NationStates Jolt Archive

Given the choice to have yourself modified genetically and/or cybernetically in any way of your choosing, would you?

If so, what would you particularly want?

No. The limitations of being an ordinary human are what make my achievements meaningful. Such modification is just consumerism taken to another level. It doesn't appeal to me.

Yes, there's always room for improvement. I'd take a few extra terabytes of memory, a faster CPU, and maybe increased strength, speed, resistance to injury and illness, and faster recovery time for when I manage to get hurt.

I voted NO, with reservations.
To do the genetic manipulation you must do a complete genetic screening.
I personally have had a couple of heart attacks and have a very strong family disposition towards them. I would love to have my 'old' way of life back, but then, this is what I have been dealt with in life so I live with it. I purposely didn't have children because I didn't want to pass on this predisposition. That is MY way of helping them.
The amount of so called suffering that genetic manipulation that can supposedly relieve has not been tallied. It may cause more trouble than it is supposed to help. I can see people who are excluded from certain jobs that they may excell at due to the possibility that they may not live to their full years or it may cause sickness in them, or to be denied insurance coverage due to their genetic structure. (Isn't insurance to cover you from RISKS???)
The best way for man to go further in evolution is NOT to control it, but to let himself evolve the way that nature wants him to. If it to extinction, then so be it......

Definitely. In fact, I am considering a form of modification, namely a form of LASIC surgery.

Nothing wrong with consumerism, either.

I would provide myself with more intellect with genes.

I wouldn't mind being 50 ft tall, made of Gold and whiz high quality booze on command (of course I would need a cup holder)

Given the choice to have yourself modified genetically and/or cybernetically in any way of your choosing, would you?

If so, what would you particularly want?

Why aren't we content being ourselves? Does genetic modification make us better than before? What do we mean by becoming "better" people? Should we alter our genetics to be better? Or, do we play scapegoat here? Rather than blaming ourselves not to live up our lives properly and try to do our best by being ourselves, we blame our genetics as the thing that makes our lives miserable.

I see modification of humans as an alternative to modification of the environment around us.

If a person wanted to, they could live in the wild, free from ugly cities and boring jobs - they would have no trouble surviving, with more efficient nutrition, greater resilience against temperature extremes and diseases, etc.

Why aren't we content being ourselves? Does genetic modification make us better than before? What do we mean by becoming "better" people? Should we alter our genetics to be better? Or, do we play scapegoat here? Rather than blaming ourselves not to live up our lives properly and try to do our best by being ourselves, we blame our genetics as the thing that makes our lives miserable.

I would still be myself if I didnt have to put a coat on to go outside, thank you very much.

I'd definetly do it, if just to maximise my exp. while still alive.

* Thinks back to the orig. GitS movie *

Why aren't we content being ourselves? Does genetic modification make us better than before? What do we mean by becoming "better" people? Should we alter our genetics to be better? Or, do we play scapegoat here? Rather than blaming ourselves not to live up our lives properly and try to do our best by being ourselves, we blame our genetics as the thing that makes our lives miserable.

My family has predispositions for alzheimers, heart problems, and (for some of us) alcohol abuse. Is it better to keep those traits to possibly pass on to my descendants?

I mean no disrespect for your views, and I do agree that excessive or reckless modification is unwise. But if we can correct hereditary diseases, it is immoral not to intervene. What is really the difference between solving a genetically determined problem by drugs or by genetic intervention?

I'd just take the practical enhancements: disease immunity, cerebral enhancements, and cybernetically heightened senses.

I'm just worried about what we'll do about overpopulation once they isolate the genetic cause of aging and soup up everyones' immune systems and people stop dying of natural causes... I smell genocide... and that's not even taking into consideration the psychos that will clone armys of supersoldiers to erradicate the unenhanced in an effort to create one master race.

Oh, and infared/X-ray vision. That would be pretty cool.

