. There will be no division amongst man, and crime will be unheard of. Everyone will not be lacking, and people will live in ultimate luxury. There will be a peace that has been unheard of before, due to cooperation and understanding from everyone. There will be no more wars or civil unrest. That’s what a utopia will be like at a glance. And I do believe that it is entirely possible to create one.
Disclaimer: This article is merely a utopia in a nutshell. A proper understanding of a utopia requires a lot more in depth research into all braches that make up human society.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Introducing NAO
NAO is the name of a medium sized humanoid robot that is being designed by Aldebaran Robotics, a French company with headquarters in Paris. NAO is an extremely sleek looking robot that, as fas as I know, comes in 2 colours. Red and Blue. Which reminds me a little of the Machinima "Red vs. Blue" using Halo. But games aside NAO is not only sleek, but cute as well. Currently it is available to academic institutions for research purposes, but will be made available for the general public in late 2009 or late 2010. This gives me ample time to save up money and buy a robotic pet for myself! I intend to get one as soon as it is made available. Here's a video clip of NAO in action, along with some pictures. Hopefully after watching the video you'd understand why I want to get one
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Quote of the day - Stephen Hawking
Here's a quote of the day by Stephen Hawking, world renowned physicist.
Laws will be passed, against genetic engineering with humans. But some people won't be able to resist the temptation, to improve human characteristics, such as size of memory, resistance to disease, and length of life. Once such superhumans appear, there are going to be major political problems, with the umimproved humans, who won't be able to compete. Presumably, they will die out, or become unimportant. Instead, there will be a race of self-designing beings, who are improving themselves at an ever increasing rate. If this race manages to redesign itself, to reduce or eliminate the risk of self-destruction, it will probably spread out and colonise other planets and stars.
Inspiring quote by Stephen Hawking. I certainly do hope we can achieve immortality soon.
Laws will be passed, against genetic engineering with humans. But some people won't be able to resist the temptation, to improve human characteristics, such as size of memory, resistance to disease, and length of life. Once such superhumans appear, there are going to be major political problems, with the umimproved humans, who won't be able to compete. Presumably, they will die out, or become unimportant. Instead, there will be a race of self-designing beings, who are improving themselves at an ever increasing rate. If this race manages to redesign itself, to reduce or eliminate the risk of self-destruction, it will probably spread out and colonise other planets and stars.
Inspiring quote by Stephen Hawking. I certainly do hope we can achieve immortality soon.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Exocotices
Exocortex (Exocortices, plural) is a type of artificial, external computer that enhances the human brain's capacity, for memory, learning of skill, etc... It also helps the human brain to become more efficient. A human with an exocortex could become a genius, much like Einstein. But of course, time is always against us, until one day death says, "Time is up." Then all the knowledge and skills learned by the person will be lost, to him/her at least. But for others, by accessing his/her exocortex they can learn what he has learnt. As of now, such technology is theoretical, as we have yet to meld the human brain with a computer. But soon, this will be a reality. I'm quite excited by this project, and I can't wait for it to become a reality.
On a side note, I just found out that Jagex is coming up with a new game called, "Mech Scape". It's gonna be a sci-fi online game. It's an MMORPG just like RuneScape, but according to the project leader it's not going to be like RuneScape at all, and is targeted at a more mature audience. It's gonna be released later this year, and I can't wait to check it out.
On a side note, I just found out that Jagex is coming up with a new game called, "Mech Scape". It's gonna be a sci-fi online game. It's an MMORPG just like RuneScape, but according to the project leader it's not going to be like RuneScape at all, and is targeted at a more mature audience. It's gonna be released later this year, and I can't wait to check it out.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Is immortality possible?
Here, as I promised, is my article.
Disclaimer: This is strictly my point of view, and what is written is based on my own understanding and from articles read in H+ magazine and Wikipedia.
Topic: Is it possible to be immortal via melding with machines?
Content
1) Introduction
2) The Human Body
- Blood
- Brain
- Heart
- Lungs
- Digestive tract
3) Can we do without them?
4) What are the moral implications?
5) Is this possible?
Introduction
The human body is one of life’s greatest achievements. Beginning with the union of a man and a woman, the sperm travels to the egg, and a new life form is born. This new life form, which we call a fetus, eventually grows in to a human being, and is born into the “real world”. The human being grows, learning new skills such as walking, talking, manipulating objects, and many other things. The human continues to grow and meets an acceptable mate, the 2 humans get together, and a baby is born, the 2 humans then grow old and die, while the child continues the cycle. And the cycle just repeats itself over and over again. This is the basic cycle of life.
