To be more than human is to be human

[Jeanette X]

Originally Posted by kahljorn

I think what you're saying about being tortured by immortality is more a problem of either consciousness in general (which makes it irrelevant in some ways) or just the general psychology of people -- which can probably be influenced by having computers for brains.

Having computers for brains, in my opinion, transcends the definition of human, as the brain is the seat of conciousness. But that's simply my opinion, I'm sure many people would argue that you remain human.

Well i dont really see the difference if we were human on the outside but elephant on the inside.

If you had an elephant brain in a human body, that would be one thing, but a human brain in a mechanical/cybernetic body is still, in my opinion, human.

furthermore you've said things like, if we were immortal, then society would stagnate and there would be no reproduction; isn't that something non-human?

I suppose it could be. But is that neccessarily something good?

Reproduction is really just a vehicle for survival, immortality renders it useless ;o change/reproduction could occur in other forms by advancements in technology etc. It could get to the point where people are just robots and build other robots or do other things to other robots whatever robots wanna do.

By robots, you mean artifical lifeforms that evolve instead of us?

[kahljorn]

Having computers for brains, in my opinion, transcends the definition of human, as the brain is the seat of conciousness.

yea, I would tend to think so as well.. What about replacing the nervous system or various other organs? Stomach/intestines? NO MORE POOP?

also i dunno if the brain is the seat of consciousness and i don't see over-coming consciousness to be the same thing as over-coming humanity.

If you had an elephant brain in a human body, that would be one thing, but a human brain in a mechanical/cybernetic body is still, in my opinion, human.

Even if it's a highly modified human brain in a highly modified body, huh? Why draw a line of distinction at all between our primate ancestors and ourselves?

And are you saying it is impossible to over-come our humanity as long as we have a brain/other biological organs?

I suppose it could be. But is that neccessarily something good?

Maybe. Is it necessarily something bad? What does goodness have to do with it...

By robots, you mean artifical lifeforms that evolve instead of us?

By robots I mean US if we replaced every organ (or really most of them) in the body including the brain so that we were mostly/entirely mechanical. Like the robots in sirens of titan!

Imagine a society that has been around for trillions of years and over the years of technological development slowly replaced all of it's body parts in order to become immune to diseases and be able to travel in space and gain robot abilities!. This society no longer ever remembers what they looked like as biological life-forms before they started converting to mechanical :O

[Jeanette X]

Originally Posted by kahljorn

yea, I would tend to think so as well.. What about replacing the nervous system or various other organs? Stomach/intestines? NO MORE POOP?

I can live with that.

also i dunno if the brain is the seat of consciousness

Then what is? Your ass?!

and i don't see over-coming consciousness to be the same thing as over-coming humanity.

Then what do you see as overcoming humanity?

And are you saying it is impossible to over-come our humanity as long as we have a brain/other biological organs?

No, I'm saying that it is impossible as long as our conciousness remains ultimately human.

Imagine a society that has been around for trillions of years and over the years of technological development slowly replaced all of it's body parts in order to become immune to diseases and be able to travel in space and gain robot abilities!. This society no longer ever remembers what they looked like as biological life-forms before they started converting to mechanical :O

Why would totally abandoning our biological bodies be so great? I wouldn't mind travelling in space and such, but what's wrong with keeping your flesh and blood?