I was thinking about an interesting question. If possible, would you undergo a process that would result in you not being human anymore and instead being turned into a cyborg for any reason? Reasons can include saving your life, being able to live endure any hazardous conditions, and being ageless. You would have durability, strength, and who knows how many untold abilities but would you be willing to sacrifice being a human?

Would you be willing to give up being human to become like exhibit A (http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRuH0Uib2TuODjMZhd3J0XXhqxQAfcKUMjdCmZga45ss3MKcX6-) exhibit B (http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ4fim1KBpy5R_BHxheY4vqiZD-m6Hf8Hym4Itu5RlN18SjkAt9) or exhibit C (http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQBQAwH2YHinuzCxCEbggQsoeoaczj_W1KhFdCd38n6IfW62jxk) for any reason in particular?

I would unless one of two realities were the case:

1. I was forced into the military.

2. Crazy fundamentalists went around killing them (quite likely, unfortunately)

My reason is pretty lame: I've got a couple mild health issues that'd be nice to not have to deal with anymore.

Also: what makes you human is your free will, ability to think and rationalize, and your personality. Not some sack of flesh.

Never. In fact, I am not sure I would even want a prosthetic if one of my limbs got removed from my body somehow.

Yes. Very much yes.

I'd want it 101% if I could have a tail as well.

But seriously, I have one major "health" issue that could be fixed with some small "robotization" (hello Sonic The Hedgehog) and not something full-fledged like what you are implying, but I'd still go for the whole nine yards if it was possible and the memory imprinting / brain case / whatever method was very, very safe.

Only if I could be completely robotic, like the Necrons in WH40k, I would not want to be part flesh, part machine.

Nope. I'd rather see the afterlife than lose my pure humanity.

As long as I am given full control of my body, with no way for someone to "hijack" me, I would. I would also like a self destruct button that only I can access.

... I had lots of thought-provoking stuff here, but then I realized it's probably not a good idea to go too deep down that rabbit hole. So, yeah.

Also, robotization obviously raises the issues of control and whatnot - a kind of "autistic mode" would be likely very necessary if there was any communication with outside sources (i.e the Internet).

Right. As I see it, this comes down to ones views on the nature of consciousness, which is essentially a religious question, and we ought not go there.

Exactly.

Yes I would. I won't miss my various health problems in exchange for borderline superpowers.

If my state of mind was preserved as it is and I was still me as I am now when it comes to personality, then losing my body of flesh would be a small price to pay for immortality as a cyborg. I can only imagine the kinds of epic novels I could write if I had infinite time to write them.

Not if I have to look like any of the above examples... If I could be like a replicant without the mental limitations, then absolutely.

It sounds great until you realize when it's too late and the prostetic is a cheap,fragile,overpriced crap that breaks down every day and they have full control over you.

I would give anything to improve my humanity.
However things like robotization and immortality should be greatly monitored. For one they should only be made available to people that need it - for example biological immortality should be extended to astronauts so they would survive long space travels.

If lifespan-enhancing stuff becomes mainstream at one point I'd do my best to ensure that only a small fraction of the world would be entitled for such ascension. If I actually become a microbiologist in my life as I intend, I would then count myself as one of the people entitled for transhumanist enhancement. Scientists, astronauts and engineers for one should be given full power of science to assist them in their goals. I would definitely prefer people like Stephen Hawking living century upon century if we just could do it.

Whenever scientists find out how to prevent telomere degradation I hope they guard that information carefully. The last thing we need is millions of gullible peasants extending their lifespans and thus overloading our already fragile system.

As far as robotization is concerned I would prefer that humanity does not cross that line. There is nothing a cyborg can do that a regular industrial robot can't, and the eventual military use of robotics would cause massive destruction upon this planet when you don't need to worry so much about human casualties.

Technocrat much?

Probably better than what we have now.

Oh yes. My ideal society would be a mostly abandoned earth inhabited by no more than a few million people, centralized government ran by scientists and engineers, with the sole purpose of advancing humanity through science. No soldiers, no priests, just people working on science and technology. The inevitable portion of people who are unwilling, too stupid or otherwise incapable of Contributing are responsible for physical labor.

Cybernetics can replace injured body parts without loss of capabilities like with modern prosthetics and replace organs without risks of rejection like with current transplants. There's a lot of advantages for cybernetics. I don't at all care about immortality (in fact, I'd rather not have it, immortality is the worst "gift" you can receive from my point of view. The only good thing is more time to procrastinate). Just because you get cyborg'd doesn't instantly make you immortal either. Rather than a biological death, it'd be other forms. There's still risks and then there's the upkeep costs. It wouldn't be possible for most to live even as a cyborg forever. There would probably be limitations on the brain as well (remember, a cyborg is still part biological, at least the brain if nothing else, otherwise it's no longer a cyborg but an android). So long as things like Alzheimer's disease and the like are still around, there'd be a point where even if your body is immortal, you'd be better off dead, or effectively dead anyway. Also, cybernetic soldiers are better than full robot soldiers. With cyborgs there is still the "human life" aspect of war.

I'm quite in favor of singularity (also note that nothing about singularity states we will ever achieve immortality)

Only if the following were true:

1. I was hardened against all forms of external electromagnetic activity. I don't want a built-in internet collection, radios, infolinks, or any of that crap. The only way anyone should be able to mess with my machine flesh is by slicing me open.

2. the ability to change the output of my mechanical structures. I don't want to have to buy steel girders just to do bondage.

3. I'd like my head and torso to have a basically organic appearance, and for the various orifices and genitals to remain organic.

4. That I have access to a cure for Alzheimer's. My Grandfather has it, and I don't want to get cybernetics just to live long enough to see the worst Alzheimer's does to a person applied to me.

5. That I have free or affordable access to upgrades.

Good luck with that.

When I think of cyberization (or robotization, as op calls it), I think of how it was done in Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C.. In those regards, I can see where those kinds of things would be a very appealing idea. I don't mean I would personally completely cyberize like some may, but to some degree of cyberization could be helpful. I myself would like an upgrade to my reaction time, as well as an upgrade to my muscle reflexes (let's face it: without one, the other is rather useless). I don't believe that cyberization would lead to immortality - it may prolong your life, but there's only so much you can do before there isn't really anything left of you.


That sounds like a combination of Umbrella, Shinra, and Cerberus all put together. I'm not so sure I'm comfortable with that.

This thread is mighty difficult to navigate due to aforementioned reasons. Perhaps that is unfair. I will add, however, that it makes me think of 2001: A Space Odyssey (Clarke), or I, Robot, or Prelude to Foundation (Asimov). The latter is not nearly as good as the Foundation Trilogy, but touches on these issues.

Nope, problems arise when people don't die.