But what if we could change that? What if, after the human being is born into the “real world” he learns some skills and at an appropriate age he can, through melding with machines, become immortal? The cycle completely changes from there. He no longer has to find a suitable mate for the purpose of procreation, and we are no longer restricted by time, to learn new skills and experience new environments. That’s what I’ll be talking about in this article. Is it possible to conquer death through the melding with machines?
The Human Body
Humans are made up of many vital parts, such as, the brain, the heart, the lungs, the blood, etc… And yet with science and technology improving so quickly, they may soon become non-essential to our continued existence. But before I touch on that I’ll be talking about the purpose of some organs, and our life force. Blood.
Blood
Blood is a specialized bodily fluid in the body that delivers necessary substances to the body's cells, such as nutrients and oxygen, and transports waste products away from those same cells. Based on this definition blood seems like the very thing that we cannot do without. Even the ancients had some idea that blood was important. It held special, specific, religious meaning for some religions. The Aztecs believed that the gods had to have their share of blood, if not the sun would stop rising. Christians saw the Eucharist wine as the blood of Jesus. The Torah says, “Because the life of the animal is in it’s blood.” This shows us how important blood is to the survival of the human body.
Brain
The human brain is, without a doubt, the most complex organ that we have in our entire human body. It is the control center through which we experience the 5 senses. It is the organ that helps us to rationalize, which gives us emotion, and consciousness. It is no wonder that we were born with a thick skull and various membranes around the brain to protect it. The human brain is therefore very essential to continue life as humans.
Heart
The human heart, is the motor of this vehicle we call the human body. It provides constant circulation of our life force, blood, through out the body, even when we are sleeping. This makes it extremely vital to human life, as if you have blood, but no heart, you’d be dead. It’s like a car with fuel, but no engine. No matter how much you step on the accelerator, if you don’t have an engine, the car won’t move. The same applies to the human body. And thus for continued existence, the human body requires a heart.
Lungs
The human lungs are the organs of respiration in our body. We breathe through our nose and the air is sent to the lungs, where the oxygen in the air is diffused in to the countless blood vessels and transported around the body by the heart and our blood. The oxygen is vital for the continued survival of cells and organs in the body. Without oxygen the cells would die, and so would the organs. Lungs are therefore required so that our body can have a constant intake of air.
Digestive System
The digestive system in the human body begins with the mouth and ends with the anus. Food is our source of nourishment and sustenance. Without food we would not get the necessary nutrients needed to develop the human body. But if you have food but no digestive system then it’s equivalent to not having food at all. The digestive system helps to break down food into their base units, and also absorbs them into the blood stream so that blood can carry these vital nutrients to all parts of our body to give us strength and energy to keep on living. Therefore we need the digestive system to survive.
Can we do without them?
Every organ I’ve covered, and not covered in this brief chapter cannot work alone. It is part of a system where one supports the other. But alas all biological matter will deteriorate over time and eventually cease to function. And when one or more of these organs fail, the rest will fail as well. We need these organs to keep us alive, but at the same time, if we do not have them, or if we do not need to rely on them, we can become immortal.
Let’s talk about prosthetic limbs. Prosthetic limbs are an extension of the human body, but are not part of it. They enable the user to manipulate them as if that extension were a part of his body. And better still, the prosthetic limb is not reliant on the heart, lungs, digestive system, and even blood, as it is made up of mechanical parts. It merely relies on the brain which tells it where and how to move. This makes the prosthetic limbs not subject to the deterioration that all biological matter eventually succumbs to. This means, even after the user has passed on, the prosthetic arm will still be useable for future generations. The same applies to prosthetic legs as well.
So can we do without them? I am most certain that 10 to 20 years down the road, at least 60% of the human body can be replaced with mechanical parts that will help enhance our physical capabilities. And I’m not talking about externally only, but internally as well. Certain organs will be replaced by mechanical parts, or completely removed, as by then there will be no need for them. Imagine the benefits this will bring to people who suffer from birth defects, or accidents that require amputation. This would be a great boon to them and to the society in general.
What are the moral implications?
Of course with this advancement in technology, people will be come stronger faster and healthier, but with every new technology, there will always be someone out there using it for purposes other than what it was meant for. For example, the Chinese who discovered and invented gunpowder never intended it to be used as a means of killing. In fact the first use of gunpowder was for fireworks! A peaceful and crowd pleasing pass time. But eventually someone else came along and used it to make cannons. So what I’m trying to say here is that while these advancements in science would help people, others might use it for war. In fact the US army is looking into an exo-suit, a self powered suit that affords the user more strength. Not only that, there are some, especially those from religious groups, who might argue that it is a perversion of the human body which God created, or that we are trying to become gods ourselves. And this kind of argument doesn’t only come from the religious groups, but also from the secular groups. They claim that by replacing our body parts with mechanical parts, we no longer remain humans, but instead become robots. But from my perspective, there is nothing morally wrong with researching and, in the future, implementing such technology into humans. But for what purpose it will be used for, that is the problem that we have to address and solve, to be able to use such technology safely.