I'd just take the practical enhancements: disease immunity, cerebral enhancements, and cybernetically heightened senses.

I'm just worried about what we'll do about overpopulation once they isolate the genetic cause of aging and soup up everyones' immune systems and people stop dying of natural causes... I smell genocide... and that's not even taking into consideration the psychos that will clone armys of supersoldiers to erradicate the unenhanced in an effort to create one master race.

Oh, and infared/X-ray vision. That would be pretty cool.

Well, there wouldn't be accidental pregnancy if there were cybernetic implants to prevent such things, but as for the rest:

In order of how good (and unlikely) the solution is:

1. People would act responsibly, and not have kids if it would cause overpopulation.
2. People would colonize other planets, thus spreading themselves more thinly.
3. Some kind of computer would control whether or not people could have children, and limit the number of humans on the world.

Cybernetic left arm. That I can tinker with and add custom features to. And code neat little instruction patterns. That would be awesome.

Why aren't we content being ourselves? Does genetic modification make us better than before? What do we mean by becoming "better" people? Should we alter our genetics to be better? Or, do we play scapegoat here? Rather than blaming ourselves not to live up our lives properly and try to do our best by being ourselves, we blame our genetics as the thing that makes our lives miserable.

I suffer from a genetic disease that causes, amoung other things, painful and unsightly tumors to grow under my skin. This does "make my life miserable," and I blame my genetics for it.

Yes, there's always room for improvement. I'd take a few extra terabytes of memory, a faster CPU, and maybe increased strength, speed, resistance to injury and illness, and faster recovery time for when I manage to get hurt.
I already have all that.http://67.18.37.16/html/emoticons/sleep.gif
I am however in need of a weapon to kill the world and everything on it.
that and the One Ring to Rule the All.

People always go for the flamboyant changes. I just want a secret compartment. I'd tell you where, but then it wouldn't be a secret. ;)

I think i voted no.
Your poll sucks.

I think i voted no.
Your poll sucks.

If you clicked the one that said "no" next to it then you voted no.
Your post sucks.

is the procedure 100% safe with no side affects?

if so, then yes, and what I would have done is for me to know.

But let's just say it's always been a dream of mine. :D

I said no for me, but if there was a way to genetically change my kids and my husband so that they would no longer have their auto immune disorders (since it's passed down through genes) I would want them to do that, so that they wouldn't be sick anymore. (if it's 100% safe of course)


EDIT: Oh and if they could make it to where they wouldn't pass the gene to their kids too that would be great, since I was the one who passed the gene to my girls even though I don't have the disease now they have it :(

is the procedure 100% safe with no side affects?

Of course. Or at least as safe as anything else you would do without worrying about.

Of course. Or at least as safe as anything else you would do without worrying about.
oh, then I would do a combo Gene splicing as well as use Nanotechnology.

Machines that regulate metabolism (speeding it up when one has too much fat, slowing it down when one is a bag of bones), purges of DNA that facilitate heart and liver disease, built in cell phones, cameras, and computers, variable geometry tattoos (ie: they can change as often as you want, or disappear entirely if you wish), &c. would all be very useful. Only one I'm on the fence about would be the cell/camera/computer, as it would make us too connected and possibly allow computer viruses to harm human beings. A camera/computer combination would be helpful for police as a black box, though. (Obviously, it can only be viewed after one is dead.)

I want to remove 90% of my body, only to be replaced my cool looking, powerfull cyber-parts!

I would be an all-powerfull, all-awesome cyborg!

One of my arms would be a rocket launcher.

I would alter my DNA to make myself immortal. I would do it without a seconds thought. One of the few things I am really REALLY scared of is death. Anything else, I think I'm happy with what I have got.

I suffer from a genetic disease that causes, amoung other things, painful and unsightly tumors to grow under my skin. This does "make my life miserable," and I blame my genetics for it.
do you blame your parents though? because I passed down a gene for an auto immune disorder to my kids, and I am afraid they will end up blaming me for it.

