Chinese Researchers Using Gene-Editing for Real

[Marina Schwarz + 1,576]

EXCLUSIVE: Chinese scientists are creating CRISPR babies

Let me know when to upgrade my vague worry to genuine freaking out. Thank you.

[Tom Kirkman + 8,860]

24 minutes ago, Marina Schwarz said:

Let me know when to upgrade my vague worry to genuine freaking out. Thank you.

Vagus Nerve Exercises

Vagus nerve stimulation can be turned on easily though a number of breathing and relaxation techniques:

•Deep/slow belly breathing.
•'OM' Chanting
•Cold water face immersion after exercise
•Filling the mouth with saliva and submerging your tongue to trigger a hyper-relaxing vagal
  response.
•Loud gargling with water
•Loud singing

To practice deep breathing, inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. 
Remember to:
•Breathe more slowly.
•Breathe more deeply, from the belly.
•Exhale longer than you inhale.

[Marina Schwarz + 1,576]

Oh, I was just about to try it when I clicked on the link and saw how our brains "sprout" new brain cells and I got too distracted imagining the sprouting. But thanks for the thought!

On a serious note, how Gattaca is this? It's definitely fascinating.

[Dan Warnick + 6,100]

They have a severe shortage of females in China due to the one-child policy of years (not so distant) past.  How long does it take to percolate one of these?  Could be faster than the backlog to get a, er, "companion" doll.  (obviously I didn't read the full article.)

[DA? + 301]

As soon as it's shown to be safe I'll upgrade.

[Marina Schwarz + 1,576]

That may take a while, DA? 😁

[JunoTen + 118]

Cyborgs beat crispr people.

[Tom Kirkman + 8,860]

2 minutes ago, JunoTen said:

Cyborgs beat crispr people.

And AI will probably beat cyborgs, eventually.

[JunoTen + 118]

4 minutes ago, Tom Kirkman said:

And AI will probably beat cyborgs, eventually.

Don't worry, because once you're a cyborg you will merge your brain with AI to become smarter!

[DA? + 301]

41 minutes ago, Marina Schwarz said:

That may take a while, DA? 😁

It wouldn't surprise me if in the next decade or so an athlete is found to have altered their DNA to improve their ability. I don't expect it to be available for the masses in my life time but I expect for my son's generation DNA alteration and direct linking with computers will be the norm. They will also probably be the first generation of humans that are functionally immortal. 

[Tom Kirkman + 8,860]

10 minutes ago, JunoTen said:

Don't worry, because once you're a cyborg you will merge your brain with AI to become smarter!

I prefer my dumb old brain to remain AI free, just ordinary grey cells.

[Tom Kirkman + 8,860]

9 minutes ago, DA? said:

It wouldn't surprise me if in the next decade or so an athlete is found to have altered their DNA to improve their ability. I don't expect it to be available for the masses in my life time but I expect for my son's generation DNA alteration and direct linking with computers will be the norm. They will also probably be the first generation of humans that are functionally immortal. 

If cyborgs are a physical merging of human and machine, what would a merging of human and AI be? 

Humans aren't AI software and AI software isn't human.

[DA? + 301]

4 minutes ago, Tom Kirkman said:

I prefer my dumb old brain to remain AI free, just ordinary grey cells.

Many will, but don't worry a reserve will be created for them.

[Tom Kirkman + 8,860]

Just now, DA? said:

Many will, but don't worry a reserve will be created for them.

Ooooh, coralling up us plain old humans and shipping us off far away sounds ... exotic.

[DA? + 301]

1 minute ago, Tom Kirkman said:

If cyborgs are a physical merging of human and machine, what would a merging of human and AI be? 

Humans aren't software and software isn't human.

Humans are just biological machines and ones that can be greatly improved on. The link we have already with todays computers and AI's is very slow and a direct link will be made.

[Tom Kirkman + 8,860]

@Marina Schwarz do you prefer human, CRISPR, cyborg, or AI + Human for your future?

Personally, I'm sticking to remaining 100% ordinary human.

[DA? + 301]

1 minute ago, Tom Kirkman said:

Ooooh, coralling up us plain old humans and shipping us off far away sounds ... exotic.

If a bear feels it to be exotic wondering around in the woods that have signs around it calling a reserve.

[Tom Kirkman + 8,860]

1 minute ago, DA? said:

If a bear feels it to be exotic wondering around in the woods that have signs around it calling a reserve.

Ouch.  So plain old humans will become obsolete?  And protected from extinction by "higher intelligence"?

