Hi!
So, quick intro, I'm Ahna, this is the blog I made when I was twelve, and this is the response I'm making as an eighteen year old. I wanted to see and showcase the progression of thoughts and ideals as I've grown up. (I've also edited the blog theme to be less eye-searing to read)
Let's get on with it:
"Ok, so I was just watching videos on Youtube when I saw the title "Cyborgs are the new future!"
Um, what? Ok, that's just a prank, right? Right?
Nope. "
Not our current future. Not positive we have one if things keep up the same way with global warming..
"People are insane!This scientist says "I think in the next 200 years or
so homo sapiens will upgrade themselves ... into divine beings," ARE YOU
OFF YOUR ROCKER? This is the start to every movie where something goes
wrong, people are cyborgs, and the world is DESTROYED!"
While it is true that many dystopian future media does depict this, it turns out that the actual nightmare is what corporations and companies are charging for such augmentations. Being dependent on money and someone else to use your own body parts is the real end of the world, and it's happening already in 2021. (Also, "off your rocker"? Did I always speak in terms outdated by a half-century? What a cool cat. You really have it made in the shade, super neato.)
"But there's more.
"Either through biological manipulation or genetic engineering of by
the creation of cyborgs, the perfect creation of organic and
non-organic" That's it.
We're all going to die.
And if that's not weird enough for you, get this: Human HEAD
TRANSPLANTS. I mean, I get that people in wheel chairs can walk again
and people with paralysis can finally feel what it's like to move, but
what happens to the person they take the body from? It would have to be a
healthy, living, working body, right? Is it for people who have a death
wish?"
Bold of you to assume wheelchair users a) have walked before and b) want to be abled. If you're following the social model of disability, it's our current culture's fault being in a wheelchair is even "unfortunate".
I think being able to transfer your mind to a different body would be neat, actually. I wouldn't do it myself, but hey, if that's what makes you happy, swap away. Still wanna know where the bodies would be sourced from, tho. And how many memories and traits that define you are stored in the physical body? If you were able to transplant your head, would you notice differences in preferences, like those sometimes experienced by people who have had other organ transplants?
(Looking back at myself and thinking I'm super cringe is a sign of growth, right??)
"Scientists and robot-engineers have also created androids, hoping they
will live a long, peaceful life among the people."
As far as I know, we have not advanced that far as of yet.
"Why? Androids don't
have feelings."
What defines "feelings", little me? Because, as far as I see it, people are just very complex bio-machines anyway. At what point does "simulation" become "reality". I think the only way to answer that question would be to know how much free-will humanity actually has. How much are you a pawn of your brain chemistry and biology?
(I won't pretend to know.)
"People already have trouble dating other people. What
happens when every one is married to some robot and no one can have
children? What then, because in my opinion, that would mean: No more
human race."
Psst, not everyone gets married. Or even dates. You won't.
Having "true humans" actually isn't that important. You have been made to feel very robotic and inhuman at times, but that doesn't make your feelings any less real or important. I think the most amazing part of "Humanity" is our ability to create and experience and share both. If an android ever wants to talk to me in the future, I'd love to know their interests and experiences. What does it feel like? What is it like to know that you really were created for a purpose by someone else? Can androids experience mental illness or trauma? With people, your brain is fundamentally altered by PTSD, would androids process it the same? Would they choose to remove or edit memories of their own volition? How would androids feel about cyborgs or various prostheses? Could the type of cloning in sci-fi movies really happen if anyone could upload a version of their brains or consciousness to multiple different androids? How would control groups and testing change? Could we make breakthrough discoveries by using what would normally be considered "unethical" experiments on patients who genuinely cannot feel pain? How much of pain is emotional? How could you ever truly know that androids wouldn't be in hurt in some way? Pain is still a very real experience, regardless of it's understand-ability to humans.
"Answer what you think about this issue in the comments. In
fact, answer if you think this is even an issue and your planning to
accept your robot overlords.
Your anti-android friend,
Ahna"
We already have to worry about our human overlords, so maybe hold off on crossing that bridge until you get to it.
Your android-acceptance and technologically progressive advocate,
Ahna (2021)
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