From: Chris Fedeli (fedeli@email.msn.com)
Date: Thu Jun 17 1999 - 09:25:36 MDT
Anders Sandberg <asa@nada.kth.se> writes:
>Of course, it would be nice if we could find a way of
>reducing the damage done by tobacco smoke to the
>lungs at least. Or would that reduce the pleasure?
Interesting question. If part of the pleasure of smoking is
derived from the social and cultural significance, which I
believe it is, than any form of "safe" smoking will lose
some of its appeal. Consider the disasterous market
performance of 'smokeless cigarettes'. These contraptions
virtually eliminated the tar inhalation from smoking while
delivering the same amount of nicotine. They were healthy,
hence more socially acceptable, hence hopelessly uncool.
The discussion about water pipes is interesting, but pretty
impractical for most cigarette smokers. These devices are
used primarily for smoking marijuana in one's dorm room, and
would look pretty suspicious anywhere else. Imagine
Humphrey Bogart pulling a plastic bong out of his pocket as
he eyes Ingrid Bergman from across the room. You get the
idea.
Smoking is usually tied up with a hedonistic, devil-may-care
attitude, which in my case that means I'd rather take my
chances in liquid nitrogen than refrain from smoking until
mature nanotechnology makes it safe. Once smoking is
entirely safe people may continue to do it out of nostalgia,
but It will lose all the social connotations that it has
now. And in an era where smoking is entirely safe, the
array of safe designer drugs available will likely eclipse
any potential pleasure of a good 20th century smoke.
Future hedonists will probably have to resort to more
drastic measures to achieve the same thing culturally that
smokers do today. James Halperin captures this attitude
nicely in The First Immortal. He breifly mentions the
appearance of a new blood sport in 2098 where people allow
themselves to be killed in hand-to-hand combat and then
molecularly reconstructed and revived moments later, all to
the shock and horror of most decent world citizens who find
such nihilistic behavior "unconscionable and borderline
insane."
Lesson? The pleasure of rankling your fellow man is a joy
for all ages :)
Chris Fedeli
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