18 July, 2009

Humanity is so screwed

Half-robots?

Imagine: You're shambling down the avenue. Bluetooth stuck to your ear, thumbs-a-Twitter. Your GPS-enabled phone is piloting you to a meet-up with your soccer buddies, but the lecturer's IM interrupts with a snarl about your assignment so now you're pondering a new spin on "the dog ate my homework."

Meanwhile your calendar is pleading about overdued rentals. And at this moment, that girl from your high-school pings: She's friend-ing you on Facebook.

And with so much tech people are lugging around these days, should we consider ourselves robots? or maybe cyborgs?

What's the diff?

When most people think "cyborg", they're referring to a "humanoid robot", as in Chii from the anime Chobits.

Real cyborgs (as opposed to fictional) are more frequently people (or animals) who use cybernetic technology to repair or overcome the physical and mental constraints of their bodies. While cyborgs are commonly thought of as mammals, they can be any kind of organism.

Yes, even a person using a working, movable prosthetic limbs are considered as cyborg.

Robot sex?

That's an issue that will arise when we start developing very life-like humanoid robots. Something for the future generations to ponder on.

When people think of robot-human sexual relationship, instantly they think of social suicide. "Oh my goodness! We're all going to vanish!" We will have billions of people on Earth, more than we have ever had prior to this century! And through all of history before, we've had lower populations.

No one worried that we'd vanish from the Earth! And besides, if it looked as though we were going to vanish from the Earth, all that has to happen is the word goes out: have babies. And you'd be surprised how fast we can make it up. *winks*

What about technology for reproducing robots? It is still in its infancy. Self-replicating robots is by-product from the study on creating self-repairing robots.

Watch this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyzVtTiax80

Note: read my previous post on Mecha-musume.

Half-humans?

First, you need to know that there's a different between a humanoid robot and a humanoid cyborg. The former is a robot that looks like human. While the latter is a human that is enhanced with technology.

Cyborgs already exist in the real world. The fact that I can't live without my laptop or cellphone, has already made me a "honourary" cyborg.

Lets say if a person was born without limbs, but had his body supported by robotic arms and legs. Would it make that person any less human? Because of the fact he has robotic limbs or because he was born without limbs?

For millennia, great men have debated on what it actually means to be human, and the answer still inconclusive. We, however, can't judge a person's humanity based on physical values or appearances.

... continue reading

09 July, 2009

Still in drafts

Currently faced with a backlog of 'drafted' posts.

Why is it so you ask? Well, I tend to post stuff which are rather 'factual'. So some articles may have to be proofread and re-edited. Then there's the occasional need to cross-refer with previous articles or outside sources.

It's not my style to post a bunch of pictures with little written content. I'll leave that to the more 'trendy' people. After all, posting without in-depth knowledge of the subject matter just goes to show a writer's ignorance.

Anyways, the ideas for some of the articles may have stem from my earlier ideas and writings. Searching through random scribbles, weird diagrams, and sketches found in hidden recesses of my room is like discovering messages left behind by a lost civilization. I taken upon the difficult task to decipher what I may have left behind more than a decade ago.

If I do find anything usable, only minimal editing shall be made as to preserve the original intent of the earlier writings. Hence, you may notice the similar but subtle difference in wordings and ideas, back then and now, especially those dealing with philosophy.

... continue reading