| From: | Matthew Kille |
| Date: | 26 Aug 2000 at 21:35:20 |
| Subject: | Re: AMIOPEN: Ami on ABC (Maybe!) |
Hi Victor,
On 26-Aug-00, Victor I. Haaz wrote:
> It's usually good if Ami gets more publicity, but, if it gets related to
> some at least 'questionable' or even disturbing notions, or person, so,
> it's maybe brings negative results.
> [...]
Well, if it's any comfort to you, it's unlikely to happen again. This was
just a spur of the moment opportunity.
> I've seen him first in a saturday night show. I can't really decide
> whether he is just a scoop-hunting crowd-shocking showman, or sciencist,
> but a really crazy one. He claims the near(!) future is of the cyborgs,
> with half body artifical, and with (lots of) electronics implanted in
> their brains, controlling thinking/emotions/etc.
> [snip]
I can see that this really upsets you. Quite a lot of people seem to get
very worked up about this subject, and I'm not sure if it's because they
don't like the idea of "cyborgs" or whether they just don't believe it's
possible. It's very similar to the argument for/against genetic
engineering on humans: There are huge potentual benefits, but people often
prefer to focus on negative aspects.
I should point out that although Kevin is (one of) my supervisor(s), I work
in a completely different field of research. However I can add a few
comments that are relevant here:
Today, human body implants are quite common and widely used, even brain
implants. These are a great benefit to the people who use them, as they
control fits, restore hearing, sight, stop heart attacks, (pacemakers),
etc. Technically, these people are 'cyborgs', but that doesn't mean that
they are any less human than the rest of us.
The research that Kevin Warwick is working on concerns tapping into nerve
fibres to read and record signals sent from the brain. (I don't know where
you got the controlling thinking/emotions bit from.) This could have major
benefits for the phyically disabled, as it has the potentual to allow
better control over (possibly artificial) limbs.
This /is/ serious research.
> If you want to disscuss it further, then let's go private:
> victor@pannonline.hu
I already suggested that, but you brought it back to this mailing list!
However, I don't think it's worth discussing further; You've obviously got
your mind made up, so I wont try to convince you otherwise.
Regards,
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