Frag all that. I want to download my consciousness into a non-organic database, and live forever as a sentient machine.

Voted no. Why? because i want to be liked or appreciated for who i am and what i can do, and not who i want to be or what i want to be able to do *thanks* to human modification

I would want everything. First off I too would want clinical immortality and a few(hundred) terrabytes of data added to my brain. I'd also want to be immune to all diseases and have the ability to survive nearly everything. Leaping extremely high and flight would also be cool, and if we're going cybernetic I would like one of my hands to be a concealable chaingun. If not I'd just like strength enough to rip through any problem in life.

Then once I'm four thousand years old, I can look back on our past society, the one without the god-like cybernetic monstrocities and freakish mutants... and laugh. ;)

I would sell my soul for that ^

I wouldn't modify my brain cybernetically. I wouldn't want to think like a machine.

Anything else is fair game. I wouldn't mind a robotic heart and lungs that can breathe water and such.

Unsure

I wouldn't mind a "matrix-like" modification. Of course something like that would take some getting used to in order to avoid one's normal limitations.

I'd be an intelligence-enhanced posthuman upload like that. We've only got until the 20s or 30s before Moore's Law predicts we can store the information of a human brain, and brain-machine links of various types and degrees will be available before that. Why be a limited, low-intelligence, biology-based tool-using monkey when you can be a digital god? I'm counting down the days....

the whole shebang. bigger, better, faster cpu. and i wanna live off air like an air plant. and be able to type notes into my left arm.. hell, dictate. and breathing underwater would be cool. and flying. and i hope this is cheap 'cause there's a whole lot more..

I would make myself into a living GOD if I had the chance.

I would make myself into a living GOD if I had the chance.

I wouldn't recommend it. Such a thing would require infinite compassion. With your mind constantly being on the welfare of others, one would have no thoughts of self, which would pretty much defeat the purpose. It's really tough to gloat if one never thinks about the thing one wants to gloat about.

I wouldn't recommend it. Such a thing would require infinite compassion. With your mind constantly being on the welfare of others, one would have no thoughts of self, which would pretty much defeat the purpose. It's really tough to gloat if one never thinks about the thing one wants to gloat about.
That would only happen if Strasse wanted to be what Christians describe as God, which I doubt.

I'd guess that what Strasse is going for is being a God not for others, but for himself.

I'd simply want something which would succesfully combat ageing. A 'youth gene' or something. After that, I'd have all the time in the world to decide on other modifications. :)

Well, off the bat it would all have to be deltaware. Screw the costs, this is me they're talking about. A class C Synaptic Booster, linked up with a Class C Neural Booster. Rating 4 Bone Density is an absolute given. Rating 4 Muscle Toners and Augs are included, along with a Superthyroid gland. Throw that in with a Simrig, Cybereyes and Cyberears, and a head Commlink, and you're good to go.

I'm planning on persuing a career in Neuroscience to make you guys dreams come true. Currently we're not able to bridge the gap seperating electrical signals in the brain that usually travel down nerves into muscles and electricity we can use to run motors in a mechanical arm. Once that goal becomes a reality, if you lost a limb you'd be able to replace it with something with almost the exact same functioning and with plenty of perks. A few decades later a mechanical arm will be able to do everything ahuman arm can and much much more. People will be lining up in droves to get theirs.

One issue is, as someone mentioned before, that only some will be able to afford these improvements and the people who can't will be blocked out of certain jobs and opportunities. The whole American-dream, rise-on-your-own-merits idea will go down the crapper. How could you possibly hire a pilot without bionic eyes if he's only going to see half as well as a cyborg? Why in the world would you want to marry a guy that hadn't gotten an upgrade in his pants? I can see technology in the future significantly widening the gap between rich and poor.

I wouldn't recommend it. Such a thing would require infinite compassion. With your mind constantly being on the welfare of others, one would have no thoughts of self, which would pretty much defeat the purpose. It's really tough to gloat if one never thinks about the thing one wants to gloat about.


