[NTLK] OT: iPad vs. MS Courier: Sound Off

[Riccardo Mori]

quoth Ryan:

> In the case of brain-machine interfaces, we don't have to know everything there is to know about the brain for these things to work.   It just works.  Implanting circuitry in the brain with learned algorithms attached is incredibly powerful.

What is appalling, in my opinion, is that you don't seem to even question whether these brain-machine interfaces may have adverse effects for the human brain in particular, and for human society in general. Where you fancy a "world controlled by thought", I dread a world where most people are not really in control any more, a world where science and machines are more important than humans and ethics (so, for example, who cares if some people end up brain-dead? what matters is scientific progress, no?). And if my position sounds too paranoic, at least I think we should consider, for debate's sake, that it's likely that there will also be some of these brain-machine interfaces designed for less noble purposes. It's just the way things go with humans. For every good thing, idea, implementation, someone sooner or later invents some kind of exploit to achieve some questionable goal.  

This is why I don't want, won't ever want, any computerised implant in my brain. One thing is to hack a computer, another thing is to hack a computer inside a human being. I'm very happy with my current cognition levels, thanks very much.

Also, I think we're incredibly OT already.

Rick






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