<p>It’s one of the most interesting concepts we’ve seen in movies and books: humans letting go of their flesh and taking up technology for their bodies. The human body is truly beautiful with its design and structure, especially the biological processes inside of it, but it comes with many drawbacks such as heart failures, cancer cells, organ failures, and all these organs are just trying to support one brain. Would you let a different source of power keep you alive other than food? What if humans gave up eating all together? We would essentially be robots with a human brain. You could lose an arm and reattach it easily, and you could be given more strength via technology than what years of bodybuilding could do. Just think Terminator: become almost indestructible, your physical ability practically limitless, and everything is replaceable/upgradeable. </p>
<p>But then people will ask, what if the power source runs out? You die. Probably it would have to be a hybrid cross incase one runs out, but probably humans would be more prone to favor technology because of the lack of waste products and room for error with the human body. If your liver were to fail for instance, you could take it out instead of waiting helplessly for a transplant (or if you’re Steve Jobs, use your $5.7 billion net worth to get first priority), or better yet, not even have to worry about it. What do you guys think? As soon as humans figure out a way to harness star energy effectively, I think the only biological part that we’ll ever need is our brain. But then you can use Computer Chips to speeden up your brain impulses and capacity to think and grow more neurons. What do you guys think? Would you cheat death by living through a body that some scientist created?</p>
<p>Just a thought: it’s not like this stuff is going to be cheap. It’s the same with cloning; although the technology will eventually be there, it costs some outrageous amount of money that it isn’t practical. </p>
<p>I’d expect simple body parts, such as arms, legs, etc. to be replaced first. Don’t expect to see androids in the next 100 years.</p>
<p>And while computers are intelligent, they’re only machines. They have no emotion. So I’d only want to be part robot if I retain my human emotions and personality.</p>
<p>The human body was perfect before technology. When you **** with nature, you’re going to get problems like cancer and heart failure (radiation, nuclear fallout, fast food, preservatives, cars -> accidents, excessive laziness, no self-sufficiency, etc.).</p>
<p>Why do people praise technology? It only attempts to solve the problems it creates.</p>
<p>What is the purpose of life if we could live forever? Immortality would devalue and debase us, render our lives meaningless.</p>
<p>Humans are too pretentious. We think we can control everything. We think we can make things better, faster, easier, more convenient but in the process we give up our humanity. But no one cares about what it means to be a human anymore because we’re so worked up about technology, about getting and spending. We no longer recognize nature or appreciate its complexity because we’re always trying to modify it.</p>
<p>^Yea that last sentence is the entire point, and sometimes I even question if the soul of a person is rooted in a brain. Lol you could even upload your conscious to a network if your body/robot were to be terminated. Of course that probably won’t happen but I want to see the world make long term cost effective methods for a lot of things. First is energy: have a good network of wind farms in the oceans, wind turbines on coastal areas and mountainous regions where wind level is high, increase solar panel effiency from the 25% we get today to about 50-70. Or just finally perfect nuclear fusion/fission( whatever it’s called that the sun does, bonding helium and hydrogen together). Then just maintain them all and your energy needs for the rest of existence are met because sun/wind are unlimited. Then for healthcare, of course it would take trillions of dollars of research before you’d perfect an android and testing it on people would post a big dilemna, but if you perfect it, then cancer, heart problems, almost health problem goes away. </p>
<p>But the big thing I didn’t mention in my original post is how in the world is a new born baby going to turn into an android? You can’t seriously expect to take apart a new born and expect it to grow as a person emotionally/intellectually. Are we going to have a system where you first have to reach an age of 25 when the brain has completed maturation and then you can transfer your body? And the way I look at it, the outer covering of this android should still appear like human skin. Then what will you do if humans can no longer die because of this android? If 120 people are born each second and 100 people die each second in the world, then all of a sudden you get 200 people born per second in the future, well, we’re going to have to colonize space. This will probably happen in 3000 years at my best guess, lol.</p>
