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Or there are technological advances in artificial wombs and children are grown in incubators so that women are no longer as involved in pregnancy/child-bearing.

Or there are technological advances in artificial wombs and children are grown in incubators so that women are no longer as involved in pregnancy/child-bearing. We have research papers with animal fetuses being grown in artificial wombs. Never know, could be some technology developed for humans during the next 100 years.

tough 4y ago
Damn the matrix is so close We all batteries in 100 years
- ahMath8 4y ago
  We’d be better utilized as CPU and memory storage. Maybe generate brain structure, biology state with (re)generative biology like Michael Levin is up to at Tufts[0]. There’s tons of alternative research paths going untouched that leverage information theory to hack “reality” directly rather than hack on synthetic computers and software within an enclosed time-space vacuum constrained by known hardware limitations. Metaverses running on synthetic machines seems way more prosaic than a metaverse in my own head I might be able to switch on off with a pill. [0] https://youtu.be/XheAMrS8Q1c https://youtu.be/XheAMrS8Q1c
- asdff 4y ago
  Once the machines take over they'd probably prefer to work with yeast as their bio battery of choice. No need to spend compute on a simulation, the yeast would be happy as clams living in a big vat with all nutrient needs met.
- gruez 4y ago
  I don't see why you're linking artificial wombs with the matrix. In a matrix like scenario, I see no reason why the machines would even bother with artificial wombs, when the real ones already work right now (no R&D required) and are already pretty efficient.
- kadoban 4y ago
  Humans make abysmally bad batteries or power generators. That was always the dumbest part of The Matrix. The original idea for that was that we were the computers for the Matrix simulation instead, which made at least marginally more sense.
  - staticman2 4y ago
    The original idea was never anything other than batteries. That rumor of producers changing it to batteries started because Neil Gaiman thought the battery thing was dumb so when he was hired to do a promotional wrote Matrix short story he changed it to the humans being used for computer processing.
PM_me_your_math 4y ago
Well, that's not terrifying in the least bit. Imagine knowing that you were born to a machine and not to a woman who you can call mother. On second thought, its not just terrifying, it is immeasurable sadness for most, and probably psychosis for some.
- Supermancho 4y ago
  > Imagine knowing that you were born to a machine and not to a woman who you can call mother. I'm really not sure what's so outrageous about the situation. Most adopted (or fostered) people manage without psychosis.
  - tsol 4y ago
    I mean orphans are well known to have a rough time in life. They're not exactly the stereotype of happiness
    - themihai 4y ago
      Perhaps b/c they are usually neglected just like kids from broken families not b/c they are born from an artificial woomb.
  - tialaramex 4y ago
    The biggest downside which appears to be cited by people who discover later that their birth parents weren't the people who brought them up is an uncertainty about why they exist - but for a person who can be told (once they're old enough to understand) the exact circumstances which brought them about that is resolved. We already have surrogacy, which is when one human volunteers use of their womb to carry somebody else's child (that is, egg comes from person A, sperm from person B, A+B = new human life => fertilised egg is implanted in person C, the surrogate). I know two kids who were born this way, they have loving parents, the eldest will be aware that something is a bit unusual - any other mummies she knows who had a second kid the baby was obviously inside them, whereas her baby sister was inside this other nice lady who just showed up for a few weeks and she's been told that's how it worked for her too - but obviously the tricky details aren't going to be worth explaining to a pre-schooler once they're satisfied with any immediate questions (e.g. is this new baby my sister? Yes. Does the nice lady mean I get extra birthday presents? No) An artificial womb potentially makes surrogacy an option for larger numbers of people. Some people find pregnancy pretty good really, and their main reason to stop after one or two is economics or practicalities, so this innovation changes nothing for them - but others don't want to risk a second pregnancy after discovering how badly their body reacted the first time, so such technology (if cheap enough) would mean they could have a second or third child. This also changes the calculus for government intervention. Hiring women to be impregnated is a much more difficult proposition than hiring nursery or orphanage staff. An artificial womb would mean only the second is needed.
lotsofpulp 4y ago
Yes, I meant to include that in >medical advances that address the risks and costs of childbirth
tejtm 4y ago
"alumawomb" a word read in a graphic novel half a century ago.
XorNot 4y ago
Having a baby, despite the risks, is still "the easy part". Raising the baby is the hard part, and no one's lining up to make that easier.

