Would it be possible to use technology to artificially improve a person? Replacing limbs, for instance, for stronger, quicker, more efficient and precise limbs; replacing the bones of certain areas for carbon tube material to ensure indestructibality. Also introducing systems to ensure that the body is ultra efficient against things like poison and disease, and improving cognitive ability. Edit: And of immortality, what would it take to make someone immortal? As in, age is not a factor for them. Would this be possible?
Perhaps, in thenot-so-near future. A better question might be, would this be desirable? Think of the consequences. (Don't wish for things; they might come true)
Surely not that far away? Don't we have the capability to surgically implant/replace body parts? What consequences? Besides losing your humanity, you'd be immortal and superior.
The terming you are looking for is Transhumanism it's the technologists form of Nirvana. There is also this site, however I can't vouch for it, so if they turn out to be a bunch of nutty cult followers... don't blame me (I promise I'll review if they are). http://www.transhumanism.org/
Genetic engineering a fetus in its early stages to make it immune to diseases, stronger, and have almost no flaws would be a possibility. However, this whole concept is very reminiscent to Nazi ideals.
I am all for looking at what genetic engineering may be able to achieve in the future. Transplanting characteristics of other animals should not be an insuperable problem. As a senior citizen, I should like humans to be engineered to produce a first set of new teeth at six, and a second new set at sixty. Elephants, after all, get seven sets of teeth in a lifetime. Care should be taken when adding a third instalment of human teeth that our noses get no longer. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Further, live birth being a troublesome business, women should be re-engineered to lay eggs, which could be either hatched or eaten according to the economic situation. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Not quite to the extent you're talking about but it's certainly happening. I remember reading this story about a disabled sprinter who had prosthetic legs that enabled him to compete at a serious level, and there was talk of disqualifying him because the prosthetics offered some sort of cardiovascular advantage.
I am not talking about genetic engineering. I'm talking about using technological implants or synthetic replacements to bodily organs. In this way, could it not be possible to become immortal?
Yes. It's possible to do all of these things. We currently aren't very good at it (the current day prosthesis is still primitive at best). Immortailty is questionable.......but I could certainly say that 'prolonged lifespan' should be possible.
Wouldn't the brain eventually die, even if it was implanted in a machine that wouldn't? Anyway, Domesticated answered it best. It might be possible one day to completely replace missing limbs with equal or superior parts. But I think what you're more likely to see in the more distant future is genetic engineering as the way to make people a little more human than humans today. For instance, I don't think it's a reach to say that one day we'll be able to go and have our lung replaced by having the doctor grow us a new one. So that might end up being what takes prevalence over the whole techno-human thing.
Why would the brain eventually die? Anyway, techno-humans would be better than genetic engineered humans, since they would not have the disadvantages of being organic
It's organic. Limited shelf life, and all that. In addition, IIRC, new brain cells do not grow to replace those that die once you reach maturity, so some sort of "super plant food" for the thing to keep it going beyond its "expiration date" presumably wouldn't work. I freely admit I'm too lazy to look about trying to confirm that, tho'. They wouldn't be humans, they'd be robots.
That IS an awesome idea. Carbon tube bones so I can crash while mountain biking and not break anything? Put me on the waiting list already! I don't see it as Nazi-like, so long as non-altered humans were not discriminated against.
So what if it's organic? It won't decompose until we die, and so what is the reason to die? No. They'd be metallic Humans, technologically enhanced. Even if technically they aren't Human, they'd still be intelligent, concious entities.
