General

Re: Year 2150

Curius Dentatus — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 11:02:05 GMT

And the uranium shells causing health damage? Please, that is totally unrealisitc. You could sleep with them in your underpants for what its worth, lol, and still ahve perfectly healthy children.

Your are not completely right. Yes, "You could sleep with them in your underpants for what its worth, lol, and still ahve [sic] perfectly healthy children" but that is not the problem with depleted uranium ammunition. The problem is when the bullets[DU] strikes against an object at high speeds including when it is shot out of the barrell.

Re: Year 2150

Azure — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 09:42:10 GMT

I thought women had babies at home because if you have the baby in the bathtub its like 70% less painful? And better for the baby b.c. warm water cushions them and keeps them warm. This is what my girlfriend says.

I think I've heard of that somewhere before, but every woman I know who's had a home birth didn't do it in the tub, so it's obviously not the only reason.

Re: Year 2150

Azure — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 09:40:27 GMT

You know, those "nostalgic reasons" are more powerful than capitalism. Take religion, for example.

Buddha, born 563 B.C.

Confucius, born 551 B.C.

Jesus, born 0 A.D.

Muhammad, born 570 A.D.

Despite the fact that these men were born thousands of years ago, they each have followings of literaly billions of people. Ideas and traditions really don't change very much over time.

The nostalgic reasons ARE capitalism. We are using "capitalism" to mean "everyone is free to do whatever they want within the bounds of their own property" right?

Re: Year 2150

wolfman — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 19:15:25 GMT

As a prophet you will never make a living in both a free society or facism.

Re: Year 2150

Merlin — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 18:59:25 GMT

abirkmanis:

Of course not. The baby spent ~9 month swimming, having the lungs filled with liquid since their development. The baby still gets oxygen through umbilical cord until it is severed.

Now that’s screwed up.

Re: Year 2150

ama gi — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 18:55:26 GMT

<i>And once it can be done cheaply there won't be much point in having a baby the natural way anymore, with the exception of the nostalgic reasons why some women have births at home today.</i>

You know, those "nostalgic reasons" are more powerful than capitalism. Take religion, for example.

Buddha, born 563 B.C.

Confucius, born 551 B.C.

Jesus, born 0 A.D.

Muhammad, born 570 A.D.

Despite the fact that these men were born thousands of years ago, they each have followings of literaly billions of people. Ideas and traditions really don't change very much over time.

Re: Year 2150

nandnor — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 15:37:27 GMT

actually the bathtub can be full of water. infants know how to swim, they will have no problems getting to the surface and chilling about there.

And the uranium shells causing health damage? Please, that is totally unrealisitc. You could sleep with them in your underpants for what its worth, lol, and still ahve perfectly healthy children.

I have to say that was the most well thought-out thing I've read all summer. Although hypothetical, both situations do seem incredibly feasible. I think we're heading towards 2 until the 2012 election when Ron Paul gets elected. But, after that, I say we're on Track #1.

It is impossible. Every US presidential election in the 20th century(and 21st), the more charismatic candidate has won. And Ron's pretty bad in that area.

Re: Year 2150

Andris Birkmanis — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 15:30:13 GMT

In the bathtub? Wouldn’t that drown the baby?

Of course not. The baby spent ~9 month swimming, having the lungs filled with liquid since their development. The baby still gets oxygen through umbilical cord until it is severed.

Re: Year 2150

Sieben — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 15:02:03 GMT

Not FULL of water.... like a couple inches

Re: Year 2150

Merlin — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 14:56:39 GMT

In the bathtub? Wouldn’t that drown the baby?

Re: Year 2150

Sieben — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 14:40:05 GMT

Azure:
with the exception of the nostalgic reasons why some women have births at home today.

I thought women had babies at home because if you have the baby in the bathtub its like 70% less painful? And better for the baby b.c. warm water cushions them and keeps them warm. This is what my girlfriend says.

Re: Year 2150

Azure — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 13:06:50 GMT

Don't be ridiculous. No scientific advancement in genetic engineering, cloning, or robotics will ever stop people from procreating the fun way.

It is doubtful the first iterations of transhumans will give up sex, but later ones probably will. Once you can physically modify your brain to have complete control over your feelings and thoughts, having an orgasm is as simple as pressing a button. Surely there will be those who will do it for nostalgia but it will no longer serve any practical purpose. Our descendants will probably find something more fun than sex to occupy their time with anyway.

As for procreation itself, "growing" babies within artificial wombs outside the mother (after all the kinks are worked out of course) will be much less stressful for the parents, and much safer for both the mother and the baby. And once it can be done cheaply there won't be much point in having a baby the natural way anymore, with the exception of the nostalgic reasons why some women have births at home today.

That's like expressing the luddite fear that machines are going to make human workers obsolete. Science will never make humans obsolete.

It depends on what you mean by obsolete. Is a javelin obsolete compared to a gun?

Re: Year 2150

ama gi — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 01:23:18 GMT

Probably a post human world, biology is on the verge of revolutionizing existence. 150 years from now I wouldn't be suprised if were not organic.

Don't be ridiculous. No scientific advancement in genetic engineering, cloning, or robotics will ever stop people from procreating the fun way.

That's like expressing the luddite fear that machines are going to make human workers obsolete. Science will never make humans obsolete.

Re: Year 2150

Ultima — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 19:10:06 GMT

Anyone read "Accelerando"? It's an interesting take on the changes to come.

Re: Year 2150

Azure — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 09:55:06 GMT

Well it depends on your definition of organic. The first "transhumans" will probably be made out of graphene-based circuits, assuming we don't find some way to make superior ones out of exotic matter first.