Anthropomorphism in Reality

[Machati]

There are benefits you know... They are at the very least studying sharks and alligators to help find ways to cure diseases in mankind. Alligators (and species of the like) for example have extreme resistance to disease and infection. They can live in the crummiest of waters and get their limbs ripped off and not get an infection.
From what I understand they're looking at sharks to understand something about preventing cancer but I don't know as much about that stuff.

So yeah, anthro or not, there ARE benefits to bringing things of other animals into ourselves. I doubt they'd be as cutesy wootsy as people draw furries however. I can't imagine us finding use in becoming hybrids with chipmunks, foxes or wolves.

And people who say it would be "inhumane" should go be quiet in the corner if they think breeding hybrids is more inhumane than say boiling pigs alive for the slaughter because it gets the hair off quicker. Sorry but seriously, breeding hybrids would be far from the most inhumane thing we've done to animals xD;

 

[Dalek Caan]

How far would this go? Would it be physical so that we look like an animal-human hybrid or would it be we retain are human features but have animal abilities? Could we regrow limbs like certain lizards?

 

[Navvan]

It depends on what they were created for and what you mean by your statement. If it is started from an embryo then I would see two reasons for it. If for a cheap source of labor/slavery then I'd be against it. If it was creating a sentient being I wouldn't mind so long as they were treated with the same rights as every human being is.

If its just a cosmetic/genetic/whatever change for the human involved and it was voluntary then I wouldn't mind the same way I currently don't mind if people have cosmetic surgery now.

 

[HiReception]

Can I just say, this has put my perspective of watching cartoons into a whole different stratosphere?

Instead of simply thinking of a world where animals evolved from humans and maintained several of their qualities, and not the other way around, what if the story revolved around a parallel universe where this kind of voluntary interspecies gene-splicing were an option? This would mean that the seemingly half-human animal characters (Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny, Minerva Mink, etc.) weren't just different forms of their own species, but were half-human by design?

This would certainly explain why, when compared to other ducks in the Warner Bros franchise, Daffy Duck seems more human than the rest, or how rabbits and rabbit hunters can communicate with each other (that the hybrids maintained their vocal abilities etc.), and perhaps the characters of the past, with black-and-white bodies and less detail, were prototypical tests of the hybrid system.

And no, you're not the only one thinking "What the crap is he on about?!" This is the kind of thing that gets me weird looks, even in an Animaniacs fan club.

 

[Findlebob]

i'd bow before our new masters.

 

[FrostyChick]

I see no practical applications of human/animal hybrids, at least nothing that couldn't be achieved through much more effective alternative methods.
Cosmetic surgeries would be a flat no from me, anthro art creeps me out. I will tolerate people who like that, so long as they respect the fact I will NEVER get into that. But IRL anthros? Don't expect flowers, kindness and acceptance from me.

 

[OneOfTheMichael's]

Already made a thread just like this not to long ago.
Same answer:
Would not give a F**k

 

[Dexiro]

I'd be pretty pissed - that's a massive ethics violation.

in what way? just curious

Creating an intelligent human-animal hybrid is cruel to (and violates the rights of) said hybrid. That's some Island of Dr. Moreau or Fullmetal Alchemist shit, man.

I like how you're referring to fictional material to prove your point.

Yes animal hybrids could potentially go wrong and by cruel to the hybrid, but lets assume for a second that real world scientists aren't assholes who would make sure they did the job properly and ethically.

 

[Sicram]

As many have already said; Unethical issues, rampant racism, better things to discover (quantum gates) and Why?

One thing many seem to forget with all their rose vision of furries is that... YOU DON'T GET FRAKKING BETTER! "Added strenght, speed bla bla bla" my buttocks. Sure, it'd be fun having a cheetahs' muslce fibers in my legs (I love those big cats!) but if I'd also want to run 120 km/h I'd have to get that flexible spine, change my arms inte front legs and whatnot, but I digress. My point is that even if I got the muscle fibres I'd get tired in my legs faster due to how energy is handled and also that my legs would still be human. I wouldn't had gotten any better, I only would've gotten different.

How about eagle eyed vision? Well, their eyes have two "viewspots" and they have to angle their heads' and eyes to get that "supah vizion of aaaaawezum!!!". Sure, the reptillian ability to regrow limbs would be nice (which apparently we have anyway it's just "locked") but you won't magically get added strength. Want to be stronger? Work out. Want to be faster? Work out. How do you think the animals are that strong and fast? Because THEIR LIVES DEPEND ON IT! Even with ramped up muscles and laments in human legs one will never be as fast as a regular dog. To have the strength of a bear one could get modified to be as big as a bear but one would need to use those muscles every day too keep that strength. Want cat eyes? Well, get used to not seeing much color ever again because their ability to see in the dark depends on a reflexive surface on the back of their eyes to rebounce that light and get to see everything a "second" time. This takes up (and/or blocks, don't remember) the cells that can take in color.

