From: Felix Ungman (felix@hu.se)
Date: Fri Aug 10 2001 - 06:18:07 MDT
On fredag 10 augusti 2001 02.02, natashavita@mail.earthlink.net wrote:
>Now, with that said, tool-users are folks who use tools. As for
>the great leap in your thinking -- "... makes us transhuman for
>the duration of that attempt?..." Well this depends. If you
>have one robotic leg, a brain enhancer for processing power,
>and a robotic eye that can see through walls one year and then
>three days later you have an entirely new body that is
>engineered with nanotechnology and AI, yes you would be a
>transhuman is transition. BUT, if you use a hammer one day and
>a screwdriver to tighten the valves on your car the next day,
>and *then* have a spanking new upgraded nano-driven body on the
>third day, I'd have to say that you have been a transhuman for
>only that day my friend. But, this is only my view.
I think it's too narrow to just count cyborg technology. (We already have the term 'cyborg' to cover that kind of body modifications.) There are many other transhuman technologies that are permanent enough enhancements to make them more than mere 'tools'. For example, the mobile phone gives you permanent personal enhancements of your communication capabilites. Implanting it in your body would perhaps be more sexy or geeky, but would provide modest improvements, as such, over the present technology. Moreover, many, if not most, enhancements are sociological, not technological. For example the invention of insurance has given people permanent and personal power to recover from what would otherwise be devastating disasters. Most critical on the path toward posthumanity.
/felix
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