Transfeminism / Transhumanism / 美学 Focus -- general thread

[Bamyasi]

i think one problem i would have with the future where everyone installs nanomachines inside themselves is the extent to which i would be able to trust the machine manufacturers

like, do i trust that my Android phone isn't constantly tracking me? honestly, it wouldn't be too hard for the nsa to be all up in that shit. same thing for apple computers (software backdoors) and gmail accounts (easily monitored).

it doesn't even have to be malicious, you could get Ford Pinto-tier disasters in essential body parts and it would be a lot of suffering if that happened. this gets even worse if you want to tinker around with your brain by implanting processors in there or something.

It's sad yes but you can always trust westerners to adopt the latest technology if it means staying fashionable (synonymous with valuable).

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[bd648]

How the hell did i miss this topic? This is my thing.

FIRST OFF there are a whole number of different subcategories of transhumanism. There's mechanical means which generally implies digital implants in the brain and mechanical prosthesis for the rest of us (everywhere but the brain(basically ghost in the shell prosthetic bodies and brain cases(or the mechanists from Bruce Sterling's shaper/mechanist series))). There's genetic or biological transhumanism which is (as you might expect) genetic modification to improve yourself or your children. (think about something like bioshock or shapers from Bruce Sterling). There's also nanomachines which i know next to nothing about but you can kind of imagine what it's like. (It's nanomachines.)

There are some issues with transhumanism on a societal level because of how it can really easily create a society where there is incredible disparity between those with access to implants and prosthesis and those without access. I have a far greater issue with that then any possible abuses that could come from the producers of the technology.

Personally as you might know i am incredibly crazy about the possibilities of mechanical transhumanism. Seriously I cannot think of something that would be better for the human race in the future than that. I dislike biological transhumanism because of the whole acceptance of eugenics that it would probably create. Nanomachines are alright but i just think that mechanical is waaaaaay cooler. What do you guys think?

[Bamyasi]

There are some issues with transhumanism on a societal level because of how it can really easily create a society where there is incredible disparity between those with access to implants and prosthesis and those without access.

Yeah basically this. Before anyone hops aboard the Transhuman hype train I think this is something they should have to accept. Human augmentation and artificial life extension will only be available to the very very rich. Even if it starts happening in two or three decades, we'll all probably be dead or dying by the time it becomes affordable.

[rtil]

in some crude forms artificial life extension already exists in the form of things like pacemakers, which are generally affordable. it's a far cry from nanomachines flying around your bloodstream repairing your body or whatever, but the future is a lot closer than you'd think

[Bamyasi]

Oh yeah I have no doubt it's close, just that anyone but the elite will be able to afford it, like bd said.

Also MOTY 2015 is streaming on Netflix for anyone interested:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdV1uFwtCpo

It's very much related (there's even a joke about what we're discussing right now).

[Unless]

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Very good.

[Bamyasi]

Let's kiss.

[Dust]

but the future is a lot closer than you'd think

So close and yet so far.

[zwimmy]

Let's kiss.

[ProtoChaud]

Let's kiss.

[Dust]

Wait who is kissing who? I don't know anymore.

[Unless]

[spoiler]

Wait who is kissing who? I don't know anymore.

I had assumed that everybody wanted to kiss me, because I'm sexy and I know it. But I could be wrong. Stranger things have happened at sea, as least so far as I've heard.
[/spoiler]

I dislike biological transhumanism because of the whole acceptance of eugenics that it would probably create.

Can I ask specifically what you mean in this context, and/or what's wrong with this as a concept?

i think one problem i would have with the future where everyone installs nanomachines inside themselves is the extent to which i would be able to trust the machine manufacturers

like, do i trust that my Android phone isn't constantly tracking me? honestly, it wouldn't be too hard for the nsa to be all up in that shit. same thing for apple computers (software backdoors) and gmail accounts (easily monitored).

I like to imagine a future wherein different versions of software and hardware exist which fulfil much of the same goals, and you could opt into something which might be less plainly convenient, but you get much more control. Similar to picking Linux over Mac, which most people decide is far too much trouble. Myself, I like a phone that's known to be wise as opposed to one that likes to think itself smart.

Actually, there's an anime that talks about this topic, a future where everyone has full control over their bodies and memories ((spoiler alert: its a bad future xDDD))

Having machines that so deeply connect with our minds that you could actively control your memories could be neat. I might remove a few things and put them in a recycle bin with notes on each. I could check it whenever I wanted if my curiosity got the better of me, but generally it'd be removed from my head. Suddenly being able to control my memories would probably mean much more functionality with what's going on up there, which would be interesting. I'm not sure that any of it would be largely a good thing, but it's definitely pretty fun to humour, hence the thread. Kicking the patriarchy in the proverbial balls with hypothetically metal feet sounds fun too.

