From: natashavita@earthlink.net
Date: Wed Aug 28 2002 - 14:10:47 MDT
From: Anders Sandberg
>I just took a long, lovely walk home from the Institute, watching the
>late summer sunset and enjoying the end of our local heatwave. It was a
>fundamentally enjoyable mental and bodily experience, and it felt right
>to have it alter my cells.
Isn't it lovely, the way the elements of the air can penetrate into our
pores causing a sensation that we can enjoy. One thing I love about living
in the Marina is the feel and smell of the morning air.
>I don't think base reality is in any way 'more authentic' than any
>virtuality we build on top of it, but there is a difference between a
>simple experience and a complex, artistic experience. Altering cells as
>part of it might be what turns a certain experience into true art; in
>another experience *not* changing any cells might contribute to the
>result. It is all a question of self-design.
Base reality (or natural reality) will be equally as authentic as
engineered environments are by the very fact that the idea of "natural" or
"real" changes over time. The artistic experience is perceived and
realized through our senses. How these senses alter or augment will
enhance our ability to experience. Here, I think it is up to the artist
and the individual and it could be considered high art and entertaiment, at
some point, to experience 20th century senses.
>>I wonder what alteration might tune cells to
>>withstand liquid methane, or to sustain its coherence over the solar
>>surface,
>>against heat, radiation, and gravity?
>You don't want to use water-based cells in the methane, I guess. But a
>nanocirculatory system like Freitas' vasculoid might be extended to act
>as a heating/cooling system to enable such a walk.
Yes, on both counts. Freitas's contribution to Primo Posthuman's central
spinal circuitry was a turning point. He suggested a number of alterations
or monitoring the "body" (not meat based) temperature, but I think we will
want an extra robotic vehicular add-on to handle the trip.
Natasha
--------------------------------------------------------------------
mail2web - Check your email from the web at
http://mail2web.com/ .
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Sat Nov 02 2002 - 09:16:28 MST