http://betterhumans.tribe.net/thread/dc232063-d463-4d7f-844b-972fab407ef7?format=rss Tribe.net. Local Connections http://betterhumans.tribe.net/thread/dc232063-d463-4d7f-844b-972fab407ef7#f53d44dd-6efc-43e2-b188-1f3a52efcbde With molecular nanotechnology,brain alteration would be an easy task.Molecular nanotechnology would not only be able to repair what is now considard to be totally irreversible brain damage,but would be able to change the very structure of the brain cells themselves to make them work quite a lot better./ If we had molecular nanotechnology,we would be able to cure even the most severe cases of mental retardation!!And Terri Schiavo would be able to function "normally". Fri, 15 Sep 2006 23:33:47 GMT http://betterhumans.tribe.net/thread/dc232063-d463-4d7f-844b-972fab407ef7#f53d44dd-6efc-43e2-b188-1f3a52efcbde $item.owner.firstName 2006-09-15T23:33:47Z http://betterhumans.tribe.net/thread/dc232063-d463-4d7f-844b-972fab407ef7#b09122de-fb52-4ae2-8b6d-465f17dccad2 I think physical improvements will come first, regardless of what SHOULD come first. Physical improvements are mostly easier to make. The brain is very complex, and alterations are difficult to make. I see the attempts to make people more compassionate and smarter are mostly cultural shifts, rather than surgical alterations. Better education, better diet, better awareness of how things we eat affect our mental abilities, these are cultural things. But enhanced prosthetics are something I can see happening soon, in the technological field. We almost have things to the point where people can DIY build their own enhancements. Tue, 12 Sep 2006 19:41:22 GMT http://betterhumans.tribe.net/thread/dc232063-d463-4d7f-844b-972fab407ef7#b09122de-fb52-4ae2-8b6d-465f17dccad2 Trouble 2006-09-12T19:41:22Z http://betterhumans.tribe.net/thread/dc232063-d463-4d7f-844b-972fab407ef7#6fa94c31-cddb-44b4-99d3-b139f2546abf Judging by what things are like in the World today, I would say that Mental improvement should MOST DEFINETLY come first and should be a TOP PRIORITY!!!! Fri, 21 Jul 2006 23:19:48 GMT http://betterhumans.tribe.net/thread/dc232063-d463-4d7f-844b-972fab407ef7#6fa94c31-cddb-44b4-99d3-b139f2546abf $item.owner.firstName 2006-07-21T23:19:48Z http://betterhumans.tribe.net/thread/dc232063-d463-4d7f-844b-972fab407ef7#9b4fcef6-515f-4457-995f-3054fb4dce3e From what I've read about transhumanism as a general philosopy (i guess you'd call it) It appears to advocate both physical and mental improvement to the point where physical improvement should only really occur within the boundaries of the mental. From what I can gather, to progress and become better humans we should not only change our physical but also our mental, cultivating and retaining the best qualities of our nature so that we are kinder, more understanding/compassionate, better able to relate and interact with others etc. It is within these improved mental capacities therefore that we will be best able to make desicions about the technologies we chose to enhance our bodies with, how they should be distributed within the population and generally avoid the pitfalls such as inequality that are likely to arise. If this is the case, then mental advancement should preceed physical in order that it is used properly. However it seems the possibilities of improving the physical body through technology are more realised than those that will improve our mental attributes. Do we therefore wait until they have the technology to make us all more compassionate loving human beings capable of using the physical technology wisely? Do we undertake a process of improvement on our own without technological help and then decide when we are ready? Do we just leave the decisions and legislations up to someone else or finally do we just go ahead and improve our physicality and hope the mental follows? Or is none of this a consideration should we just all be free to change ourselves in whatever ways we think will make us better? Thu, 20 Jul 2006 15:08:44 GMT http://betterhumans.tribe.net/thread/dc232063-d463-4d7f-844b-972fab407ef7#9b4fcef6-515f-4457-995f-3054fb4dce3e sarah 2006-07-20T15:08:44Z