About those Cerebral Implants -- Accelerated Learning Versus Biotech. Or Not... -- AL, Bio, CPS, Mind, Noo, Soc
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Someone on the Imagestream discussion group on Yahoo disputed the idea that a biotech augmentation would necessarily be as powerful as the intelligence-enhancing Image Streaming technique (reviewed here). I felt his remarks deserved a response...
Good points about the value of Image Streaming... Please note, the point of my site isn't to push a particular technology, but to help people become better informed about all aspects of human augmentation -- be it accelerated learning, gene therapy, creativity enhancement, germline engineering, mindtech devices, nootropic drugs and nutrients, and so forth. If there's a thesis behind Future Imperative, it's that the public needs to be informed of its options and of emerging technologies that may in fact change what it means to be human -- and change it far sooner than most people, even enthusiasts, believe possible.
As to your suggestion that Image Streaming might be cheaper and more efficient than any particular biotech enhancement, you may well be correct. But imagine the consequences if a modification such as the aforementioned protein dosing were bestowed upon a group of children who were also taught Image Streaming from an early age. And who also received powerful nootropic nutrients and drugs with no significant side effects. And who also made use of potent mindtech such as floatation tanks. And who were taught many specific ability and creativity-enhancing protocols, such as Borrowed Genius for skills, Beachhead for invention and Improvitaping for musical talent.
The point is that these breakthroughs are potentially so powerful they shouldn't be ignored. Whether or not a specific biotech measure turns its recipients into "superhumans," we can anticipate that augmentations will emerge capable of radically improving human intelligence. And that several of them will be able to work synergistically together, and with other enhancement resources.
Often we discuss each of these options in a vacuum in Western societies, assuming that the real question is just what our country chooses to pursue... or how the U.S. and the E.U. between them choose to react. Unfortunately, there are far more actors in the world capable of employing this research. Even ignoring the U.S., E.U. and G-7, you have South Korea, Taiwan, India, China, Russia, Israel, Pakistan, Singapore, Australia, Brazil, Switzerland, North Korea, Iran, Saudi Arabia, etc. And a host of sizable corporations. And more than a few billionaires and near-billionaires. How long till one of them begins exploring these options? Or before I do? Or someone else on this list?
Remember, even an individual of relatively modest resources could develop this technology by using established augmentations to improve their intelligence and income, and reapplying those assets to acquiring yet further augmentations.
And despite the tendency of the human enhancement field to fragment into competing or self-consumed factions, someone will eventually recognize how many of these options exist, and that most can easily be combined. Poof! There goes the world as we know it. It was nice knowing ya.
Future Imperative
Someone on the Imagestream discussion group on Yahoo disputed the idea that a biotech augmentation would necessarily be as powerful as the intelligence-enhancing Image Streaming technique (reviewed here). I felt his remarks deserved a response...
Good points about the value of Image Streaming... Please note, the point of my site isn't to push a particular technology, but to help people become better informed about all aspects of human augmentation -- be it accelerated learning, gene therapy, creativity enhancement, germline engineering, mindtech devices, nootropic drugs and nutrients, and so forth. If there's a thesis behind Future Imperative, it's that the public needs to be informed of its options and of emerging technologies that may in fact change what it means to be human -- and change it far sooner than most people, even enthusiasts, believe possible.
As to your suggestion that Image Streaming might be cheaper and more efficient than any particular biotech enhancement, you may well be correct. But imagine the consequences if a modification such as the aforementioned protein dosing were bestowed upon a group of children who were also taught Image Streaming from an early age. And who also received powerful nootropic nutrients and drugs with no significant side effects. And who also made use of potent mindtech such as floatation tanks. And who were taught many specific ability and creativity-enhancing protocols, such as Borrowed Genius for skills, Beachhead for invention and Improvitaping for musical talent.
The point is that these breakthroughs are potentially so powerful they shouldn't be ignored. Whether or not a specific biotech measure turns its recipients into "superhumans," we can anticipate that augmentations will emerge capable of radically improving human intelligence. And that several of them will be able to work synergistically together, and with other enhancement resources.
Often we discuss each of these options in a vacuum in Western societies, assuming that the real question is just what our country chooses to pursue... or how the U.S. and the E.U. between them choose to react. Unfortunately, there are far more actors in the world capable of employing this research. Even ignoring the U.S., E.U. and G-7, you have South Korea, Taiwan, India, China, Russia, Israel, Pakistan, Singapore, Australia, Brazil, Switzerland, North Korea, Iran, Saudi Arabia, etc. And a host of sizable corporations. And more than a few billionaires and near-billionaires. How long till one of them begins exploring these options? Or before I do? Or someone else on this list?
Remember, even an individual of relatively modest resources could develop this technology by using established augmentations to improve their intelligence and income, and reapplying those assets to acquiring yet further augmentations.
And despite the tendency of the human enhancement field to fragment into competing or self-consumed factions, someone will eventually recognize how many of these options exist, and that most can easily be combined. Poof! There goes the world as we know it. It was nice knowing ya.
Future Imperative
posted by Ralph Cerchione | Tuesday, October 25, 2005
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