Gunnar_Zarncke comments on When does technological enhancement feel natural and acceptable? - Less Wrong Discussion
You are viewing a comment permalink. View the original post to see all comments and the full post content.
You are viewing a comment permalink. View the original post to see all comments and the full post content.
Comments (33)
I want to be able to reverse aging.
What would the use be of thinking slower? Maybe for boring times?
I don't just want conscious recall of information from web-like own memory, I want to be able to communicate (both receive and transmit) directly in hypertext-- I don't know what it would be like, but it's frustrating that I can't.
If I could alter my mind in deeper ways, I'd like really good version control. I'd also like to be able to toggle between sensory extension and old-style sensory systems-- there's a lot of art which is optimized for currently standard senses.
And I'd like self-modules., so that if I wanted to experience something as though it was new to me or as if I were at an earlier age, I could. Daniel Pinkwater (a notable author of children's books) has mentioned that he has access to what it's like to be various ages.
I think people are SEVERELY overestimating the utility of perfect memory (74% yes, 10% no), and underestimating the value of traumatic and unpleasant experiences fading over time. Some people currently have perfect memory, it is not a good experience.
A better selective memory is a good thing. Electing to remember where you placed your keys or the name of your mailman is a good idea. Having perfect memory of all the idiotic things you said or did during your first break up or that fight with your mom, or more importantly that time you were molested or almost died in combat is a recipe for emotional disaster and severe PTSD. Its very hard to control where your mind dwells and how memories are triggered, but slow fade and nostalgic filters protect us from the worst emotional damage of long-term rumination over negative events.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/the-science-of-memory-an-infinite-loop-in-the-brain-a-591972.html
Insightful. But that really 'only' means that these transhumanists just want conscious access to the availability of the memory too.
Summary of results: we want everything.
What's the difference between "die when I want" and "immortality"? I would expect "die when I want" would mean that I keep living until I decide to die, and "immortality" would mean that I keep living, but I could totally change my mind if I want to. I'm fine with clones if we can recombine, but if we can't it would be disconcerting.
Lots of people have voted "other" - but not always (show results) so I wonder: What other options there are hidden?