Which enhancements would you like? “Yes” doesn’t mean “always” but “as needed”. Choose “Other” if unsure, if you see other choices you want to comment on or if you just want to see the answers.
[pollid:908]
[pollid:909]
Virtual clones [pollid:910]
Real clones [pollid:911]
Independent clones [pollid:912]
Think faster [pollid:913]
Think slower [pollid:914]
Perfect memory [pollid:915]
Conscious access to numeric computing ressources (arithmetic, statistics) [pollid:916]
Conscious access to symbolic computing ressources (logic) [pollid:917]
Conscious access to turing complete computing ressources [pollid:918]
Recall of information from the web like own memory [pollid:919]
Conscious control over habit formation [pollid:920]
Affect emotional states in a controlled way (happiness, attention, fear...) [pollid:921]
Alter my mind in deeper ways [pollid:922]
Move my mind into or expand my mind to vehicles or other bodies [pollid:923]
Perceive radiation natively [pollid:924]
Perceive material properties natively [pollid:925]
Act via tactile control of audiovisual devices [pollid:926]
Act via tactile control with feedback via augmented senses [pollid:927]
Act via linguistic control of audiovisual devices [pollid:928]
Act via linguistic control with feedback via augmented senses [pollid:929]
Act via conscious thought control of audiovisual devices [pollid:930]
Act via conscious thought with feedback via augmented senses [pollid:931]
Interact with artificial beings [pollid:932]
Interact with artificial beings that are smarter than I [pollid:933]
Interact with artificial beings that are less smart than I [pollid:934]
Interact with artificial beings that are more powerful than I [pollid:935]
Have (parallel) consciousness which runs at time-scales of societal change [pollid:936]
Conscious access to slow processes [pollid:937]
Be consciously aware of cost-benefit trade-offs any application or usage of the above enhancements brings [pollid:938]
What would the use be of thinking slower? Maybe for boring times?
I don’t just want conscious recall of information from web-like own memory, I want to be able to communicate (both receive and transmit) directly in hypertext—I don’t know what it would be like, but it’s frustrating that I can’t.
If I could alter my mind in deeper ways, I’d like really good version control. I’d also like to be able to toggle between sensory extension and old-style sensory systems—there’s a lot of art which is optimized for currently standard senses.
And I’d like self-modules., so that if I wanted to experience something as though it was new to me or as if I were at an earlier age, I could. Daniel Pinkwater (a notable author of children’s books) has mentioned that he has access to what it’s like to be various ages.
What would the use be of thinking slower? Maybe for boring times?
No, though that might be useful for things like long space travel too.
I’m more thinking about the ability to perceive and act on longer timescales effectively. What Robin Hanson calls the Long View. We are not very good at noticing and consciously dealing with processes that are much slower than our attention span. We have to piece these together from episodic memory.
Sorry for the laaaaate reply. Curious whether you are still here.
I think people are SEVERELY overestimating the utility of perfect memory (74% yes, 10% no), and underestimating the value of traumatic and unpleasant experiences fading over time. Some people currently have perfect memory, it is not a good experience.
A better selective memory is a good thing. Electing to remember where you placed your keys or the name of your mailman is a good idea. Having perfect memory of all the idiotic things you said or did during your first break up or that fight with your mom, or more importantly that time you were molested or almost died in combat is a recipe for emotional disaster and severe PTSD. Its very hard to control where your mind dwells and how memories are triggered, but slow fade and nostalgic filters protect us from the worst emotional damage of long-term rumination over negative events.
In addition to good memories, every angry word, every mistake, every disappointment, every shock and every moment of pain goes unforgotten. Time heals no wounds for Price. “I don’t look back at the past with any distance. It’s more like experiencing everything over and over again, and those memories trigger exactly the same emotions in me. It’s like an endless, chaotic film that can completely overpower me. And there’s no stop button.”
She’s constantly bombarded with fragments of memories, exposed to an automatic and uncontrollable process that behaves like an infinite loop in a computer. Sometimes there are external triggers, like a certain smell, song or word. But often her memories return by themselves. Beautiful, horrific, important or banal scenes rush across her wildly chaotic “internal monitor,” sometimes displacing the present. “All of this is incredibly exhausting,” says Price.