[ProtoChaud]

Wait who is kissing who? I don't know anymore.

Yeah I'm not quite sure how this is gonna work out. If it ends up me and Bam making out in the corner while Zwimmy watches... yeah that doesn't seem too pleasant.

[Bamyasi]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-18Fu3hMz0

If it ends up me and Bam making out in the corner while Zwimmy watches... yeah that doesn't seem too pleasant.

[Unless]

[spoiler]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfsfPTpYGUY
[/spoiler]

[squf]

Do you envision a future where you're a cute cyborg girl with a cute cyborg girlfriend (with a dick maybe)?

No, and you have a form of mental illness if you think women can have dicks.

Do you want to kick the patriarchy in the balls with your cute, powerful, nanomachine-infused legs?

No, and who designs these nano-machine-infused legs? Because I'm certain such designers will have Y chromosomes, and most likely come from Western European or East Asian haplogroups.

Do you want to feel safe wearing a cute skirt wherever you please?

No, but I wouldn't mind if men who wear cute skirts feel unsafe wherever they are.

Do you want to hack into government mainframes and turn their police-bots against them?

No, I want hypothesized police-bots to maintain law and order, as they would be designed to do.

Together let's leave our flesh behind and evolve into something smarter, stronger, faster, and most importantly, cuter.

Try and make me.

--

In the interest of accuracy, I propose you rename this thread to something like "effete fairy tale megathread".

The only country on the planet currently advancing genetic research;
~

just so happens to also be showing resistance to the Feminist mind-plague. Funny how that works out. 

Second point, the first application any sensible person can think of for super-human capable cyborgs is of course a military application. I suppose its no problem at all for you to use the Patriarchy's technological advancements and simultaneously decry such work, since you're doing that already, I just wonder how you arrive at WW3 ending with the establishment of a Feminist utopia.

Thoughts?

[bd648]

I dislike biological transhumanism because of the whole acceptance of eugenics that it would probably create.

Can I ask specifically what you mean in this context, and/or what's wrong with this as a concept?

SURE! I'd love to explain. Basically what i mean by that is when it comes to genetic transhumanism there is the aspect of passing it on to your children and your children's children. What that also means is that you want to avoid any sort of "detrimental" genetic material to be included in the lineage. When i say it lends itself very easily to eugenics i am talking about how it leads to selective breeding within humans, which is something i dislike. i refer to it creating an acceptance of eugenics more because of how it would make people WITH genetic modification feel, not necessarily that it would be accepted in general. I prefer mechanical augmentation because it creates equal ground for everyone, like your children will be perfectly normal humans at first no mater if you are some sort of cyber god or steve, the guy who doesn't like cybernetics (poor steve). At least assuming we are still at the point where we need gametes (which i don't see an issue with).

And to disagree with the post above me, I'd say the first application most people involved in bio-medical engineering or bio-engineering would think is actually medical. And imagine what incredible things that could do for medicine.

[Binary_2]

Have we all woken up from the lewd dream someone had when making this thread?

[rtil]

/pol/ takes the bait

[Unless]

Thoughts?

Yeah, are you okay? You're coming across as just a little bit absolutely livid.

When i say it lends itself very easily to eugenics i am talking about how it leads to selective breeding within humans, which is something i dislike.

I totally get that this is something that generally rubs people the wrong way before they think incredibly hard about it (not to imply that it stops after they do, or that you haven't thought about it). I guess I'm wondering if there's a point in this on which you can put your finger that you specifically dislike. Is part of it a worry that humans don't innately know what would be best for our species, and selective breeding might actually lead to something bad in the long run; or is it more about what sort of world would have to exist in order for a legislation such as this to fall through?

What that also means is that you want to avoid any sort of "detrimental" genetic material to be included in the lineage.

I've inherited a few hereditary things and so has one of my kid brothers, and it's bothersome for me to look and see him struggling in much of the same areas I used to. Conversely my two other siblings are much better off in several regards, and I can't help but feel that any parent, if given the choice, would chose to not have a child that would have difficulty in some key areas where a simple alternative is available.
I understand the reasoning behind pro-life peeps who are upset that potential kids with down syndrome are being aborted in droves because of their condition, but if you have a way of simply choosing whether the child has the condition or not in the first place...

I prefer mechanical augmentation because it creates equal ground for everyone, like your children will be perfectly normal humans at first no mater if you are some sort of cyber god or steve, the guy who doesn't like cybernetics (poor steve).

What about a world where both exist? Genetic modifications of sorts prior to birth are a viable option (for the more wealthy), but physical hardware enhancements are a more common path for people to take?

On another note, I know Steve primarily as the guy as the centre of the galaxy, and also that one hedge that one time.