Deus Ex: Human Revolution got me thinking about this. Now, I don't believe Deus Ex's story completely because most of it revolves around the Illuminati existing, which they don't in real life, at least in the sense that Deus Ex portrays them. But it still raises an interesting question about the future of mankind's evolutionary progress.
Both medicine and technology are progressing fairly rapidly, to the point where the two things I asked about are reasonable futures within the next few centuries or maybe sooner. But which would you rather have happen?
Would you want to be able to live forever (or at least a very long time), free from disease and sickness, eternally young, but still able to sleep, eat, belch, etc?
Or would you want a robotic body, with your mind intact, without human needs or the satisfaction that comes with fulfilling them? Would you sacrifice the feeling of life pumping through your veins (for better or for worse) in order to exceed your biological limitations? Note that you'd still have senses, though from what I've read about robotic touch senses, I doubt it will feel quite the same as touching something through your own skin.
Basically, would you want to perfect your humanity, or transcend it?
Personally, I'd probably go with the robotic body myself. The fact that my body is flabby and meek doesn't really have anything to do with it because my body would be "cured" from that either way. No, I'd want a robotic body because at the end of the day it would have so much more potential than a human one. Though I'm sure I'd miss my biological functions, I'd relish the chance to live in an ever evolving state of being.
Edit: Oh look, my poll is gone. Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu---
Both medicine and technology are progressing fairly rapidly, to the point where the two things I asked about are reasonable futures within the next few centuries or maybe sooner. But which would you rather have happen?
Would you want to be able to live forever (or at least a very long time), free from disease and sickness, eternally young, but still able to sleep, eat, belch, etc?
Or would you want a robotic body, with your mind intact, without human needs or the satisfaction that comes with fulfilling them? Would you sacrifice the feeling of life pumping through your veins (for better or for worse) in order to exceed your biological limitations? Note that you'd still have senses, though from what I've read about robotic touch senses, I doubt it will feel quite the same as touching something through your own skin.
Basically, would you want to perfect your humanity, or transcend it?
Personally, I'd probably go with the robotic body myself. The fact that my body is flabby and meek doesn't really have anything to do with it because my body would be "cured" from that either way. No, I'd want a robotic body because at the end of the day it would have so much more potential than a human one. Though I'm sure I'd miss my biological functions, I'd relish the chance to live in an ever evolving state of being.
Edit: Oh look, my poll is gone. Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu---