Is this possible?
This chapter is certainly divided into 2 parts. In the first part I will answer the possibility of addressing and solving the above-mentioned situation, and in the 2nd part I will talk about it is possible to meld flesh with machine and become immortal.
I do believe that all it takes is some understanding and a little give and take from both parties. Things can be resolved by simple understanding. A lot of times we get into conflicts not because we hate the person but because we don’t understand them. So through dialogue sessions and deep thought and consideration from both sides, I do believe that any moral or ethical questions and/or problems can be addressed and resolved.
As I mentioned above, I do believe that within the next 2 decades, at least 60% of humans can be replaced with machines. Look at how far we’ve come. From wooden stumps at the end of pirates’ legs, to prosthetic arms that was inanimate, to the new prosthetic arms that can be controlled by our own brain now. The transition from a prosthetic arm that was inanimate, to one that can now be controlled by our own brain, was very fast. In fact I would even call it a leap, rather than an evolution. The melding of flesh and machine can become a reality. And within the next century or so every part of the human body will be mechanical, save the brain. For it is the one organic entity that houses our consciousness, our emotion, our thoughts, our feelings and memories. These are things that computers, no matter how advanced, can replicate. But with futurists and scientists looking into something called mind uploading, we can soon store our consciousness and memories into a thumb drive, allowing us to upload it into other computers, or even another brain. This will allow us to keep on switching bodies, allowing us to be immortal.
Why am I so optimistic about this? Because in the last century or so we have seen medical science being pushed to the limits, we have seen the creation of devices that have cured once incurable diseases. We have seen people being given a new lease in life thanks to machines. I for one am ready for this kind of a future.
Disclaimer: This is strictly my point of view, and what is written is based on my own understanding and from articles read in H+ magazine and Wikipedia.
Topic: Is it possible to be immortal via melding with machines?
Content
1) Introduction
2) The Human Body
- Blood
- Brain
- Heart
- Lungs
- Digestive tract
3) Can we do without them?
4) What are the moral implications?
5) Is this possible?
Introduction
The human body is one of life’s greatest achievements. Beginning with the union of a man and a woman, the sperm travels to the egg, and a new life form is born. This new life form, which we call a fetus, eventually grows in to a human being, and is born into the “real world”. The human being grows, learning new skills such as walking, talking, manipulating objects, and many other things. The human continues to grow and meets an acceptable mate, the 2 humans get together, and a baby is born, the 2 humans then grow old and die, while the child continues the cycle. And the cycle just repeats itself over and over again. This is the basic cycle of life.
But what if we could change that? What if, after the human being is born into the “real world” he learns some skills and at an appropriate age he can, through melding with machines, become immortal? The cycle completely changes from there. He no longer has to find a suitable mate for the purpose of procreation, and we are no longer restricted by time, to learn new skills and experience new environments. That’s what I’ll be talking about in this article. Is it possible to conquer death through the melding with machines?
The Human Body
Humans are made up of many vital parts, such as, the brain, the heart, the lungs, the blood, etc… And yet with science and technology improving so quickly, they may soon become non-essential to our continued existence. But before I touch on that I’ll be talking about the purpose of some organs, and our life force. Blood.
Blood
Blood is a specialized bodily fluid in the body that delivers necessary substances to the body's cells, such as nutrients and oxygen, and transports waste products away from those same cells. Based on this definition blood seems like the very thing that we cannot do without. Even the ancients had some idea that blood was important. It held special, specific, religious meaning for some religions. The Aztecs believed that the gods had to have their share of blood, if not the sun would stop rising. Christians saw the Eucharist wine as the blood of Jesus. The Torah says, “Because the life of the animal is in it’s blood.” This shows us how important blood is to the survival of the human body.
Brain
The human brain is, without a doubt, the most complex organ that we have in our entire human body. It is the control center through which we experience the 5 senses. It is the organ that helps us to rationalize, which gives us emotion, and consciousness. It is no wonder that we were born with a thick skull and various membranes around the brain to protect it. The human brain is therefore very essential to continue life as humans.
Heart
The human heart, is the motor of this vehicle we call the human body. It provides constant circulation of our life force, blood, through out the body, even when we are sleeping. This makes it extremely vital to human life, as if you have blood, but no heart, you’d be dead. It’s like a car with fuel, but no engine. No matter how much you step on the accelerator, if you don’t have an engine, the car won’t move. The same applies to the human body. And thus for continued existence, the human body requires a heart.
