Poll: Human Augmentations. Your Stance?

[Canadamus Prime]

First of all, I don't think the trailer is necessarily being presented as propaganda against the augmentations themselves, but more against the corporation that's handing out the augmentations. After all said corporation seems to have a monopoly and also seems that their augmentations require users to use a highly addictive drug. I imagine the hypothetical protest group would be less against the augmentations if it wasn't for the whole drug thing and if there were more companies handing them out. ...well that and if people weren't replacing perfectly healthy limbs with augmentations.

Anyway, as for my opinion of augmentations, well both my parents have worn out joints, my Dad has had both his knees replaced and my Mom has had one replaced and is looking at getting the other. Both of them would love to have back the mobility and range they once had when they were younger. So it occurs to me if some sort of mechanical joints could replace the aging decrepit joints of people in my parents position then I'd be all for that.
Although replacing perfectly healthy limbs with augmentations seems stupid to me.

 

[Xanadu84]

Sure, its always a good idea to get more plasmids, I mean augmentations.

The tone of this trailer really, really reminds me of a Bioshock, Splicer kind of dynamic. Unregulated and on the open market, people need them to remain competitive, to terrible consequences. It should be interesting to compare them.

 

[BleedingPride]

well this brings me to nano bots. im okay with human augmentation as long as we keep what makes us human, i.e. emotions, all five senses our minds etc. If science says we can reverse the effects of aging to make you look and feel younger as you age by all means its okay with me.

A short extract from Aaron Diaz's A Thinking Ape?s Critique of Trans-Simianism [http://dresdencodak.com/2009/05/15/a-thinking-apes-critique-of-trans-simianism-repost/]:

Klomp predicts that through a technology called ?hygiene? we could extend the simian lifespan well into the late 20s or possibly 30s. What exactly will the post-simian do with all that time? Do we really want to live in a society populated by geriatric 27- year- olds? In living so long and spending so much time ?thinking,? do we not also run the risk of becoming a cold, passionless race incapable of experiencing our two emotions (fear and not fear)? How much of our simianity are we willing to sacrifice for this notion of progress?

I'd advise you read the whole thing, it's very well put together and does a very effective critique of "We must keep what keeps us human!". I don't know about you, but, as a post-simian, I quite enjoy having more emotions than fear and not fear

thats a very good point, but i still hold my opinion. although i did not mean expand the human life, i said reverse the physical effects of aging, so that we would still die at say 90 or something and still LOOK younger.

 

[DustyDrB]

Can it give me a better knee than this POS that's screwing up my running routine right now?

Yes? Gimme gimme gimme

 

[McNinja]

I would sign up in an INSTANT.

Well, the INSTANT after reading the EULA and the Term and conditions, then passing them to a lawyer fixing what I thought was wrong, then reading it again.

 

[Sacman]

I think augmentation is a good, thing it brings human beings into a higher state of existence closer to being able to transcend it's physical form and onto a higher state of consciousness...<.<

 

[phantasmalWordsmith]

I don't think stuff like super strength, invisibility, hidden weapons or whatever should be allowed except for military and law enforcement use but more smaller stuff should be allowed for the public. Actual use as limb replacements, sure but no uber strength, just normal robot arms.

However something small like an eye implant (Like Jeremiah Gottswald from Code Geass) that can be used to connect to the internet or something useful like that but not something that could be used as a weapon.

 

[Stephen O'Hagan]

i'm already taking regular doses of immuno-suppressants due to my illness, so why not give me some night vision and super strength to go with that. i could live with being a demi-superhero.

 

[The Lugz]

So Deus Ex: Human Revolution is coming and the coming of it has sparked a debate between me and my friends, a debate about the crux of the games story, Augmentations.
Now we are currently judging [a href="http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/trailers/3755-Deus-Ex-Human-Revolution-Purity-First"] off this trailer[/a].
Now this is obviously anti-aug propaganda but it seems to tell us most about the augmentations until the game arrives, in this debate though I remain neutral but I want to hear your stance.
EDIT: Thread ate my poll

anyone that wears a watch, glasses, clothes, eats engineered foods, uses microscopic particles to clean themselves is altering the way their body functions, hopefully for a net gain in more minor ways than the deus fiction, of-corse but we improve ourselves all the time, it's just a matter of time until hardcore surgery is commonplace to replace anything less than perfect, or simply to upgrade ourselves for high stress environments
i don't see a problem, unless those augmentations steal our humanity altogether
( make us unable to reproduce, think for ourselves ect )
i think the borg from startrek are what we will look like in a few thousand year's time, except in a far more slick way

 

[RatRace123]

I will not be satisfied until I have replaced all of my body parts with awesome cybernetic ones.
At the very least, I want to be able to shoot stuff out of my eyes.

