Biomachnical Future

Discussion in 'Biology & Genetics' started by Reiku, Sep 19, 2007.

  1. Reiku Banned Banned

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    Professor Pam Silver, of Harvard Medical School believes that we might be able to create biomechanical computers. [i can't help but think of the Star Trek nemesis, The Borg here] - but what cannot be ''resisted'' here, is the fact it is all theoretically possible. However, i would argue that it would be a slow functioning bio-automata. Thus, other things come to mind i must express with the creation of biomechanical machines:

    How do you transfer thoughts and feelings into a consistent neuro-relay transmitter between the organic and mechanical elements using electrolyte conductivities? This computer, if my assumptions are correct, could be created with an artificial eye - one linked to this high-speed - in fact, possibly faster-than-light itself device, if we could know how to make this 'feedback circuit' I’ve been talking about... which can be interpreted as a simple ''in-put'', processing, ''out-put'' system.

    Then of course, how do you rectify the expanding signal degradation, inherent in organic neural transmissions? And equally, how do you continue to stop this organic tissue from simply dying without the supplements of natural chemical biological coherency, found in entire biological and complex systems?

    This artificial eye must be wired into the mechanical mainframe - thus the supercomputer can take optical images of the 'outside world' as we do. Then use a feedback system, like an information and memory feedback loop oscillating throughout its positions... This could be seen of a superpositional working automaton using magnetic flux quanta, and allow it to see the world as we do, except within its own superdimensional cyberspacetime, and perhaps this might tease it out of its deceptive, cyber reality (and possibly take on human characteristics?)... In other words, become intelligent and knowing it simultaneously?

    * which again, could be interpreted as an artificial cerebral in-put, out-put system.

    This would all give rise to new limbs for patients. It might also hold promising aspects for sight. An eye though is very difficult to achieve, and it will quite possibly be the second most difficult to control (the brain being first) - so we won't be having any heads in a jar just yet... :bugeye:

    How Might We Create A Computer Eye?

    We already have artificial eyes, in the form of camera's and hand-held video-recorders... but a biological eye has its problems - especially when conjoining it with mechanical bodies... to solve the problematic that arise from joining organic and artificial coherency is far from solvable, i believe. Though, if we can, could we create an eye for a computer? But as i believe, we have many problems to solve before such a task is executed...

    Then, once we have achieved the problems concerning biomechanical devices, we might have the question to what kind of computer we would have. Indeed, a biomechanical eye would be a very slow working device i presume, we might require a much faster working computer - much faster than any Boolean computer. There is another super-accurate computer coming in the midst. This is a quantum computer, capable of following quantum rules. However, the problem with a quantum computer, is that it would not be very reliable, as it would work only from time-to-time... as we are informed from the programmers.

    If we are creating the eye for the vision of some artificial intelligence, we might not be able to bind reality into a smooth continuous set of frames, as found in the human paradox, called the binding problem. Nevertheless, if we could not achieve this, it wouldn't effect the ''mind'' of the computer. It would, i dare say it might stall it even longer. We need to remember that we work the way we do because our bodies are finely tuned. As soon as we create a computer, using biomaterials, the signal degradations would be vividly apparent to an outside observer. This is mainly due to the materials being used.

    Though, we have never been closer in performing such a task. Perhaps within the next 50 years we will be able, not only biomechanical eyes, but perhaps also larger parts, such as arms... though, i dare say, there maybe some ethical questions raised.
    I like the idea of this new age of technology - though, like anyone else, some of it can seem slightly disturbing - and it can tend to make one wonder what the future of the world holds; a world possibly full of danger - but also a world with no cancerous diseases or the common cold - the latter i am sure the world would like to welcome.

    What i am not for, is the testing of animals. I know that in the last 80 years, the testing of animals have accelerated the ability to treat humans; but our ability to put ourselves first among animals is rather disturbing. Life is precious either way. It's only our intelligence that is really the illusory between the so-called importance of homosapians and animals.

