NationStates

Hey all, I have had a question burning into my mind, seeing as I have been playing Cyberpunk recently, I started getting into body augmentation and modification, which leads me to ask this question to you

Do you believe that we’ll be able to replace parts of ourselves within the next ten years, if so, why or why not? What is your personal opinion on implants

Personally, I hope implants and body modification becomes a possibility within the next ten years, seeing as we already have quite a bit of technology which, albeit with a little modification and development, will help us achieve this goal, which in turn will bring wonders to both the scientific community, the workplace, and freedom of expression.

Long time Shadowrun player here, just hand me the catalogue...

I don't think it'll happen within the next ten years, in fact we'll be lucky if it happens in the next 50.

I do think it'll happen and the technology is progressing rapidly, but I don't think it'll be widely commercially available or popular for a long time. It'll probably start off as something for people with neurological or physical injuries and hopefully slowly progress from there.

I probably wouldn't get it done myself though. I rather fancy being an old man in the future ranting about how much I don't like modern technology and how we never had those fancy robot arms back in my day and we were fine, consarnit!

As far as I know, there is currently nothing really that benefits from being put inside the body instead of being a wearable.
Robot arm? Just wear an exo-skeleton.
Sight? Glasses that can do all that stuff.

Only thing I could see work is Cybernetic Protheses, as they have an actual benefit, but I doubt we will have anything worth actually cutting up your own body for them what wouldn't be achieved by just wearing them as clothing.

I look forward to the world of Smart Breasts_TM.

Wormfodder Delivery wrote:As far as I know, there is currently nothing really that benefits from being put inside the body instead of being a wearable.
Robot arm? Just wear an exo-skeleton.
Sight? Glasses that can do all that stuff.

Only thing I could see work is Cybernetic Protheses, as they have an actual benefit, but I doubt we will have anything worth actually cutting up your own body for them what wouldn't be achieved by just wearing them as clothing.

You are neglecting the aspects of self expression, the ability to have almost limitless expression via new limbs, people can become smarter with intergrated brain phones

Emotional Support Crocodile wrote:I look forward to the world of Smart Breasts_TM.

Have a screen that says “if you see this, look at my eyes”

Wormfodder Delivery wrote:Sight? Glasses that can do all that stuff.

Only thing I could see work is Cybernetic Protheses, as they have an actual benefit, but I doubt we will have anything worth actually cutting up your own body for them what wouldn't be achieved by just wearing them as clothing.

Glasses can't fix my scarified retina, and if I had my druthers, I'd have something that would fit in my eye socket, not a box welded to the side of my head like a Machina Cultist, or a headband plugged into my head that can get dislodged or damaged. Though at least in my case, we're a lot closer to viable retinal transplants than cybernetic eyes, and a retinal transplant won't need charging or an extra implant that requires power. Ultimately it'd be up to the cost, I guess.

I really want retinas that will pop up a hud with people's names when I talk to them.

Count me in- I don’t care about corporations reading my mind as long as it will be piratable

The Republic of Western Sol wrote:-snip-
You are neglecting the aspects of self expression, the ability to have almost limitless expression via new limbs, people can become smarter with intergrated brain phones

People can self-express themselves via clothing and wearables already, I personally don't see them chosing putting machinery into their own body as viable, nor do I see it having an advantage over, y'know, having the extra arms be controllable by your own body without them being completely attached. Not to mention the fact that a human body, with how wet and warm it is, isn't exactly an environment in which machines last very long, not to mention those integrated parts breaking. Far easier to solve when they aren't part of your body.
Also, a brain phone sounds, bluntly said, quite stupid, not to mention that the radiation a normal emits is currently tested if it is harmful or not, but putting constantly electromagnetic waves into your brain is... Pretty sure I don't even need to say that.

Ankuran wrote:

Wormfodder Delivery wrote:-snip-
Only thing I could see work is Cybernetic Protheses, as they have an actual benefit, but I doubt we will have anything worth actually cutting up your own body for them what wouldn't be achieved by just wearing them as clothing.

Glasses can't fix my scarified retina, and if I had my druthers, I'd have something that would fit in my eye socket, not a box welded to the side of my head like a Machina Cultist, or a headband plugged into my head that can get dislodged or damaged. Though at least in my case, we're a lot closer to viable retinal transplants than cybernetic eyes, and a retinal transplant won't need charging or an extra implant that requires power. Ultimately it'd be up to the cost, I guess.

And that is why I did note that Prosthetics are a different thing than people who have perfectly functional bodyparts replacing them with machinery. In your case, indeed, a technological Retina-prothesis would be beneficial, but what of people who'se eyes aren't broken in any way? In their case, just having glasses, monocles or even contact lenses would be quite frankly enough.

Also Y'all really underestimate the aesthetic potential of full tech exo-suits
Edit: Also, there are already body mods around, but, apart from the prosthetics, they achieve nothing that couldn't be done by making them wearable

I'm sure we'll come up with neat things to do with them eventually, but I wouldn't expect much in the near future.