 

[IceStar100]

Their a movie out there by robin williams where hes a robot.

The second people can live outside the normal 100 years give or take they will become sub human becuase there will always be more people who can't or won't have mech limbs. So it would be small like they can't vote or whatever.

Then people will become jelous and not offer jobs or let you in the restraunt tell there 3 class citizen with no rights. What that you where mugged. You got a robo arm defend yourself. What that you hurt the none arg human mugger with your robo arm. Throw him in prison and throw the book at him for assult with a deadly weapon.

So no I would not becuase life is hard enough with out being treat like less then human. Unless I can download my brain and live forever then screw it all you meats will die and I won't so I can deal with it.

 

[Irony's Acolyte]

I'm of the mind-set of "let's get me beyond the limits of this puny meat-sack and onto the level of transhumans". So yeah, I'm all for augmentation. Plus it isn't like it isn't already around and common. Synthetic hearts anyone?

Sure the business running it could be a problem, but that's why you don't let monopolies happen. Because then it's so much easier for them to get away with corrupt practices.

 

[Krinku]

I would think reality would play out a bit like Deus Ex EVENTUALLY(Someone like Page would eventually try to make himself god of this world by augmenting himself to supremacy). But looking at all the benefits I would say yes.

 

[Ruedyn]

I would enter sooo many arm wrestling competitions...

OT: yes, but with the government keeping an eye on the corporations at all times, wouldn't want some rich prick creating an army of flexible robo-cops.

 

[Alcamonic]

Tricky question. As much as I am for human evolution, with these kinds of nasty side-effects I rather not go with it.
As others have said about nano-agu (I havn't played any Deus Ex game, so I'm just guessing) about it improving your biological body, or wearing it like a skin over your own skin. Now that seems rather nice, as long as the little buggers do their job!

This thread remind me of a special Ghost in the Shell line, "Fuck! He hacked my eyes!".

 

[Korolev]

I have no philosophical problems with human augmentation. I have practical concerns (i.e Rich people gaining abilities to crush those who can't afford augs), but if someone said to me "Hey, you want a FUTURE EYE!" I'm not turning it down, provided it has been shown to be moderately safe.

I'm not religious, so I don't have any religious objections to modifying the human body, so long as it is purely voluntary.

However, will it remain purely voluntary? Augs will make some people more suited for jobs than non-augmented people. Imagine if you have to choose between two candidates for a police job: One is a stock-standard human being, and the other has FUTURE ARMS which will allow him or her to catapult hippies and protesters 50 feet into the air with a single punch, FUTURE STYLE! Honestly, who are you going to hire? If augs aren't given to anyone who wants/needs them, you're going to create a world in which those who can be augmented will have better job prospects and more abilities than those who aren't or can't be augmented. This might force those who can't really afford it, or who don't really want it, to take out massive loans or undergo the procedure less-than-willingly.

But that's a practical concern, and you might be able to find solutions to such concerns. So long as augmentations were properly controlled and available to most people, then I see no inherent problems with them. Frankly, I'm not too attached to my own body.

 

[Ben Simon]

I think I would wait until augmentations were widespread enough that I could have a few choices of which company to buy from. It would minimize the chance of becoming an evil corporate cyborg. Also, augmentations would ruin sports. A shame, but worth it in the long run.

 

[Filiecs]

I'm all for enhancements, but when they start messing with my head then no way no how.
It's their own choice, but at what point do they choose to give up their free will and essentially their life? For those kinds of human augmentations that require an addictive drug and can control the brain I would suggest that people be required to see a psychiatrist for a month or two before making the decision.

 

[prince_xedar]

I think Augmentations have the ability to be great for people who have lost limbs in things like war, or shark attack, but i dont think they should be readily available

i remember someone talking about how we are trying to make ourselves robotic, while making robots more human. Before too long they will be us and we will be them

 

[Dusk17]

It sounds like a good idea until you really think about it. With our current technology, by the time you buy a new computer and take it home it is ALREADY OBSOLETE now imagine that computer is a body part. Next think of the cost, such a machine will cost well beyond what the vast majority will be able to afford. So basically cybernetics, transhumansism, and human augmentation is just another way of saying that in the future it will be even more awesome to be rich.