4 ms·
Considering how hard it is to actually fix any accidental damage to brain cells and nerves, and the far-reaching consequences of such damage, I am always amazed
by ElFitz 3y ago
Considering how hard it is to actually fix any accidental damage to brain cells and nerves, and the far-reaching consequences of such damage, I am always amazed to see how many are eager to just plug something into it and let some arbitrary code send electric shocks through their brain.
I get the unfathomable potential of the thing, and the appeal of said potential. But that’s a product I won’t be an early-adopter of.
- maxerickson 3y agoAs of yet, most people with brain implants have them to try to improve profound problems. Cochlear implants are controversial in the deaf community, but they also have a relatively clear purpose and effect (vs being "arbitrary").
- imp0cat 3y agoControversial? Please do tell.
- ElFitz 3y agoNot the parent, but I vaguely recall our ethics teacher mentioning some associations advocating for hearing impaired people have, at least in some European countries, advocated against cochlear implants in young children, mostly on ethical grounds. His whole point being that ethics is not about what some majority might instinctively believe is best for everyone, and that other perspectives must be considered.
- gpderetta 3y agoOh, me neither! But growing up reading scifi and cyberpunk in particular, one has to wonder.
- viraptor 3y agoYeah, every time something like that is mentioned, I just think of small issues that could cause noise on the output. Basically if you wear some device that helps you, either passive like glasses or active like a hearing aid, you can immediately disconnect then if needed. But imagine an implant bugs out and you start receiving a maximum signal for something without being able to stop. Like a blinding bright light which doesn't go away when you close your eyes. As much as the cyberpunk idea is fun, I'd have to really suffer without some implant to risk it.
- Terr_ 3y agoI wonder if it's possible to make a much simpler passive-only "mental stress detection" system, and use that as a kind of emergency stop (let's not call it a "kill switch" in this context) for any more-complicated augmentation. That creates the opposite risk that your enhancements stop working when you _want_ them in some kind of real/external emergency situation. I suppose it also wouldn't work in the case that the main augmentation caused, say, unending waves of paralyzing calm, although there could be another detection-gate for physiological signals to keep such people from starving/dehydration.