What would you think about living in a world with cybernetic implants and such. And keep in mind, that while everybody would be down with rocket arms for the most part, how would you feel if you couldn't afford them and had to compete with those people? Would you still want to live there?
Trans-humanism
- Thread starter DailonCmann
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That would be a personal hell, even if I COULD afford the implants. I don't like the idea of cybernetics becoming standard.
Shadowrun
Now to elaborate on this one word answer:
For those who don't know, and you should shoot yourself if you don't, Shadowrun is a pen and paper RPG system based around the world roughly 50-60 years from now. While, in this game world, magic catastrophically returned during 2012 the advancements in internet technology as well as cybernetic implants are a massive part of the story line as well. Skipping over the debate over racism-on-steroids, that came with the rebirth of non-humans, and the whole magical elements and we get to the core of your question as well.
The debate, how do you compete with cybernetic implants in fair competition, is a key factor in the geological-political spectrum. Right now the 'pure humans' are winning, keeping meta-humans and augmented individuals out of main-stream sports as well as the Olympics. I agree with this part of the mentality too, forcing people to compete in a competition that is one-sided from the get go is not a good thing for competition for the game to be badly rigged.
Of course I would be more inclined to watch Troll weightlifting or competitions that are, in essence, one company pitting it's cyber ware against another company. Watching better then humans go at it would produce far more spectacular results then we see in today's track and field events. It would be far more entertaining to watch six tin-man tearing up the track then seeing six vanilla humans running around in a circle.
Now having to compete with them outside of sports?
Shadowrun shows how that goes as well... augments win. No if and buts about it, if your competing in a field where augmented individuals have the upper hand then you will lose. Face it, the local dock manager is going to hire the person that doesn't need a forklift to move pallets around and the research job your wanting is always going to go to the person with a computer inside their brain, DNI are bad m'kay. Your not going to be able to compete against these people and your not meant to succeed if you try, it is one of the lessons you learn about life in that game world. Life is so unfair!
So take up shadow running, it pays well enough that you can get those augmentations... cheap too, assuming you don't mind the whole hacking one off someone.
Now to elaborate on this one word answer:
For those who don't know, and you should shoot yourself if you don't, Shadowrun is a pen and paper RPG system based around the world roughly 50-60 years from now. While, in this game world, magic catastrophically returned during 2012 the advancements in internet technology as well as cybernetic implants are a massive part of the story line as well. Skipping over the debate over racism-on-steroids, that came with the rebirth of non-humans, and the whole magical elements and we get to the core of your question as well.
The debate, how do you compete with cybernetic implants in fair competition, is a key factor in the geological-political spectrum. Right now the 'pure humans' are winning, keeping meta-humans and augmented individuals out of main-stream sports as well as the Olympics. I agree with this part of the mentality too, forcing people to compete in a competition that is one-sided from the get go is not a good thing for competition for the game to be badly rigged.
Of course I would be more inclined to watch Troll weightlifting or competitions that are, in essence, one company pitting it's cyber ware against another company. Watching better then humans go at it would produce far more spectacular results then we see in today's track and field events. It would be far more entertaining to watch six tin-man tearing up the track then seeing six vanilla humans running around in a circle.
Now having to compete with them outside of sports?
Shadowrun shows how that goes as well... augments win. No if and buts about it, if your competing in a field where augmented individuals have the upper hand then you will lose. Face it, the local dock manager is going to hire the person that doesn't need a forklift to move pallets around and the research job your wanting is always going to go to the person with a computer inside their brain, DNI are bad m'kay. Your not going to be able to compete against these people and your not meant to succeed if you try, it is one of the lessons you learn about life in that game world. Life is so unfair!
So take up shadow running, it pays well enough that you can get those augmentations... cheap too, assuming you don't mind the whole hacking one off someone.
Well, I'd do what I always do when I notice economic disparity. LEAD THE PEOPLE IN REVOLUTION!
Heh, I kid, I kid. That's what I do when I notice anything wrong at all. For me, it's not winning the revolution that counts, it's the taking part that counts. Therefore, I really don't need a reason to rise up in revolution.
Heh, I kid, I kid. That's what I do when I notice anything wrong at all. For me, it's not winning the revolution that counts, it's the taking part that counts. Therefore, I really don't need a reason to rise up in revolution.
Well, given the way we've built the world it'd be a nightmare.
Then again, I'd love to be able to upload my mind and replace my body.
I notice someone mentioned losing your job to augmented humans. Which is a real concern that could definitely happen.
I mean, it's happened in the past. All the good jobs went to people with good educations, or who knew the right people.
Who were these? By and large the incredibly wealthy, or the aristocracy.
And they then said that they deserved this position...
It took us a long time to get out of this mentality, but it seems we're headed full-circle.
Having said that however, I should point out we're already at risk of many people not being able to get jobs.
And it isn't from competition with other humans. Augmented or otherwise.
It's from automation, pure and simple.
Even some factories in china are starting to get reluctant to hire actual people to do work.
It's far less of a headache using automated manufacturing equipment.
Yes, you still need people for that. But far fewer than the methods you're replacing.
For that matter, has anyone noticed the recent trend for automated 'self service' supermarket checkouts?
It's early days yet, but I'm already seeing signs of the implications; Some of the larger supermarkets here have automated checkouts with about 12 of them clustered together.
And just one staff member keeping an eye on it all...
I think we're going to run into serious problems long before augmentation of human beings ever becomes an issue.
And we're going to have to decide who gets to make the decisions...
I think trying to continue with the idea that everyone should be self-sufficient and competitive is going to end in disaster.
Either that or 99% of the population is going to end up being so useless for any meaningful work, that we're going to have to face the choice between most of the population being on some kind of welfare, or most of the population being left to fend for themselves with no prospects even for the bare minimum needs for survival.
Augmented humans would simply amplify a problem that's likely to happen regardless.
The sooner we think about how to solve it, the better.
Then again, I'd love to be able to upload my mind and replace my body.
I notice someone mentioned losing your job to augmented humans. Which is a real concern that could definitely happen.
I mean, it's happened in the past. All the good jobs went to people with good educations, or who knew the right people.
Who were these? By and large the incredibly wealthy, or the aristocracy.
And they then said that they deserved this position...
It took us a long time to get out of this mentality, but it seems we're headed full-circle.
Having said that however, I should point out we're already at risk of many people not being able to get jobs.
And it isn't from competition with other humans. Augmented or otherwise.
It's from automation, pure and simple.
Even some factories in china are starting to get reluctant to hire actual people to do work.
It's far less of a headache using automated manufacturing equipment.
Yes, you still need people for that. But far fewer than the methods you're replacing.
For that matter, has anyone noticed the recent trend for automated 'self service' supermarket checkouts?
It's early days yet, but I'm already seeing signs of the implications; Some of the larger supermarkets here have automated checkouts with about 12 of them clustered together.
And just one staff member keeping an eye on it all...
I think we're going to run into serious problems long before augmentation of human beings ever becomes an issue.
And we're going to have to decide who gets to make the decisions...
I think trying to continue with the idea that everyone should be self-sufficient and competitive is going to end in disaster.
Either that or 99% of the population is going to end up being so useless for any meaningful work, that we're going to have to face the choice between most of the population being on some kind of welfare, or most of the population being left to fend for themselves with no prospects even for the bare minimum needs for survival.
Augmented humans would simply amplify a problem that's likely to happen regardless.
The sooner we think about how to solve it, the better.