What’s the difference between “die when I want” and “immortality”? I would expect “die when I want” would mean that I keep living until I decide to die, and “immortality” would mean that I keep living, but I could totally change my mind if I want to. I’m fine with clones if we can recombine, but if we can’t it would be disconcerting.
Which enhancements would you like? “Yes” doesn’t mean “always” but “as needed”. Choose “Other” if unsure, if you see other choices you want to comment on or if you just want to see the answers.
[pollid:908]
[pollid:909]
Virtual clones [pollid:910]
Real clones [pollid:911]
Independent clones [pollid:912]
Think faster [pollid:913]
Think slower [pollid:914]
Perfect memory [pollid:915]
Conscious access to numeric computing ressources (arithmetic, statistics) [pollid:916]
Conscious access to symbolic computing ressources (logic) [pollid:917]
Conscious access to turing complete computing ressources [pollid:918]
Recall of information from the web like own memory [pollid:919]
Conscious control over habit formation [pollid:920]
Affect emotional states in a controlled way (happiness, attention, fear...) [pollid:921]
Alter my mind in deeper ways [pollid:922]
Move my mind into or expand my mind to vehicles or other bodies [pollid:923]
Perceive radiation natively [pollid:924]
Perceive material properties natively [pollid:925]
Act via tactile control of audiovisual devices [pollid:926]
Act via tactile control with feedback via augmented senses [pollid:927]
Act via linguistic control of audiovisual devices [pollid:928]
Act via linguistic control with feedback via augmented senses [pollid:929]
Act via conscious thought control of audiovisual devices [pollid:930]
Act via conscious thought with feedback via augmented senses [pollid:931]
Interact with artificial beings [pollid:932]
Interact with artificial beings that are smarter than I [pollid:933]
Interact with artificial beings that are less smart than I [pollid:934]
Interact with artificial beings that are more powerful than I [pollid:935]
Have (parallel) consciousness which runs at time-scales of societal change [pollid:936]
Conscious access to slow processes [pollid:937]
Be consciously aware of cost-benefit trade-offs any application or usage of the above enhancements brings [pollid:938]
You may add other polls as sub comments.
I want to be able to reverse aging.
What would the use be of thinking slower? Maybe for boring times?
I don’t just want conscious recall of information from web-like own memory, I want to be able to communicate (both receive and transmit) directly in hypertext—I don’t know what it would be like, but it’s frustrating that I can’t.
If I could alter my mind in deeper ways, I’d like really good version control. I’d also like to be able to toggle between sensory extension and old-style sensory systems—there’s a lot of art which is optimized for currently standard senses.
And I’d like self-modules., so that if I wanted to experience something as though it was new to me or as if I were at an earlier age, I could. Daniel Pinkwater (a notable author of children’s books) has mentioned that he has access to what it’s like to be various ages.
No, though that might be useful for things like long space travel too.
I’m more thinking about the ability to perceive and act on longer timescales effectively. What Robin Hanson calls the Long View. We are not very good at noticing and consciously dealing with processes that are much slower than our attention span. We have to piece these together from episodic memory.
Sorry for the laaaaate reply. Curious whether you are still here.
I think people are SEVERELY overestimating the utility of perfect memory (74% yes, 10% no), and underestimating the value of traumatic and unpleasant experiences fading over time. Some people currently have perfect memory, it is not a good experience.
A better selective memory is a good thing. Electing to remember where you placed your keys or the name of your mailman is a good idea. Having perfect memory of all the idiotic things you said or did during your first break up or that fight with your mom, or more importantly that time you were molested or almost died in combat is a recipe for emotional disaster and severe PTSD. Its very hard to control where your mind dwells and how memories are triggered, but slow fade and nostalgic filters protect us from the worst emotional damage of long-term rumination over negative events.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/the-science-of-memory-an-infinite-loop-in-the-brain-a-591972.html
Insightful. But that really ‘only’ means that these transhumanists just want conscious access to the availability of the memory too.
Summary of results: we want everything.
What’s the difference between “die when I want” and “immortality”? I would expect “die when I want” would mean that I keep living until I decide to die, and “immortality” would mean that I keep living, but I could totally change my mind if I want to. I’m fine with clones if we can recombine, but if we can’t it would be disconcerting.
Lots of people have voted “other”—but not always (show results) so I wonder: What other options there are hidden?