<p>To abbccc, of course people tend to die quicker when they go against nature, but even if someone lives to the strictest law of nature, they’ll eventually die. Telomeres run out before age 30 and you lose part of your DNA each time your cell undergoes mitosis and eventually you lose vital proteins and codes. This is about abandoning the natural part of your body that leads you to your death. The human body is perfect in many ways, but death is the only thing people really wish to avoid. </p>
<p>But immortality seems like the best thing in the world when you’re about to die, it’s hard to say that you don’t want it when you’re living right now. Philosophically, you shouldn’t have it, but biologically, you either want to live immortally or pass on as many genes as possible. But yes I agree that humans are a bit worked up about technology. Sure I love my Phone and my TV, but technology is here to expedite Communication and Transportation. If those 2 things were perfected, well, just imagine what the world would be like. If your android body could possibly jump from New York to Japan within a few seconds by some intricate device in space, of course there will be some negative parts to that privilege, but the possibilities of instant transportation can also cure a lot of current problems in the world today.</p>
<p>^It can keep increasing, but you’ll still always find a way to die somehow. It might be possible if they created a drug that stopped the deterioration of telomores or simply kept adding them. But no matter what, you can’t stop aging. It’s rooted in everyone’s DNA. It’s almost like this</p>
<p>Let’s say that the code AGCTGTC codes for you being able to combat a rare heart problem. You’ll have this strand of DNA</p>
<p>AGCTGTC- Telomere-Telomere-Telomere</p>
<p>After your cell divides enough, that code starts to go away and you’ll be susceptible to heart problems and eventually die. Technology can increase the life span, but it can’t cheat death. Even if your brain is the only living part of your android body, yea you still might have a problem. It’s like as if we all need to trick our bodies into being a 24 year old for the rest of our lives, where our metabolism is always up and our body is always growing in some sense. Otherwise, my main point is that you can’t stop death unless you change your genetics.</p>
<p>I wasn’t trying to say that people live longer without technology. I just meant that technology creates more problems for humans.</p>
<p>Biologically it seems that the goal isn’t to live immortally, but to pass on genes. We expend so much energy in order to reproduce and rear young. Certain species die short after they give birth. Many risk death in order to ensure the survival of genes in offspring/close relatives (altruism). Life revolves around reproduction, not living as long as possible. Humans try to be the exception because we think we are above nature. </p>
<p>Communication and transportation, I believe, is not meant to help people. They are businesses that have one thing in mind: profit. Look at the original railroads. They basically enabled us to expand our markets, spread our influence, and enable robber barons to get richer while exploiting the workers and killing off the Native Americans. Good intentions? No. Pharmaceutical companies are here to help the sick? Wrong. They are probably the most corrupt.</p>
<p>lockn: The human lifespan is increasing, but is that a good thing? Is there any beneficial reason for living longer other than our selfish desire to escape death?</p>
<p>Yes technology makes our minds sort of hectic at times, you have to constantly think/worry about things like phone calls, car traffic, and TV just stresses the mind. Sort of random but it would be awesome if all humans did yoga to calm the mind and good exercise each day to stay fit, then technology wouldn’t be causing as many problems as it does today.</p>
<p>Humans are animals with a soul, and of course that biological part can make people corrupt (greed, pleasure, prostitution), but animals have no conception that they can live immortally, they’re all “hyped up” on natural selection. I think that humans have deviated from this whole idea. Women don’t chose men on purely physical characteristics, so you won’t see any weak people dying off. Some humans don’t care about marriage and don’t pass on genes, which leads you to believe that humans always have the capacity to override the biological cues and instincts. In this android world, everyone on the outside is the same machine (scary to think that you can alter your appearance/face, hopefully government wouldn’t let you change your face when this technology arises). </p>
<p>Yea good point with the whole business idea with those 2 factors. Of course you’d like to think that the ability to interact with the rest of the world on a personal level would be beneficial, but maybe that’s why communism would work if it was implemented correctly: money isn’t the problem then, all issues are government-centered and you just contribute to society by working. If you don’t think about business, then you’ll think about how you can talk to family half way across the world in Asia on video chat via skype, or just talking to random people on forums like this, it truly is revolutionary. If you could hop over to Asia in a minute for personal purposes, that creates tremendous possibilities. </p>