[Marina Schwarz + 1,576]

4 minutes ago, Tom Kirkman said:

@Marina Schwarz do you prefer human, CRISPR, cyborg, or AI + Human for your future?

Personally, I'm sticking to remaining 100% ordinary human.

Plain human, thank you. 

[JunoTen + 118]

20 minutes ago, Tom Kirkman said:

If cyborgs are a physical merging of human and machine, what would a merging of human and AI be? 

Humans aren't AI software and AI software isn't human.

It's like using your phone and computer to become smarter. The only difference is the computer is directly on your brain cells.

[Tom Kirkman + 8,860]

1 minute ago, JunoTen said:

It's like using your phone and computer to become smarter. The only difference is the computer is directly on your brain cells.

Interesting.

But I prefer not to connect my brain directly to AI (or even to my plain old smartphone).

Then again, maybe I'm just a dying breed of old fart human who doesn't want a software upgrade added to my thinking processes.

Already I don't trust Google or Facebook or Twitter or CNN or WaPo.  And sure as heck would not want those softwares hardwired directly to my brain cells.

Because that wouldn't be an "upgrade" to being human, that would be a hostile takeover of humans.

[JunoTen + 118]

3 minutes ago, Tom Kirkman said:

Interesting.

But I prefer not to connect my brain directly to AI (or even to my plain old smartphone).

Then again, maybe I'm just a dying breed of old fart human who doesn't want a software upgrade added to my thinking processes.

Already I don't trust Google or Facebook or Twitter or CNN or WaPo.  And sure as heck would not want those softwares hardwired directly to my brain cells.

Because that wouldn't be an "upgrade" to being human, that would be a hostile takeover of humans.

I don't trust them either. But the general trend is towards decentralization, so I expect the old model of news outlets to fade away. As for security, we'll need good antiviruses. But the benefits are great, because to learn something you'll just have to download it, be it a skill or information. Also you'll be able to see directly what's happening in a protest for example, through the eyes of one of the participant.

[Tom Kirkman + 8,860]

1 hour ago, JunoTen said:

I don't trust them either. But the general trend is towards decentralization, so I expect the old model of news outlets to fade away. As for security, we'll need good antiviruses. But the benefits are great, because to learn something you'll just have to download it, be it a skill or information. Also you'll be able to see directly what's happening in a protest for example, through the eyes of one of the participant.

While that is a fascinating concept, I really want no part of it.  I prefer being able to put down my smartphone and my computer and walk away for a while.  Disconnect and take a nice walk outside.

That would be difficult to do with AI directly hardwired to my brain.  No thank you.

[Tom Kirkman + 8,860]

3 hours ago, DA? said:

Humans are just biological machines and ones that can be greatly improved on. The link we have already with todays computers and AI's is very slow and a direct link will be made.

 

3 hours ago, JunoTen said:

It's like using your phone and computer to become smarter. The only difference is the computer is directly on your brain cells.

 

There is an increased risk of a rare type of cancer from a type of breast implant.

● Breast implants can be removed faily easily.

● Removing a computer chip or hardware implant from a brain would likely be more difficult.

Rare cancer linked to breast implant used by millions of women

A type of breast implant used by millions of women around the world is under scrutiny after French surgeons were advised to stop using it because of a potential link with a rare kind of cancer.

Textured breast implants have been linked with anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), which forms in the scar capsule around the implant and normally begins with pain and swelling in the breast.

Women who have the implants and capsules removed can make a full recovery, but if left untreated the disease can spread throughout the body and become life-threatening.

There is growing concern about the effects of the implants, with figures collected by plastic surgeons suggesting there have been at least 615 cases of the disease associated with breast implants, and 16 deaths. ...

[DA? + 301]

20 minutes ago, Tom Kirkman said:

 

 

There is an increased risk of a rare type of cancer from a type of breast implant.

● Breast implants can be removed faily easily.

● Removing a computer chip or hardware implant from a brain would likely be more difficult.

Rare cancer linked to breast implant used by millions of women

A type of breast implant used by millions of women around the world is under scrutiny after French surgeons were advised to stop using it because of a potential link with a rare kind of cancer.

Textured breast implants have been linked with anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), which forms in the scar capsule around the implant and normally begins with pain and swelling in the breast.

Women who have the implants and capsules removed can make a full recovery, but if left untreated the disease can spread throughout the body and become life-threatening.

There is growing concern about the effects of the implants, with figures collected by plastic surgeons suggesting there have been at least 615 cases of the disease associated with breast implants, and 16 deaths. ...

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Arthur C Clarke.

We will get there and now we know of one less material to implant in breasts.