China genetically editting human embrios

Discussion in 'Pandora's Box' started by Vicious, Apr 7, 2015.

  1. MIT TECHNOLOGY CLAIMS

    Several people interviewed by MIT Technology Review said that such experiments had already been carried out in China and that results describing edited embryos were pending publication. These people didn't wish to comment publicly because the papers are under review.

    http://www.technologyreview.com/featuredstory/535661/engineering-the-perfect-baby/
     
    China took the first step. Eugenics is back baby! Too bad I missed that boat, not that I want to be in China, hopefully I can still opt into transhumanism.
     
  2. Another one of those concepts that could turn absolutely utopian or absolutely dystopian.    Perhaps this is how we "evolve" to not get steamrolled by A.I.    This, and implants of course.

    I can't formulate any sort of truly educated guess anymore about what our old age will look like.   If the planet does not go kaboom, and if there is no scientific standstill,  then what will human reality look like with another 50 years of progress?    

    Technology can either turn us into gods or completely wipe out the species.


     
     
  3.  
    I've been saying this for years. We're at a time where we can reach Tower of Babel heights or come out scorched Earth. I can't think of a more interesting time to live.
     
  4. And it really is such a sharp razor's edge we're on.

    At my most pessimistic, I see a nuclear holocaust, overpopulation, world wide poverty for the masses as wealth is held by a select few.  On the technological side, A.I. could spawn at any point, go online, become global, and decide it is better off without humans occupying the planet.    I used to think that is just years of sci-fi reading talking out of me, but then you have people like Elon Musk,  the real life Tony Stark saying things like:

     
    Musk: I think we should be very careful about artificial intelligence. If I had to guess at what our biggest existential threat is, it's probably that. So we need to be very careful with artificial intelligence.
    I'm increasingly inclined to think that there should be some regulatory oversight, maybe at the national and international level, just to make sure that we don't do something very foolish. With artificial intelligence we're summoning the demon. You know those stories where there's the guy with the pentagram, and the holy water, and he's like - Yeah, he's sure he can control the demon? Doesn't work out. [audience laughs]
    Q: So I'll take it there'll be no HAL9000 going to mars?
    Musk: Heh. HAL 9000 would be easy [to deal with in comparison to the AI he's talking about]. It's way more complex… it'd put HAL9000 to shame. That's like a puppy dog.


    At my most optimistic, I also lean towards technology.  I see us continuing to improve modern medicine and expanding life spans.  I get borderline giddy seeing someone who lost a limb having a prostetic leg that allows them to walk and even run.  It makes me incredibly happy to see that someone who once would have been bed or chair ridden, now does not have to be that way.   The same goes for anything else we might learn to completely cure in the upcoming years, like late stages of cancer or Aids until they are wiped off the planet and added to the darker annals of human history, never to be seen again. 

    Perhaps most importantly, I see us finally taking off and colonizing Mars, using technology that doesn't even exist yet.  Once we can more efficiently tap into that giant yellow generator of near infinite power, who knows what the species can accomplish.  There is far more power there than any man, woman, child, or machine on this planet could use up in a thousand lifetimes.   That power, coupled with further technological advancement blows the ceiling off, of what can be considered human potential.

    Finally, transcendence.    We are actually flirting with the idea that we might not die, at least not after a "natural" human lifespan, in the traditional manner, but perhaps not at all.      When I see things like this article, and multiply the potential of this tech with another couple decades of development, it seems downright simple minded to not see extraordinary potential. 

    http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/weve-put-worms-mind-lego-robot-body-180953399/?no-ist
     
  5. #5 Vicious, Apr 7, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 7, 2015
    I just want to augment my body, pump some nanomachines or put my brain in a dish and live in a my own matrix. I'm fond of the idea of digitizing or transferring my consciousness but that comes down to is that "really me" or a copy. I think we can get there.
     
  6. This would obviously be beyond amazing since you would essentially become the god of your own universe, provided that you have access to setting the parameters of this, virtual existence of yours.   If not, and someone else does, then it could easily turn into a perpetual nightmare.     The Matrix, as we saw in the movie, was designed to house billions, if not trillions of minds in one construct, so everyone was given the role of a regular human being.     If you were to have your own Matrix, then the parameters can be infinitely extended.    Sort of like playing an MMO on a public server means you are just the average Joe (unless you hack),  but running your own server and its code allows you to do whatever you want.
     
  7. I think theyre modifying them to look like white people and such so they have spies to take over countries
     
  8. Real life freezing. Where them novas at?
     
  9. That was a really interesting interview.
     
    Genetic engineering could be used for the benefit of mankind. But I really doubt that the Chinese government would have anything but that in mind if they started making use of it.
     
  10. I consider competition a good thing. Maybe we'll wake up and put something good for us in the water instead of fluoride (I'm joking). Even if China is ass-backwards they realize a smart nation is better than a dumb one.
     
  11.  
    Someone's clearly played some Deus Ex games. Or if not it's a hell of a coincidence since all those ideas play a prominent role in the stories.
     
  12. My bet is going to be that the rise in the male population is going to increase x99%


    [​IMG]
     
  13.  
    That could lead to many social problems down the road XD
     
  14. I'm doing. Honestly i'm hoping for some kind of cybernetics of genetic modification by the time i'm done with school and making money. I mean with a good enough pay an extended lifetime is a great possibility. Honestly at this point i think we're on the end of evolving or going under. Pull out the stops.
     
  15. I don't think much.will change seeing as its all relative.

    So what if humans are smarter stronger ffaster and live longer.

    They will still have the same first world.problems.

    I think we will still see the same trends towards idolizing stars and normal hobbies and work and school.

    Same world slightly different numbers

    -yuri
     
  16. #16 Vicious, Apr 23, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 23, 2015
     
    If it's all relative won't that mean that there is change? You would never really be able to put a finger on it but if everybody started living longer and was smarter wouldn't there be more potential opportunity? I don't think it's all moot because of 'slightly different numbers'. You could say the same about life expectancy and available information compared to now and then and there are major differences in the world.
     
    The difference is realistic thing I see is competition. The West subverts their populous, China unethically pushes their population to extremes. If the Chinese do start pumping out "super humans" within the next couple decades you will see other parts of the world making the effort to catch up.
     
    We're going cyberpunk as fuck. There's no stopping it.
     
  17. all I meant was, we will still see the same type of lifestyles.

    People still gonna idolized stars, watch TV, the works.

    We will.become."better, at thingd, live longer, the works, but I don't think our.lifestyles will.change much

    -yuri
     
  18. China is scary. They eat babies.
     

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