Humans aren't supah dupah in anything because we are made to be a jack of all trades. People should look up biology, anatomy and so forth BEFORE they start having fantasies about being an imaginary super being. Although granted, a tail would be fun to have but, you'd have to cut holes in clothes and it'd get uncomfy real quick to sit down. Also, what about just getting fur? Well, want to know how people look with fur? Well, something like this [http://blogg.keendra.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/wolfman-2009.jpg], and that's only a medium case. Also, humans don't have fur for various reasons, some of them being hygenic and some temperature related.

At any rate, unnecessary in almost every single case and people should get real. Also, severe testing on animals is just sadistic. [/wannabe scientist rage: off]

 

[Kahunaburger]

I'd be pretty pissed - that's a massive ethics violation.

in what way? just curious

Creating an intelligent human-animal hybrid is cruel to (and violates the rights of) said hybrid. That's some Island of Dr. Moreau or Fullmetal Alchemist shit, man.

I like how you're referring to fictional material to prove your point.

Yes animal hybrids could potentially go wrong and by cruel to the hybrid, but lets assume for a second that real world scientists aren't assholes who would make sure they did the job properly and ethically.

There's no ethical way to genetically engineer a sapient creature that's gonna face significant medical issues. That's a pretty severe violation of bioethics.

 

[Durgiun]

''I'm so gonna pay a furry hooker, get my friend drunk and have him have sex with her.''

My friend is a furry-hater so it would be a laugh riot for me.

Ahah yes. Get someone drunk so they agree to something they would not consent to were they sober. Haha. Oh wait

Spoiler

Sorry, I just have a very immature and somewhat sick sense of humour. That and I live by the Trope of Vitriolic Best Buds.

 

[Stammer]

I'll admit that I find some anthropomorphs cute, but I think in real life it would just be weird.

I'd much sooner ask the scientists to clone me a woman who was perfect to my own personal standards than to clone me a woman with cat ears and a tail.

But in reality I'm not super comfortable even with something like that.

 

[Varrdy]

Despite being a very un-furry furry, I have to admit that I would relish the prospect of becoming my fursona...because he's better than me in pretty much every department.

Wardy

 

[Dexiro]

I'd be pretty pissed - that's a massive ethics violation.

in what way? just curious

Creating an intelligent human-animal hybrid is cruel to (and violates the rights of) said hybrid. That's some Island of Dr. Moreau or Fullmetal Alchemist shit, man.

I like how you're referring to fictional material to prove your point.

Yes animal hybrids could potentially go wrong and by cruel to the hybrid, but lets assume for a second that real world scientists aren't assholes who would make sure they did the job properly and ethically.

There's no ethical way to genetically engineer a sapient creature that's gonna face significant medical issues. That's a pretty severe violation of bioethics.

But if it ever were to happen it would be done ethically. Maybe in 100 years time we will have mastered genetics and we can create any creature we want with confidence that the outcome will be expected and entirely ethical.

There's no problem discussing the worst case scenario, in which hybrids are obtained through gruesome an unethical experimentation, but you discussed this as if it was the only possible scenario and we have no way of knowing that.

Edit: Actually I just reread OP's post and noticed he mentioned surgery, in that case I agree with you it's unethical. I assumed he was talking about creating hybrids through genetics.

 

[Kahunaburger]

I'd be pretty pissed - that's a massive ethics violation.

in what way? just curious

Creating an intelligent human-animal hybrid is cruel to (and violates the rights of) said hybrid. That's some Island of Dr. Moreau or Fullmetal Alchemist shit, man.

I like how you're referring to fictional material to prove your point.

Yes animal hybrids could potentially go wrong and by cruel to the hybrid, but lets assume for a second that real world scientists aren't assholes who would make sure they did the job properly and ethically.

There's no ethical way to genetically engineer a sapient creature that's gonna face significant medical issues. That's a pretty severe violation of bioethics.

But if it ever were to happen it would be done ethically. Maybe in 100 years time we will have mastered genetics and we can create any creature we want with confidence that the outcome will be expected and entirely ethical.

There's no problem discussing the worst case scenario, in which hybrids are obtained through gruesome an unethical experimentation, but you discussed this as if it was the only possible scenario and we have no way of knowing that.

Edit: Actually I just reread OP's post and noticed he mentioned surgery, in that case I agree with you it's unethical. I assumed he was talking about creating hybrids through genetics.

But even with genetics, it's unethical to expose a sentient creature to unknown medical risks. Even cloning of intelligent creatures violates bioethics.