What would it feel like to be a cyborg?

As we continue to augment our bodies with technology, we become more and more like cyborgs. This includes simple technologies like glasses, and more complex technologies like organ implants and cybernetic limbs and brain computer interfaces. This is the study of transhumanism, trying to use technology to go beyond current human limitations (biological, genetic, or capability limitations).

Technology tends to fade into the background. Our brains get used to operating the technology, and we stop thinking about the tool and start thinking about the task we are trying to solve. The same is true of any technology, no matter how complex. Additionally, our notion of self can expand to include this technology if it is necessary for our continued existence. For example, smartphones or assistive devices like wheelchairs. Our sense of proprioception itself expands to encompass the non-biological objects.

While we know that these types of transformations are possible or may soon be possible, what will they actually feel like to the person undergoing transformation? Will they continue to feel human? This video postulates that they will, because of the extreme neuroplasticity of the human brain and our ability to integrate technology into our sense of self and sense of bodily proprioception. We go through some fun examples of what these changes might feel like.

#ai #transhumanism #cyborg #feeling


Transhumanism: "The World's Most Dangerous Idea" | Philosophy Tube
   • Transhumanism: "The World's Most Dang...  

Bioethics and Transhumanism [journal]
https://academic.oup.com/jmp/article/...

Letter from Utopia
https://nickbostrom.com/utopia

The Transhumanist Reader: Classical and Contemporary Essays on the Science, Technology, and Philosophy of the Human Future [book]
https://www.google.com.au/books/editi...

The Transhumanist Reader Quotes
  / the-transhumanist-reader  

Max More - Transhumanism and the Singularity
   • Max More - Transhumanism and the Sing...  


0:00 Intro
0:25 Contents
0:32 Part 1: Technology and humans
0:39 Definition of transhumanism
1:01 Extension of humanism (human experience at center)
1:31 Co-opted into other contexts
1:50 Definition of a cyborg
2:19 From cyborg to posthuman to mind upload
2:49 What is technology in this context?
3:20 We've always been technologically augmented
3:44 Example: smartphone cyborgs
4:11 What is progress? Is it a universal value?
4:43 Example: political ideology from failed progress
5:04 Transhumanism can't solve all problems
6:00 Part 2: The notion of self
6:24 Good technologies fade into the background
6:59 Example: fork and chopsticks
7:15 Example: hammer
7:25 Example: driving a car / motorcycle / bicycle
7:46 Example: typing on a keyboard
8:01 When typing is painful, technology returns to foreground
8:44 Composite solution also doesn't need thought
9:06 Our notions of self and technology are flexible
9:14 Example: hat/backpack causes sense of proprioception to grow
9:37 Example: tools like hammers, badminton rackets
9:50 Example: driving a car
10:01 Example: wheelchair is part of self
10:19 Scientific evidence for expansion of self
10:50 Self is what's necessary to your continued existence
11:33 Example from TED talk
11:53 Part 3: Expansion of consciousness
12:04 A good brain computer interface
12:40 What would augmentations feel like?
12:54 Physical augmentations
13:42 Mental augmentations
14:33 Psychological augmentations
15:21 What level of telepathy would be possible?
15:44 Thoughts on posthumans (Letter from Utopia)
16:58 Ship of Theseus applied to cyborgs
17:19 Application to mind uploading
17:46 Book recommendation: Bobiverse
17:58 Mind uploading can be a continual experience
18:30 Conclusion
18:54 Using technology isn't conscious
19:35 What augmentations actually feel like
20:08 Outro