<p>I think as soon as you can alter genetics, then you’ve really nailed this whole issue. If you can tell your body to keep you like a 24 year old that never loses telomeres for your entire life, then you don’t need to be an android to live without health problems. But then if you can alter the genes of people before they’re born, then you’ve really got a bigger issue on your hands. Of course intelligence and the # of brain neurons will vary, but the soul of each person that has a capacity to understand that something is right or wrong will always be there. But yea I’ve typed a lot here and it’s late so I’m going to call it a night.</p>
<p>Living longer is like a religious thing almost. If you’re really religious, then you feel like you’re hurting God more because you’re being sinful the more you live. Of course if I was given a chance to go to heaven or keep living for 50 years, I’d choose heaven, but that’s a rare choice because none of us are told that heaven exists, it’s just the most logical solution, and religion has been around ever since man was born, it’s built into us, which is kind of a good reason to say that there is a super natural force out there that will reward you if you’re good on Earth.</p>
<p>I’d sure like to live longer. Meet more people, understand life better, having intelligent conversations on a regular basis really does make you a more creative person that creates the unique personality that you are. I mean what is our goal in life: nirvana, perfect understanding of nature/life, we’re not talking about reproducing, humans aren’t biologically centered, we’re spiritually centered. ? I’d sure like to live to see the world attain many different things like discovering alien life and whatnot, lol. But even if you do live till you’re 5,000 or something and see the whole world, what is there left to do? As long as you have something in life that you love to do, then you’ll have never worked a day in your life and life will truly be fun every day.</p>
<p>IMO we were meant to advance in technology. I have a belief (well obviously not a concrete one) that there is other intelligent life out there similar to us that have developed in similar manners to us and have achieved far greater levels of technology. </p>
<p>I guess it all comes down to what you believe. Technology is obviously more beneficial to us than detrimental and if you’re really gonna argue that it isn’t then please just take a step back and look at the life you live.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>You state this, your very thesis, as if it were a fact. That’s the problem with your argument. I really don’t think the human body was perfect before technology or is perfect with technology. </p>
<p>I really don’t think we’re naturally acclimated to the earth’s environment. Fortunately, we have intelligence, and that’s what allows us to survive and develop.</p>
<p>Go back to your cave, luddite, and enjoy living having a 20 year lifespan. Technology is what allows you to live today and have your voice be heard. If you’re so concerned about nature, then go live in the woods. Nothing’s stopping you. Yet you’re posting on an INTERNET forum.</p>
<p>“Humans were perfect before technology?” Are you serious? Medical and health technology have increased and will increase lifespans significantly.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>No, that’s a terrible reason.</p>
<p>You’re also assuming that androids will be perfect. Medicine will simply be replaced by IT.</p>
<p>None of this is remotely possible in the near future, so why waste time pretending it is? Live your life and be concerned with what’s possible now / in the near future.</p>
<p>I don’t literally mean that humans were perfect. That is not my thesis. My point is that technology does more harm to us than good. You and I have very different views on what is good and bad, so there’s no way I can convince you of my point. I look at the world philosophically and biologically. I personally believe that what’s good is natural. Whereas you probably believe in convenience, speed, and progress. </p>
<p>Technology removes us from nature and reverses our natural instincts.</p>
<p>Why do we eat when we’re not hungry? Why do we starve ourselves when we are?
Why do we attempt to live forever when our bodies want to stop functioning?
Why are we confined to sit in a chair for 6 hours a day at school when our bodies evolved to move around?
Why do wars kill people before they’re meant to die? Why do machines keep us alive more than we’re meant to live?</p>
<p>To me, these things are more detrimental than the good things that technology produces. Sure it’s easier to communicate, faster to get places, but at a big price.</p>
<p>Why are people so worked up about living forever? This is man’s flaw. It is why we create a heaven; because we cannot accept death.</p>