I wouldnt be the type of god that the 3 religons keep mentioning.

Complete cyborg ftw.

However, I wouldn't make my brain cybernetic. The thought of people hacking into me isn't pleasing.

I'm planning on persuing a career in Neuroscience to make you guys dreams come true. Currently we're not able to bridge the gap seperating electrical signals in the brain that usually travel down nerves into muscles and electricity we can use to run motors in a mechanical arm. Once that goal becomes a reality, if you lost a limb you'd be able to replace it with something with almost the exact same functioning and with plenty of perks. A few decades later a mechanical arm will be able to do everything ahuman arm can and much much more. People will be lining up in droves to get theirs.

One issue is, as someone mentioned before, that only some will be able to afford these improvements and the people who can't will be blocked out of certain jobs and opportunities. The whole American-dream, rise-on-your-own-merits idea will go down the crapper. How could you possibly hire a pilot without bionic eyes if he's only going to see half as well as a cyborg? Why in the world would you want to marry a guy that hadn't gotten an upgrade in his pants? I can see technology in the future significantly widening the gap between rich and poor.

It's true that only some will be capable to afford all this. Still, I can imagine rich people picking (for example) gifted pilots, and giving them fancy eyes and such.

The upgrades in the pants... oh my. My fellow males will yet again skip learning how to please their women.

I wouldn't recommend it. Such a thing would require infinite compassion. With your mind constantly being on the welfare of others, one would have no thoughts of self, which would pretty much defeat the purpose. It's really tough to gloat if one never thinks about the thing one wants to gloat about.

Why? You're assuming that a god is by definition just like the Christian iteration of same. In reality, a god is hugely more likely to be an inhuman being with no motivation to do anything in particular, except find and do things that interest it/keep it interested. One day it rules the world as a god-emperor, next it goes on a killing rampage for the sake of fun destruction, next it saves people's lives and lives with the poor. Compassion has nothing necessarily to do with its mentality.

i would want more intelligence, sometimes it feels like i cant learn anymore material from profs, labs, personal research......

maybe super crazy binocular vision, like eagles and other bird of prey have evolved.


well i dont have a problem pleasing my wife multiple times, everytime... but all guys would want a bigger $%$%$.

Meh, what I want more is a chance to use what I've got.

Meh, what I want more is a chance to use what I've got.
They'll have an upgrade for that.

I would, but only peaceful, pacifist modifications such as hair colour and growth (I'd like long straight blonde please) and intelligence-boosting implants.

The "in the pants" upgrade will present a problem all of it's own ... you'll only be able to have sex with someone who has the same format as you :rolleyes:

"I really like this girl, but I'm Sony and she's Toshiba" *sigh*

I wouldnt be the type of god that the 3 religons keep mentioning.

In that case, it would be best to explain your idea of god in terms of attributes so we can all be going off the same concept.

i'm 38 and i beginning to realize my own mortality... i'd take those modifications the restored and maintained youthful health and strength for as long as i could have them. i'd also take more intelligence and maybe even improved mental health, as well as physical strength and agility.

I've thought of some more superficial modifications - hair that can change its own colour whenever you want it to. Same for eyes.

Why aren't we content being ourselves? Does genetic modification make us better than before? What do we mean by becoming "better" people? Should we alter our genetics to be better? Or, do we play scapegoat here? Rather than blaming ourselves not to live up our lives properly and try to do our best by being ourselves, we blame our genetics as the thing that makes our lives miserable.

You obviously don't have a physical handicap.

Get my vision on avg level, new freckle-less skin, improved intelligence (I suck in some regards of it), better memory, nothing fancy!

I've thought of some more superficial modifications - hair that can change its own colour whenever you want it to. Same for eyes.
This may sound extremely strange and discriminatory, but I wish I'd been an albino.

