Transhumanism; the shedding of our primitive chrysalis.

true, a really tight pair of Levis, can make you very 'nasty'!

My comment was not about mental illness though Letty, but the 99% of criminals who started out perfectly sane, and went downhill from there every time society added another kick in the head!

not too s; the creation, and deployment of technological invention seems to be ominously devoid of any degree of sane guidance, at the moment;
the make/use it mentality governs.

That is one of the things that needs to be taken charge of!

[if a drug company creates a new drug, they have to test it for a couple of years to prove that it doesn't kill people (at least that's the 'theory' - enough cash, and lobbying........), but a weapons manufacturer can start using whatever fiendish obsenity they come up with, without control of any kind.]

Heh! Heh!...you're right about the "too tight genes", Bo.

I know. Environment plays a very important part in who we are, but for those few who are victims of nature, genetic engineering would be most beneficial.

Precisely; imagine the extent of the misery that could be eliminated, if one could just get at the gene causing psychosis, and eliminate, or correct it!

But no Blade Runner, please, Bo.

And all the little androids could stop having nightmares!

Aww, I was so hoping to be Pris in the future. There is an ancient Hebrew proverb that translates as "From Bris to Pris, the future is yours."

Cav, you mean there's a Hebrew adage for Prissy britches?

Yes there is, but your translation is a bit off.

UhOh! I'm afraid to ask. Later all, gotta do stuff.

you don't have the physical attributes!!

[if the last few posts found their way to the "random poetry" thread, things could get really out of hand! ]

If you can buy 'em now, they'll be even better in the future.

if you want to 'buy' them now, you might want to check out the street corners near my place!

Hmmm....that's too much like renting. I'm looking for an investment.

write me a cheque, and i'll see what i can do!

Another conference review, from

Reason

Thanks Brom;

perhaps the most facinating concept mentioned here is this:

"But the transhumanists in Toronto were not only concerned about long healthy happy lives; they were also concerned with truth. George Mason University economics professor Robin Hanson argued that super-rational posthumans in the future won't be able to "agree to disagree," chiefly because they'll agree on everything. Hanson argues that disagreements among less than super-rational people today exist largely because we deceive ourselves about what we really know to be true. There are good "reasons" for us to think that, for example, "the more you believe in yourself, the more you can get other people to believe in you," and thus get them to do what you want. But super-rational posthumans won't be able to deceive themselves or others, suggests Hanson. Does this mean the end of politicians?"

would every one agreeing produce boredom, or mean the advent of real 'progress'!

Well, I'm hardly super-rational, but I do think that Hanson's theory is flawed. I don't think super-rational humans will agree on everything. I think that's a bit naive. There is also nothing to support the claim that just because at this point we "deceive ourselves about what we really know to be true" that in the future, the super-rational person will actually know what is "truth". My feeling is that the more rational we are, the more we are capable of "agreeing to disagree" without anger, prejudice or partisanism. As for the death of politicians, I'm afraid so. We would have no more use for them.

we'll just have to agree to disagree Cav!