Lungs
The human lungs are the organs of respiration in our body. We breathe through our nose and the air is sent to the lungs, where the oxygen in the air is diffused in to the countless blood vessels and transported around the body by the heart and our blood. The oxygen is vital for the continued survival of cells and organs in the body. Without oxygen the cells would die, and so would the organs. Lungs are therefore required so that our body can have a constant intake of air.
Digestive System
The digestive system in the human body begins with the mouth and ends with the anus. Food is our source of nourishment and sustenance. Without food we would not get the necessary nutrients needed to develop the human body. But if you have food but no digestive system then it’s equivalent to not having food at all. The digestive system helps to break down food into their base units, and also absorbs them into the blood stream so that blood can carry these vital nutrients to all parts of our body to give us strength and energy to keep on living. Therefore we need the digestive system to survive.
Can we do without them?
Every organ I’ve covered, and not covered in this brief chapter cannot work alone. It is part of a system where one supports the other. But alas all biological matter will deteriorate over time and eventually cease to function. And when one or more of these organs fail, the rest will fail as well. We need these organs to keep us alive, but at the same time, if we do not have them, or if we do not need to rely on them, we can become immortal.
Let’s talk about prosthetic limbs. Prosthetic limbs are an extension of the human body, but are not part of it. They enable the user to manipulate them as if that extension were a part of his body. And better still, the prosthetic limb is not reliant on the heart, lungs, digestive system, and even blood, as it is made up of mechanical parts. It merely relies on the brain which tells it where and how to move. This makes the prosthetic limbs not subject to the deterioration that all biological matter eventually succumbs to. This means, even after the user has passed on, the prosthetic arm will still be useable for future generations. The same applies to prosthetic legs as well.
So can we do without them? I am most certain that 10 to 20 years down the road, at least 60% of the human body can be replaced with mechanical parts that will help enhance our physical capabilities. And I’m not talking about externally only, but internally as well. Certain organs will be replaced by mechanical parts, or completely removed, as by then there will be no need for them. Imagine the benefits this will bring to people who suffer from birth defects, or accidents that require amputation. This would be a great boon to them and to the society in general.
What are the moral implications?
Of course with this advancement in technology, people will be come stronger faster and healthier, but with every new technology, there will always be someone out there using it for purposes other than what it was meant for. For example, the Chinese who discovered and invented gunpowder never intended it to be used as a means of killing. In fact the first use of gunpowder was for fireworks! A peaceful and crowd pleasing pass time. But eventually someone else came along and used it to make cannons. So what I’m trying to say here is that while these advancements in science would help people, others might use it for war. In fact the US army is looking into an exo-suit, a self powered suit that affords the user more strength. Not only that, there are some, especially those from religious groups, who might argue that it is a perversion of the human body which God created, or that we are trying to become gods ourselves. And this kind of argument doesn’t only come from the religious groups, but also from the secular groups. They claim that by replacing our body parts with mechanical parts, we no longer remain humans, but instead become robots. But from my perspective, there is nothing morally wrong with researching and, in the future, implementing such technology into humans. But for what purpose it will be used for, that is the problem that we have to address and solve, to be able to use such technology safely.
Is this possible?
This chapter is certainly divided into 2 parts. In the first part I will answer the possibility of addressing and solving the above-mentioned situation, and in the 2nd part I will talk about it is possible to meld flesh with machine and become immortal.
I do believe that all it takes is some understanding and a little give and take from both parties. Things can be resolved by simple understanding. A lot of times we get into conflicts not because we hate the person but because we don’t understand them. So through dialogue sessions and deep thought and consideration from both sides, I do believe that any moral or ethical questions and/or problems can be addressed and resolved.
As I mentioned above, I do believe that within the next 2 decades, at least 60% of humans can be replaced with machines. Look at how far we’ve come. From wooden stumps at the end of pirates’ legs, to prosthetic arms that was inanimate, to the new prosthetic arms that can be controlled by our own brain now. The transition from a prosthetic arm that was inanimate, to one that can now be controlled by our own brain, was very fast. In fact I would even call it a leap, rather than an evolution. The melding of flesh and machine can become a reality. And within the next century or so every part of the human body will be mechanical, save the brain. For it is the one organic entity that houses our consciousness, our emotion, our thoughts, our feelings and memories. These are things that computers, no matter how advanced, can replicate. But with futurists and scientists looking into something called mind uploading, we can soon store our consciousness and memories into a thumb drive, allowing us to upload it into other computers, or even another brain. This will allow us to keep on switching bodies, allowing us to be immortal.
Why am I so optimistic about this? Because in the last century or so we have seen medical science being pushed to the limits, we have seen the creation of devices that have cured once incurable diseases. We have seen people being given a new lease in life thanks to machines. I for one am ready for this kind of a future.
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