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Post by KillinKrillan on Mar 7, 2004 18:31:23 GMT -5
How would you define a human exactly?
Once you do that, when do we stop being human, and become machines?
I mean, we already have artificial hearts, and kinda somewhat artificial lungs and kidney, but how much longer till those are perfected as well? What happens when we (if ever) create artificial brains?
How do we define ourselves and stay within those definitions?
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Post by henry on Mar 7, 2004 22:00:37 GMT -5
A lot of stuff defines a human.
I gave up on trying to define it in absolutes a long time ago, there's no point. (not to put down the question...I'm sure there really is a point somewhere, and it's probably worthwhile to think about this)
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Post by LastNightWasHell on Mar 7, 2004 22:10:24 GMT -5
really?
i would've said genetic make up. buy maybe that's just me...
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Post by flirtayangel on Mar 7, 2004 22:11:03 GMT -5
Well, it sounds like we'll eventually be artificial humans. But I guess a human is just like, say, a name for a cat or a dog. Just what we've choosen to name the species.
~*~Me
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Post by EgoWaffle on Mar 7, 2004 22:13:52 GMT -5
I'm not even go into what I think...
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Post by flirtayangel on Mar 7, 2004 22:15:47 GMT -5
Give it a shot! You might as well, it's what the threads for and will keep you occupied for a lil while. Or a long while...or just awhile.
~*~Me
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Post by KillinKrillan on Mar 7, 2004 22:47:21 GMT -5
Any while is worth while in my book!
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Post by BlueDolphin on Mar 7, 2004 23:10:01 GMT -5
If one were capable of downloading one's conciousness to a computer, would they hypothetically still be considered human?
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Post by AZERTY on Mar 7, 2004 23:13:38 GMT -5
Thats interesting, since DNA cant be the whole factor, since 99% of our DNA matches that of chimpanzees... So in that case, what makes us different than them... Personally I think it has a lot to do with our Brains...
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Post by flirtayangel on Mar 7, 2004 23:34:42 GMT -5
Thats interesting, since DNA cant be the whole factor, since 99% of our DNA matches that of chimpanzees... So in that case, what makes us different than them... Personally I think it has a lot to do with our Brains... But that ONE percent, makes a difference! ;D ~*~Me
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Post by KillinKrillan on Mar 7, 2004 23:48:34 GMT -5
If one were capable of downloading one's conciousness to a computer, would they hypothetically still be considered human? Another interesting question.
In that case, I think the mind of that person would have the freedom to choose whatever being they wish to be. Having no physical form, only an intelligent mind to go off of, they have freedom of choice.
That is, of course, assuming that the computer they are downloaded to doesn't provide a little picture of them or something.
My previous statement above would make people assume I define things as physical form, and I never really thought of that till now, but it works... kinda...
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Post by Archagon on Mar 7, 2004 23:50:24 GMT -5
Not if said computer is running Windows...
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Post by KillinKrillan on Mar 7, 2004 23:52:44 GMT -5
Not if said computer is running Windows... LOL! No... most definatly not... What do you suggest? Linux? Lindows?
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Post by henry on Mar 8, 2004 0:08:33 GMT -5
Not if said computer is running Windows... exactly. so what if we could download our brains onto a computer? they'd be static; an uninterpreted snapshot of the state of our minds at one point in time (like a brain in a jar, preserved in whatever). a more worthwhile (and difficult) task would be converting the processes of the brain into a runnable computer program. not that I think we're gonna do that any time soon. but if we did, and did it right, that would be a "human" in my mind. but a limbless one. kind of like a full-body paralisis victim.
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Post by KillinKrillan on Mar 8, 2004 0:13:19 GMT -5
kind of like a full-body paralisis victim. Freaky Never thought of it like that...
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