From: Doug Bailey (Doug.Bailey@ey.com)
Date: Fri Oct 16 1998 - 06:56:06 MDT
Ian wrote:
> It's actually bionic "telekinesis." Now if it
> works this way, it must surely be able to work
> the other way, that is, signals sent to a brain
> could control that brain from a distant location.
> The central planner's wet dream come true! Armies
> of ideal citizens, jumping to the central commands.
Obviously, any technology can be abused. No doubt, as this
particular technology progresses, people will oppose its
further development by painting "worst case" scenarios. This
has happened recently with cloning (e.g., armies of throw
away soldiers, armies of Hitlers, etc.)
However, these "arguments" are effectively countered by
the point that all technologies are vulnerable to abuse.
That brain implants and human cloning could be abused in
ways we might not find palatable makes them no different
from artillery, the Internet, or mastery of fire. The key
is anticipating the capabilities of technology and
objectively considering the ways such technology can
be used positively and ways it can be abused. Developing
policy from that vantage point is key.
Doug Bailey
doug.bailey@ey.com
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