Music & Movies

I would like one of those implants myself. I'm pretty sure a little work in my Wernicke center would make my life easier. Unfortunately, when men offer to pay for implants, it's rarely to augment your brain.

I read "I, Cyborg" last summer and Kevin Warwick gave his wife some temporary cybernetic enhancements, after turning himself into a cyborg of sorts. I don't understand how he got this human research apporved by any sort of ethics review board, but it was interesting. I think the idea of receiving thoughts directly from another person without being able to turn them off is scary, but the Warwicks seem to love each other a lot.

Unfortunately, when men offer to pay for implants, it's rarely to augment your brain.


LOL!

I don't understand how he got this human research apporved by any sort of ethics review board

Probably just didn't bother. Do you have to if you're doing things to yourself? I don't recall a tatooist friend of mine ever having to worry about ethics committee paperwork when people come in for subcutaneous studs and similar cosmetic stuff.

And the verichip's been licensed for human use for several years now:
http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/april2004/040704bajabeachclub.htm

I think the idea of receiving thoughts directly from another person without being able to turn them off is scary

Yeah, I'd want an "off" switch, but I'd still go for it like a shot if it was commercially available

"Probably just didn't bother. Do you have to if you're doing things to yourself? I don't recall a tatooist friend of mine ever having to worry about ethics committee paperwork when people come in for subcutaneous studs and similar cosmetic stuff."

I see your point, but surgically implanting a small array of electrodes directly into your nervous system is not merely cosmetic (see http://www.kevinwarwick.com/ or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0252072154/103-8325835-9197433?v=glance&n=283155).
The surgery was done in a hospital by doctors. Either of the Warwicks could have lost use of their arm (the implant was in the median nerve of the left arm). This is experimentation on humans. (Wives are human too).

In the US, high school students are suppossed to go before a make shift review board if they use human participants for AP psychology experiments that may be no more complicated than a survey. Not all sudents do this, but the idea is that in psychology, there are ethical rules when humans participate. Also, I cannot imagine a biology teacher telling students they can experiment on themselves and their family for extra credit. In the US, that would be questioned.

I'm not complaining. I liked the book. I'm sure Mrs. Warwick knew what she was doing. It's just that the procedure is a little trickier than your average tatoo. I'm no fan of paperwork, but I'd hate to see this become a trend.

On the other hand, it may make a good movie. "Honey, I banked on your neural plasticity." Could be fun.

I would never want to be augmented to recieve thoughts from anyone else. I do that sometimes without any help. I am known for answering people's questions before they ask them, thinking they had said it out loud, and making the comment someone else was going to make word-for-word at the same time as they say it.

It sounds cool, but you never pick up anything interesting, and having other people's negative emotions crowding up the air around you is terrible and puts you on edge like none other.

That would be an awkward conversation.

So where do you live?
Oh, just down the road in Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.
Excuse me?
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.
You live in Japan!!??

Awkward perhaps, but not confusing. There are of course no Ls in Japanese. Incidentally, I believe Welsh is the only language in the world that permits 4 consecutive Ls - it sounds rather like someone choking on their tongue
And if they lived in Japan, they would, presumably, hail from mari-no kyokai shiro na hashibami-no ni tani hayai uzumaki soshite akai hora-ana-no chikaku-ni tisiryo-no kyokai Or somesuch.

(apologies to any native Japanese speakers for the patchy grammar - renshu-busoku de arimasu!)

surgically implanting a small array of electrodes directly into your nervous system is not merely cosmetic

Well, that's true I guess. Perhaps we're just a bit more laid back about it all over here (and historically less litigious if it all goes horribly wrong )

I suppose it's a different emphasis really - we get quite militantly worked up about eg: genetically modified foodstuffs while American society (there are individual exceptions of course,) doesn't seem to even notice, let alone question the wisdom of such tampering with nature.

But if some boffin wants to wire himself up to a computer - well, it's his neural functioning he's risking. And if his wife chooses to join him (presuming there's no coercion involved,) that's her choice.
Vive la difference/be afraid, be very afraid/delete where applicable.

Like I say, if I could find someone who'd offer the procedure affordably, I'd be the first in the queue

"- we get quite militantly worked up about eg: genetically modified foodstuffs while American society (there are individual exceptions of course,) doesn't seem to even notice, let alone question the wisdom of such tampering with nature."


When you grew up eating food covered in DDT, a little bioengineered food stuffs seems as wholesome as blood pudding. Honestly, I’d eat organic food if it didn’t cost so much. When you win the lottery, be sure to send me enough money for better food.

Honestly, I’d eat organic food if it didn’t cost so much.

Could always grow some yourself? Unless you live in a condo - I guess there's only so much you can harvest from window boxes

When you win the lottery, be sure to send me enough money for better food.

Will do

My grandmother (God Rest her soul) could plant a yard stick in the ground and it would sprout leaves.. I wish that could of been passed on to me. I cant even raise a cactus.

The only thing that i can get to grow is a bulb garden... guess not all is lost.

I just want to grow collard greens for the actual Luigi

Lima beans! Collard greens! Peachy keen! Veggie Tales!