While it's true that we have made significant advancements in the prosthetics and assisted living it still doesn't hold a candle to real human organs.
I know just enough biology to know how incredibly complex a single living cell is. When you multiply that by the billions of cells in the human body it leaves me in awe. I believe that prosthetics and assistance devices will help but the true advances in improving the human condition will come from biology or maybe the integration of biology and technology. As to ethics, while I'm sure it's controversial, IMO we are all just meat. There is nothing sacred about the human body. If we can harvest amniotic fluid or body parts great or grow them in other animals I think it's great. Of course I would never condone growing human bodies or cloning for the singular purpose of harvesting organs but if organs can be grown in test tubes I'm all for it. On Tue, Apr 12, 2011 at 7:19 AM, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > Probably- or in process. We might also throw in the great leap of > mechanical devices from pacemakers to the many advances made for > seriously wounded soldiers as well as injured civilians. Someone I > knew works to train monkeys for the disabled plus there are guide > dogs, robots, computers. Structures can be redesigned to aid the > disabled from cars to homes. Alarm systems- bath cubicles- electric > transport up stairs (name?). Anyway- I am just throwing out some > morning thoughts. All cost $$$. The criticism of elderly care should > be balanced with the terrific costs of preemies that in former days > would have perished- and we should throw in rx that extend life beyond > realistic expectation though I am adverse to rx- just listeniing to > the rapid fire admission of critical reactions sounds worse than what > needs a "cure"! Yes- it took a long time to find methods that would > decrease the body's fatal reaction to a foreign implant.//The natural > healthy body is such a miracle- pregnancy is really amazing when one > thinks of it.//So what is the result of all these advances? Well, age > leads to deterioration of the system- like it or not- so that > operations might be successful but the patient dies anyway. And > medicine is certainly a ripe field for ethicists, isn't it? A good bit > of advice for all: Do No Harm; might be a great motto for the human > race! > > On Apr 11, 9:21 am, Chuck Bowling <[email protected]> > wrote: > > I'm not disputing your statement but the only human body parts that I'm > > aware of being manufactured in the lab are skin, veins, and bladders. All > > relatively simple structures. Are there more complex organs being > > manufactured that I'm not aware of? > > > > > > > > On Mon, Apr 11, 2011 at 6:25 AM, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Scientists/researchers are also becoming adept at growing human body > > > parts in the lab= spare parts? This would stop the sale of body parts, > > > one hopes, and also the body's rejection of a foreign object but > > > humans would still have to deal with old age and death. > > > > > Well, my God is not primitive. He seems quite up-to-date to me! :-) > > > > > On Apr 10, 7:29 am, Chuck Bowling <[email protected]> > > > wrote: > > > > Actually, the only thing we've created is a few books that describe > what > > > the > > > > god of a primitive society might be. > > > > > > Well, that and artificial life. I read somewhere that scientists have > > > > managed to replace the DNA in a single-celled organism to create a > new > > > life > > > > form. > > > > > > On Sun, Apr 10, 2011 at 1:06 AM, malcymo <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > If our purpose was to create God then we have suceeded;we have > passed > > > > > the test; we can now pack up and go home. > > > > > > > I have always thought it strange that intelligence should choose to > > > > > reside in such a frail biological entity. Then I suppose the choice > > > > > was not its. > > > > > > > Malc > > > > > > > On Apr 10, 1:55 pm, Chuck <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > At the risk of sounding like a complete and utter nutcase: > > > > > > > > I remember reading something in another thread about humanity > being > > > > > > the universe trying to understand itself. > > > > > > > > I don't know if I buy that but what if we are the seed that is > meant > > > > > > to create universal consciousness? > > > > > > > > If you think about it, it seems like the entire universe is > unfolding > > > > > > into increasing complexity. First there was the undefined > singularity > > > > > > that was the precursor to the big bang. According to theory, a > > > > > > billionth of a second later there was a single uniform fluid that > > > > > > separated into all of the matter and energy that we know in a > single > > > > > > cataclysmic instant of expansion. > > > > > > > > Over millions of years the elementary particles collapsed into > atoms > > > > > > of hydrogen which resulted in Class I stars. This in turn led to > > > Class > > > > > > II and Class III. > > > > > > > > As the complexity of stars increased so did the variety of basic > > > > > > elements. This led to the binding of elements into molecules and > > > > > > eventually to life. > > > > > > > > My point is that the universe appears to be 'falling' towards > > > > > > complexity. The 'purpose' or maybe more aptly named 'causal seed' > of > > > > > > each evolutionary step in the universe seems to be to allow > increased > > > > > > complexity in the next stage. > > > > > > > > To continue the analogy, evolution seems to be for the purpose of > > > > > > increasing adaptability. Single-celled organisms evolved into > multi- > > > > > > celled which evolved into fish, animals, etc.. > > > > > > > > In the big picture humans are a fragile lot entirely unsuited for > > > > > > existence beyond the boundaries of a very small subset of > planetary > > > > > > environments in the universe. > > > > > > > > What if our 'purpose' is only to be the seed for the real > > > intelligence > > > > > > in the universe? Maybe the ultimate result of our exploration > into > > > > > > nanotechnology and AI will be to create the next stage of > existence - > > > > > > an entity with vastly improved intelligence and adaptability > beyond > > > > > > our own. > > > > > > > > What if our purpose is to create god? > > > > > > > > On Mar 27, 6:34 pm, malcymo <[email protected]> wrote:> Raison > > > D’etre > > > > > > > > > Should we not be looking for the meaning of life; creating a > > > meaning > > > > > > > for life; endeavouring to change the human condition and > society > > > for > > > > > > > the greater benefit of future generations. That one of these > > > > > > > generations will be extinguished is of no importance given the > > > > > > > absurdity of existence.- Hide quoted text - > > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > > - Show quoted text -