    However, moving on scientists have been able to recreate life from scratch, using synthetic biology. One example of the good uses of this synthetic biology was shown through the work of Dr. Hamilton Smith and Dr. Craig Venter in the Venter Institute in Rockville, announced not long ago that they had recreated a ''bacteriophage'' - which is a virus that attacks bacteria. They achieved this by synthesizing its DNA.

    It may seem strange that a germ can catch a germ - so-to-say. The germ of a virus would be much smaller and attacks its host from the inside. Bacteria can be prone therego to other types of parasitic infections and viruses. Take for instance the E coli bacterium. When the E Coli is infected with a type of bacteriophage known as T4, it will inexorably rupture and die, after something like half an hour.

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    It is now believed that this is the first step in the synthetic engineering, and could have profound implications for mankind, such as the treating of diseases. Let's have a look at some of the uses synthetic forms of life can provide the scientific community. One application for the future, is production of drugs, which would involve creating synthesized cells which produce their own natural chemicals, molecules and precious enzymes. It may even help defeating dangerous bacteria, such as E Coli. Another equally amazing feat, would be something called ''sensing cells.'' The smart cells can sense the age of a tumor and even treat it! Another application, is to create very special bacteria that can detect toxins in the atmosphere, and simultaneously dispose of them; such toxins would include nuclear waste to heavy metals.

    Another major application for the future will be using biological cells to help create nano-technology... One just needs to contemplate the serious implications this could have for the developing future. Professor Tom Knight, a senior research scientist at MIT in Boston say's, ''The exciting thing about biology is that it's manufacturing technology. Biological cells make things at the nanoscale much more precisely and cheaply than any other technique we have to do these jobs.'

    The use of nano-technology will be world wide within the next few decades. One application will be using nano-technologies in foods, to supply vital vitamins and numerous other supplements in foods and drinks. This will be welcomed, especially in America, where nearly half their populous is morbidly overweight. It a lazy way to devour our food; just imagine it... Nano scale technology could change the color, texture and even the taste - it could change a potent glass of whisky into a nice refreshable-tasting organ juice - literally at the push of a button - and synthetic engineering could help that dream along the way.

    Not only all of this, but the very studies of this synthetic engineering will allow us to imagine even the most improbable of dreams... some of these may include the creation of superhumans. As we are already aware of in genetic engineering allows the solutions of sex selection, and according to medical Dr. Robert Winston, within the near future, we will be able to select what baby's sex we so desire. But this is only the edge of the blade. We might be able to synthetically engineer babies - new humanoid life forms - perhaps with 50 percent extended life to the next human, and immune systems much more advanced than our own. Though, such advances in science have serious ethical problems; but such engineering of new human life forms aren't possible until hundreds of thousands of years; after all, we still don't know everything about the human genome.

    Even though human engineering might be far into the future, one major theory involving synthetic life engineering is to create life on Mars, perhaps achieving this by growing flora or fauna on its rocky surface, creating alien life, surviving on this inhospitable planet. In fact, we might endeavor to create an atmosphere on Mars by shipping our garbage to Mars. The gasses from our wastes would begin to create its own atmosphere... Not only this, but it would be economically friendly for this planet simultaneously.

    Reiku :m:
     
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  3. draqon Banned Banned

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    I believe it is called bioengineering. You discuss so many things here...its hard to grasp what exactly you want to be discussed. I too truly believe that biomechanical engineering is the future, integration of mechnical parts with human tissues has already begun...with arteficial pumping hearts and artificial bones serving their duty.

    Integration of something as complex as the eye with the machine...do we really need that in a machine? What exactly is a purpose here...to create a machine ability sensors on a human or to create human sensoring on a machine? Or is the result really the same...an android. Because these two are different, one possesses a consciousness and one does not. Anyways some cameras are way more advanced than a human eye...can rotate more and can see in more diaposones...so limiting a machine with the human eye would be inadequate. What a machine needs to adapt from a human however is efficiency and robustness of the human system, perhaps wastes could be recycled many times over and over again, heat could be somehow used instead of energy being lost *hydraulics*...
     
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