If so, what would you particularly want?


i believe i speak for just about every male in here when i say i'd go under the knife for a penile overhaul, if i chose to partake of said cyber-surgery.

hehe

"hung like a horse" would be fairly common and accurate. hehe

I'd fix what nature broke so I don't have to take my meds any more. :(

No. The limitations of being an ordinary human are what make my achievements meaningful. Such modification is just consumerism taken to another level. It doesn't appeal to me.

While I agree with this statement, I'm physically disabled. I don't appreciate external help, but I've always imagined what it'd be like if I could actually use both arms.

Genetic engineering, as appealing as it sounds, can lead to so many problems. With a huge chunk of the population improving themselves, people who aren't genetically enhanced, particularly those with disabilities, might have to really struggle to get by in life.

I noticed that several people wanted immortality or extended life. Our planet is overpopulated already; imagine how bad it would be with people living forever.

Some might say that genetic engineering is okay if only used to correct illnesses or disabilities, and not to "perfect" the average person. But the companies doing this will want more money and likely will have a very loose definition of "diseases". As it becomes more popular, parents will want their children enhanced with more intelligence, creativity, humor, strength, whatever, just so that they are not genetically disadvantaged compared to the engineered children. I agree with the other people who said it would widen the gap between social classes even more; eventually, the poorer and "natural" people could even become a separate race from the richer and "enhanced" people.

I'm not against genetic engineering--it's amazing technology--I'm just against people using it unwisely.

At the risk of sounding like a nerd (OH NO!), Star Trek: DS9 dealt with the problem of genetic engineering. I like Star Trek. I am now out of the nerd closet. The weed in there was sooooo good, though.

Genetic engineering, as appealing as it sounds, can lead to so many problems. With a huge chunk of the population improving themselves, people who aren't genetically enhanced, particularly those with disabilities, might have to really struggle to get by in life.

I noticed that several people wanted immortality or extended life. Our planet is overpopulated already; imagine how bad it would be with people living forever.

Some might say that genetic engineering is okay if only used to correct illnesses or disabilities, and not to "perfect" the average person. But the companies doing this will want more money and likely will have a very loose definition of "diseases". As it becomes more popular, parents will want their children enhanced with more intelligence, creativity, humor, strength, whatever, just so that they are not genetically disadvantaged compared to the engineered children. I agree with the other people who said it would widen the gap between social classes even more; eventually, the poorer and "natural" people could even become a separate race from the richer and "enhanced" people.

I'm not against genetic engineering--it's amazing technology--I'm just against people using it unwisely.

I fully agree with you that genetic engineering will be misused. Almost every technology has been used, somehow, to kill or oppress, and that the social differences will logically be worsened.

However, it's my belief that the pros still outweigh the cons here, even though I am convinced that it will be used unwisely by some.

Whats wrong with super children? Smarter kids will make the future advance quicker. You owe it to your children.

My JAFJNHAGPG}WSG

GWGwS

gee whiz, i am an iaeoyhk americanionin

i musunturdent peopl!

:sniper: :sniper:

Whats wrong with super children? Smarter kids will make the future advance quicker. You owe it to your children.

:eek: You're right! We should pass it into law that immediately following conception, the fetus-to-be gets altered so that all its faults can be erradicated.... you know, when genetic manipulation becomes a widely practiced... practice.

Even better, we should learn how to create life from scratch so we can determne what qualities to give the 'child'.

I'm actually seriously considering having my arm removed and replaced with one of these babies (http://www.physorg.com/news8527.html), at least once they perfect the technology. Hell, if they perfect it, why not even replace your entire body? Would be great! Stronger, faster, and full sensorium. Never have to work out again!

Well, I've always preferred cybernetics than genetics, but I'd like the latter to enhance immunologic system or gain immunity from poisons. I'd also like to assimilate atmospheric nitrogen like certain species of bacteria. My use of cybernetics would be to allow me seeing in infra-red and ultra-violet, and cyber-arms sound interesting too (especially with hidden blades/tools/etc. included).

