Wetware Robot Slaves

HungryJoe

Just recently, Chinese scientists successfully controlled pigeons through electronic means. They had successfully controlled the movement of mice beforehand. I saw a science program on television that showed some researchers sending a mouse through a maze using electronic signals sent directly to the mouse's brain. They were controlling the mouse just like it was a robot.

This reminds me of one of the early panels of We 3 that showed a group of mice whose body parts had been replaced by tools being remotely controlled to work on building/repairing a piece of machinery.

With the technology these scientists have now, it's easy to imagine a future time in which animals are remotely controlled to do things they wouldn't normally do. For instance, a mouse could be sent down a pipe to patch a leak or something. Would that be slavery if the mouse was naturally unwilling but had to respond because it was being electronically controlled? What if scientists could do this with humans?

If we're uncomfortable with cloning research, how can we be comfortable with mind control research?

Rym

But what if we went one step further, like the dog sentries in Snow Crash? They were controlled in order to serve a useful function, but were also conditioned to -want- to do so. They were made such that they -enjoyed- doing their job. Is that better, or worse, than simple control?

In humans, this raises all manner of interesting questions. If a human's thoughts or actions can be controlled through external manipulation of the brain, then can there be any real argument against the idea that the physical brain is itself the seat of consciousness (as opposed to a soul or what-have-you)? If a human's memory can be altered, then do memories actually mean anything anymore?

Hitman Hart

Haven't they proved that memories could be manipulated anyhow, and not even with machines or something like hypnosis? I could've sworn it was on your show I heard about something where they used a nostalgic style to fool people into thinking they drank a soda when they were little? I think it was around when the new Coke can design was brought up

HungryJoe

But what if we went one step further, like the dog sentries in Snow Crash? They were controlled in order to serve a useful function, but were also conditioned to -want- to do so. They were made such that they -enjoyed- doing their job. Is that better, or worse, than simple control?

Maybe, if we are comfortable in trusting the wetware programmers. I'm not. It would be easy to imagine some punk wetware programmers programming an animal to enjoy being lit afire, film it, and post the fim on YouTube.

Even if we trusted the wetware programmers to be good, pure, just, and ethical, programming desire negates free will. Or does it? Would we be comfortable thinking that animals don't have enough free will to make a difference? Are we certain that there's enough of a gulf between humans and animals that wetware programmers could never negate a human's free will?

Jason

I am Locutus. I am a Borg.

I mean, isn't that where this conversation is heading?

HungryJoe

How much do you want to bet that Microsoft is researching how to employ these techniques to make us buy Vista against our will?

Andrew

I am a Borg.

Sorry, but I'm pretty sure that is an impossible statement. As a collective, the borg have no sense of individuality. Whenever they refer to themselves it is always as "We are borg." When Locutus introduced himself he said "I am Locutus of borg."

Josh Bytes

It's like Animal Farm but with cyber implants.