[extropy-chat] A brief transhuman life, anyone?

Rick aperick at centurytel.net
Mon Feb 7 01:41:29 UTC 2005


Who among you would trade a guaranteed forty more years of natural human
decline and natural death (certain) for a guarantee of just twenty more
years of transhuman existence? The latter scenario would end just as the
former, with an absolute and of all that was you. You are being forced to
pick one of the two. 

Your transhuman makeover would start now and end twenty years from now. No
slower/faster than normal paced perceptions nor multiple instantiations
would be allowed and you will not be allowed to bestow any sorts of great
gifts (nor wreak any sorts of havoc) to humanity in part or in whole. Other
that that, you could be whatever you can imagine for the twenty years,
providing that the jenie of this thought experiment can employ the physical
laws of his universe to make it so. You are not allowed any further
information in making this decision, you will have to guess as to what
limits the jenie may find in this universe. You can however be assured that
all the mainstream dreams of today's transhumanists regarding the prospects
of nanotech and uploading can all be fully realized, along with more than
ninety percent of what ever else most of you can imagine. 

I *have* been mainly angered over the prospect of my own demise, but lately
have been looking favorably on the twenty years. I think that for me this
may mean that I hate certain aspects of being a natural human even more than
I am concerned with my continuing to exist. I fear my own thoughts. I fear
that I am unable to see the struggle (a sort of war really) that is biology
as a thing worthy of preservation. It has become increasingly difficult to
be green. Humor survives, but it isn't pretty. 

Which is it for you, avoiding death? Or, transcending the issues and limits
of a naturally evolved lifestyle? Resist the urge to not face the question
and claim they are equal, you must pick one. 

(I: 45 years done, expecting up to around fifty more, such as they may be) 




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