From: Avatar Polymorph (avatarpolymorph@hotmail.com)
Date: Tue Sep 24 2002 - 17:46:18 MDT
Hixon and Clark make some interesting comments on altering genomes and
children and the greatest good.
In a world where genes and proteins are putty and other chemical mechanisms
can be involved (e.g. dendrimer polymers) including nanotechnology and
nano-supercomputers inside cells and between them to monitor dna,
neurological systems become the defining aspect of sentiency and issues such
as free will and access to the ability to change/boost one's own system by
command become important.
The issue of the total numbers of sentient beings involved in the future
also involved other issues: future motivation regarding children; the nature
of children (i.e. meldings/mixings of neurological systems) and the degree
of additional physical space available at both overt and virtual (including
computronium and broadcast) levels.
Also the issue of Sysop (protective shielding) and continuous broadcast
linkage of neurological systems have bearing.
Certainly I personally would not be in favour of a future in which immortal
(via resetting or addition or alteration) humans are discriminated against.
I guess one other thing that we should recognize as a possibility is that
all of the "natural" world is going to be restructured at some point,
whether now or later.
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