tough 4y ago

Damn the matrix is so close We all batteries in 100 years

ahMath8 4y ago
We’d be better utilized as CPU and memory storage. Maybe generate brain structure, biology state with (re)generative biology like Michael Levin is up to at Tufts[0]. There’s tons of alternative research paths going untouched that leverage information theory to hack “reality” directly rather than hack on synthetic computers and software within an enclosed time-space vacuum constrained by known hardware limitations. Metaverses running on synthetic machines seems way more prosaic than a metaverse in my own head I might be able to switch on off with a pill. [0] https://youtu.be/XheAMrS8Q1c https://youtu.be/XheAMrS8Q1c
asdff 4y ago
Once the machines take over they'd probably prefer to work with yeast as their bio battery of choice. No need to spend compute on a simulation, the yeast would be happy as clams living in a big vat with all nutrient needs met.
gruez 4y ago
I don't see why you're linking artificial wombs with the matrix. In a matrix like scenario, I see no reason why the machines would even bother with artificial wombs, when the real ones already work right now (no R&D required) and are already pretty efficient.
kadoban 4y ago
Humans make abysmally bad batteries or power generators. That was always the dumbest part of The Matrix. The original idea for that was that we were the computers for the Matrix simulation instead, which made at least marginally more sense.
- staticman2 4y ago
  The original idea was never anything other than batteries. That rumor of producers changing it to batteries started because Neil Gaiman thought the battery thing was dumb so when he was hired to do a promotional wrote Matrix short story he changed it to the humans being used for computer processing.

PM_me_your_math 4y ago

Well, that's not terrifying in the least bit. Imagine knowing that you were born to a machine and not to a woman who you can call mother. On second thought, its not just terrifying, it is immeasurable sadness for most, and probably psychosis for some.

Supermancho 4y ago
> Imagine knowing that you were born to a machine and not to a woman who you can call mother. I'm really not sure what's so outrageous about the situation. Most adopted (or fostered) people manage without psychosis.
- tsol 4y ago
  I mean orphans are well known to have a rough time in life. They're not exactly the stereotype of happiness
  - themihai 4y ago
    Perhaps b/c they are usually neglected just like kids from broken families not b/c they are born from an artificial woomb.
- tialaramex 4y ago
  The biggest downside which appears to be cited by people who discover later that their birth parents weren't the people who brought them up is an uncertainty about why they exist - but for a person who can be told (once they're old enough to understand) the exact circumstances which brought them about that is resolved. We already have surrogacy, which is when one human volunteers use of their womb to carry somebody else's child (that is, egg comes from person A, sperm from person B, A+B = new human life => fertilised egg is implanted in person C, the surrogate). I know two kids who were born this way, they have loving parents, the eldest will be aware that something is a bit unusual - any other mummies she knows who had a second kid the baby was obviously inside them, whereas her baby sister was inside this other nice lady who just showed up for a few weeks and she's been told that's how it worked for her too - but obviously the tricky details aren't going to be worth explaining to a pre-schooler once they're satisfied with any immediate questions (e.g. is this new baby my sister? Yes. Does the nice lady mean I get extra birthday presents? No) An artificial womb potentially makes surrogacy an option for larger numbers of people. Some people find pregnancy pretty good really, and their main reason to stop after one or two is economics or practicalities, so this innovation changes nothing for them - but others don't want to risk a second pregnancy after discovering how badly their body reacted the first time, so such technology (if cheap enough) would mean they could have a second or third child. This also changes the calculus for government intervention. Hiring women to be impregnated is a much more difficult proposition than hiring nursery or orphanage staff. An artificial womb would mean only the second is needed.

lotsofpulp 4y ago

Yes, I meant to include that in >medical advances that address the risks and costs of childbirth

tejtm 4y ago

"alumawomb" a word read in a graphic novel half a century ago.

XorNot 4y ago

Having a baby, despite the risks, is still "the easy part". Raising the baby is the hard part, and no one's lining up to make that easier.