Wormfodder Delivery wrote:People can self-express themselves via clothing and wearables already, I personally don't see them chosing putting machinery into their own body as viable, nor do I see it having an advantage over, y'know, having the extra arms be controllable by your own body without them being completely attached. Not to mention the fact that a human body, with how wet and warm it is, isn't exactly an environment in which machines last very long, not to mention those integrated parts breaking. Far easier to solve when they aren't part of your body.
Also, a brain phone sounds, bluntly said, quite stupid, not to mention that the radiation a normal emits is currently tested if it is harmful or not, but putting constantly electromagnetic waves into your brain is... Pretty sure I don't even need to say that.

It’s been proven that EM radiation from phones is negligibly low and increases probabilities of cancer by a very small percentage- and by the time it’s likely to develop I’ll be dead already so I personally wouldn’t care.

Modifying “healthy” bodies would open new possibilities to treat dysmorphia, especially cases where less invasive surgery methods might not work. Like, if someone was to take my body and put my brain into, say, an MBT I’d be fine with that as long as that MBT wouldn’t be a cope cage-fitted T-62

My gramps had already one - a hearing implement. Coupled with a wooden/steel leg. And nitroglycerine pills for the heart.

So, cool. Actually, I hope we get serious implants asap, as in functional cybernetic eyes with a decent resolution (we're nearing that afaik). Also, replacement hands are nearing, which is incredibly cool.

As for the use of cybernetic prosthetics not for a need but for a want, I'm a bit split. Looks like a waste of resources, but hey, if it contributes to develop prosthetics further and to make them less expensive and mass produced, why not.

No interest, so I would be very annoyed if they became de facto required like smartphones.

Not expecting them for a good long while though, unless you count those very niche microchip credit cards already floating around, but they're very niche.

I would definitely take a chip in my brain that makes happy chemicals, though only if it couldn't be wirelessly controlled and if it could be taken out if I wanted it out. Also nanites to regrow my mutilated foreskin.

The Republic of Western Sol wrote:Do you believe that we’ll be able to replace parts of ourselves within the next ten years

No: the first heart transplant succeeded in December 1967.

Page wrote:I would definitely take a chip in my brain that makes happy chemicals, though only if it couldn't be wirelessly controlled and if it could be taken out if I wanted it out. Also nanites to regrow my mutilated foreskin.

Try to go outside some more and get sunlight or get a daylight lamp.
That stuff is really powerful at making one happier, no implants needed.

firmly of the opinion that cybernetic enhancements and genetic modification would be both incredibly beneficial to humanity, as well as make it so that long-term habitation of planets that otherwise would prove incredibly difficult to colonize, such as mars and possibly even venus. However, I do recognize that it can and most likely would have severe negative side effects, much like the ones hypothesized in sci-fi stories like Mike Pondsmith's universe, cyberpunk 2020. I think exploration into the field is the next step in furthering the reach of humanity, however, should be handled with utmost care and caution.

There will be behavioral control implants within 10-15 years. At first they will be seen as a “humane” alternative to prison etc. but will ultimately be mandatory for all but a few “elite” families.

People will vote for this.

Wormfodder Delivery wrote:

Page wrote:I would definitely take a chip in my brain that makes happy chemicals, though only if it couldn't be wirelessly controlled and if it could be taken out if I wanted it out. Also nanites to regrow my mutilated foreskin.

Try to go outside some more and get sunlight or get a daylight lamp.
That stuff is really powerful at making one happier, no implants needed.

It doesn’t work when your mental issues come from mental illness which are not completely controlled by antidepressants. I tried it in the summer, didn’t do anything. Chemicals to brain would do perfect for me.

Kerwa wrote:There will be behavioral control implants within 10-15 years. At first they will be seen as a “humane” alternative to prison etc. but will ultimately be mandatory for all but a few “elite” families.

People will vote for this.

I’ll vote for it. Why not? If you can’t do shit with your freedom why would you even need it?

Tangatarehua wrote:
I do think it'll happen and the technology is progressing rapidly, but I don't think it'll be widely commercially available or popular for a long time. It'll probably start off as something for people with neurological or physical injuries and hopefully slowly progress from there.

This is already a developing field of medicine as far as I know. Plus amputees already have a variety of options (depending on what limb was lost of course) on what kind of limb replacement they wear, some have even chosen to have several and swap them out depending on the situation and requirements if I'm recalling correctly. As of this moment I'm a little too busy to fact-check these statements so take it with a grain of salt, but if my memory serves me well it would seem that we are further into the age of body enhancement than we might realize.

If David Eagleman is right that the brain is basically plug and play, give the brain input and it will work out how to best use it, a string of advances will be along pretty shortly.

Laka Strolistandiler wrote:

Wormfodder Delivery wrote:Try to go outside some more and get sunlight or get a daylight lamp.
That stuff is really powerful at making one happier, no implants needed.

It doesn’t work when your mental issues come from mental illness which are not completely controlled by antidepressants. I tried it in the summer, didn’t do anything. Chemicals to brain would do perfect for me.

Of course, Anti-Depressiva are needed when suffering medical depression, but I didn't mean just going out for short time and be done with it, I mean long sunbathing for tons of Vitamin D. I have chronical depression myself and can confirm that a daylight lamp makes me downright euphoric.