Yes, I'd want to change myself in some ways. I want a photographic memory and perfect pitch.

Yes, I'd want to change myself in some ways. I want a photographic memory and perfect pitch.

I don't know about a photographic memory, but perfect pitch can be developed with enough hard work.

I'll take a set of these.
http://www.transfiguretoys.com/images/takara/TFKT03.jpg

I don't know about a photographic memory, but perfect pitch can be developed with enough hard work.

Yes, but I'm lazy.

Yes, but I'm lazy.

That's understandable. Hell, it would seem that the whole motivation behind this thread (and I could be so horrificly wrong) is laziness.

Hmm. Well, my shopping list is fairly extensive...

Longevity upgrades

No more aging

Bones removed and replaced with titanium or something cool like that

Disease resistance

Poison immunities

Regeneration of the few organic bits I'll have left

Nervous System

Upgraded memory, processing power, reaction times

Input socket/ broadband for downloading stuff like language add-ons and porn

Bionic ears- enhanced hearing range, sensitivity, and perfect pitch

Bionic nose- enhanced sensitivity, and ability to fliter out smells I don't like

Bionic eyes, capable of recording in incredible quality video and still images, with playback function, infra-red vision, night vision, x-ray vision, colour changers (including red and active camouflage for awesome scaring potential)

On/off synaesthesia switch

EMP shielding

Body

Sculpted physique :p

Bionic heart, with increased pumping power and capacity

Bionic lungs, with increased capacity, gas exchange rate, and resistance to inhalation of harmful materials

Metabolism regulators (no more beer gut)

Fibre-bundle muscles

Arms

Fibre-bundle muscles (for picking up cars, cracking open bunkers etc.)

Super-precise, super-strong bionic hands

Awesome retractable blades a la Wolverine

Legs

Fibre-bundle muscles

Hydraulics

"Intimate stuff" :fluffle:

Size-regulating member- shrinks down incredibly small for storage (and preventing people noticing embarassing public erections), and can grow large enough to bone Godzilla

Bionic tongue muscles ;)

Cool Extras, Toys, and Shiny Things

Bionic adrenal gland

Body-odour removers

ACME Super-Cyborg lable somewhere unobtrusive


In case you didn't realise, I want to be a cyborg and welcome in this new age of bionic replacement. :p

Yes, there's always room for improvement. I'd take a few extra terabytes of memory, a faster CPU, and maybe increased strength, speed, resistance to injury and illness, and faster recovery time for when I manage to get hurt.
This all sounds good though I would also take some improved vision, if possible.

I can think of one thing I’d *ahem* enhance.;)

Yes, there's always room for improvement. I'd take a few extra terabytes of memory, a faster CPU, and maybe increased strength, speed, resistance to injury and illness, and faster recovery time for when I manage to get hurt.In other words, you'd like to be me:D .

Ugh, think about it. Designer Clothes, foods, and possibly babies. :rolleyes:

I'd be all over having faster healing, and faster reflexes. Strength, in opinion, is something earned, not just given out on a silver platter.

:eek: You're right! We should pass it into law that immediately following conception, the fetus-to-be gets altered so that all its faults can be erradicated.... you know, when genetic manipulation becomes a widely practiced... practice.

Even better, we should learn how to create life from scratch so we can determne what qualities to give the 'child'.

Of course! We're obligated to. Personally I'd like my kid to glow in the dark like those jellyfish genes they put in commercial fish to cell as pets. Get rid of all the disease and crap, increase their possible memory... Its all good.

Note: I know that was sarcasm.

Yes! This fleshy body is no use to me. All it does is hold me back. So, I'd go for the cybernetic modification, because I'd be like the Terminator! Or, if I had to settle with Genetic modification, I'd make it so that Humans can harness Hydrogen. Just by-pass plants altogether.