3 ms·

You are right if you define “me” as body and brain, what they can do. What I am more focused on is: what impact “me” as an individual person (an independent hu

You are right if you define “me” as body and brain, what they can do. What I am more focused on is: what impact “me” as an individual person (an independent human agent) can have on my environment. We build technology mostly to optimize for this. My point is that wearable (or implantable) cybernetics lead to an incremental improvement on how easily or frequently we can do what we already do as individuals, but they don’t fundamentally change the things we can do. Sci-fi makes them look amazing but our R&D resources might be better spent elsewhere.

kiba 3y ago
My point is that wearable (or implantable) cybernetics lead to an incremental improvement on how easily or frequently we can do what we already do as individuals, but they but they don’t fundamentally change the things we can do. Sci-fi makes them look amazing but our R&D resources might be better spent elsewhere. We can walk and chew bubblegum at the same time. I don't see why we should allocate resources away from cybernetic implants. R&D resources spent on leg and arms prosthesis is incredibly important since movement is very important for a certain portion of our population. Imagine not being able to walk or not being able to grasp. Artificial heart and other cybernetic organs are very useful to have if we can mass production techniques, but it may be easier for us to grow organs that can be implanted. We don't know which will win out, which is why research is needed. Being able to replace part of your body if they're broken is a powerful promise to me. Now...the most underrated tech? Continuous glucose monitoring. It's kinda like a wearable, but it's an implantable device that tell you your blood glucose level almost in real time. It's the most powerful behavioral tool I ever encountered. Now I have 'intentionally' eaten junk food, but the CGM is always there to remind me what a bad job I am doing for my body. Nothing work without the cooperation of the people who uses these devices, of course, but I found a CGM an incredibly powerful lever. I hope that it get cheaper and get more widely used by the population at large rather than being confined to diabetics.
- oersted 3y ago
  I was thinking in terms of augmenting our capabilities. Absolutely there is a lot of value in this tech for dealing with medical issues and for monitoring.
  - kiba 3y ago
    I was thinking in terms of augmenting our capabilities. Absolutely there is a lot of value in this tech for dealing with medical issues and for monitoring. That's a narrow interpretation of augmentation. Being able to modify one's behavior or live longer lives is arguably adding capabilities. If you can live to 120 years instead of dying at 65, you have a longer period in which you can accumulate new skills and wisdom.

kiba 3y ago

My point is that wearable (or implantable) cybernetics lead to an incremental improvement on how easily or frequently we can do what we already do as individuals, but they but they don’t fundamentally change the things we can do. Sci-fi makes them look amazing but our R&D resources might be better spent elsewhere. We can walk and chew bubblegum at the same time. I don't see why we should allocate resources away from cybernetic implants. R&D resources spent on leg and arms prosthesis is incredibly important since movement is very important for a certain portion of our population. Imagine not being able to walk or not being able to grasp. Artificial heart and other cybernetic organs are very useful to have if we can mass production techniques, but it may be easier for us to grow organs that can be implanted. We don't know which will win out, which is why research is needed. Being able to replace part of your body if they're broken is a powerful promise to me. Now...the most underrated tech? Continuous glucose monitoring. It's kinda like a wearable, but it's an implantable device that tell you your blood glucose level almost in real time. It's the most powerful behavioral tool I ever encountered. Now I have 'intentionally' eaten junk food, but the CGM is always there to remind me what a bad job I am doing for my body. Nothing work without the cooperation of the people who uses these devices, of course, but I found a CGM an incredibly powerful lever. I hope that it get cheaper and get more widely used by the population at large rather than being confined to diabetics.

oersted 3y ago
I was thinking in terms of augmenting our capabilities. Absolutely there is a lot of value in this tech for dealing with medical issues and for monitoring.
- kiba 3y ago
  I was thinking in terms of augmenting our capabilities. Absolutely there is a lot of value in this tech for dealing with medical issues and for monitoring. That's a narrow interpretation of augmentation. Being able to modify one's behavior or live longer lives is arguably adding capabilities. If you can live to 120 years instead of dying at 65, you have a longer period in which you can accumulate new skills and wisdom.