Re: [DIYbio] Research Questions - YOUR HELP NEEDED!

[David Murphy]

1. Why do you think people are looking to 'enhance' themselves through bio-hacking? 

At the moment? it's not really a practical thing as there's not many useful enhancements on offer, I'd say it's a combination of why people get tatoos/piercings. A way to advertise themselves as members of a certain social circle. That being said I've never attempted any such enhancement. 

2. Why do you think we need to upgrade and bio-hack our lives?

What exactly do you mean by this? Do you mean genetically engineering ourselves or using all forms of biotech and technology in any way that has an effect on the world around us? 

Hopes for the future. I know I grew up on a diet of scifi worlds where limbs could be replaced with cloned limbs or biotech or people could be protected from disease with artificial immune systems. Where peoples lives were made easier or better with advanced implanted technology. It seems like a nice goal. 

No matter how impractical at the moment, someone has to take those first tentative steps. 

3. Do you think there is a limitation to bio-hacking? Why?

Practical or theoretical? 

Practical: it's really really hard. It's like trying to program a computer by starting with a huge complex self modifying  program and inserting instructions with little control of exaclty where they end up with no manual. 

Theoretical: very few. There's a huge amount of potential with few really hard limits. 

4. Do you think that our advances in technology have been somewhat influenced by the science fiction movies and books we see and read? Why?

Of course, something has to make you interested. there has to be some hope for the future beyond making slightly better versions of what we have now. 99.999% of the things in scifi are utterly impractical/impossible but every now and then someone capable will read something close enough to possible that it makes them think "hmm.. I think I can see how that might work"

5. Do you think there is a potential danger to society by creating an idea that there is a need to advance human beings through artificial means? Why?

Danger as in? There's a danger to modern society in the same way that technology threatened medieval society. Technology and the consequent social changes pretty much make that kind of society and it's way of life impossible now so you could say it was a threat but as someone living in modern society I'm ok with that. 

On Tue, Sep 23, 2014 at 3:42 PM, laconnell5 <lauraa...@hotmail.co.uk> wrote:

Hello All,

I am gathering research for my dissertation on how far we as human beings are integrating ourselves in to this age of technology to essentially evolve the human race and how and why we are considering further methods of science to help advance ourselves.

If anyone here would be so kind as to answer the questions below. It would be greatly appreciated and will help me to continue my studies. Of course as with all research, privacy and confidentiality of individuals can be taken in to effect if necessary. 

1. Why do you think people are looking to 'enhance' themselves through bio-hacking? 

2. Why do you think we need to upgrade and bio-hack our lives?

3. Do you think there is a limitation to bio-hacking? Why?

4. Do you think that our advances in technology have been somewhat influenced by the science fiction movies and books we see and read? Why?

5. Do you think there is a potential danger to society by creating an idea that there is a need to advance human beings through artificial means? Why?

Thank you very much for you time!

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