Slashdot Mirror
Inside the New Science of Neuroengineering
palegray.net writes "Wired brings us a look into the world of neuroengineering, the science of hacking the brain to improve its function. Dr. Ed Boyden is the director of MIT's Neuroengineering and Neuromedia Lab, focusing on innovative methods of physically altering neuroanatomy for various purposes. As useful as discoveries in the field may be, the work certainly raises moral and ethical questions. From the article: '"If we surgically or electrically modify someone's personality... that raises many questions about personal identity, (of) who we are at our core," says Dr. Debra Matthews
of The Berman Institute of Bioethics. "We place ourselves in the mind and therefore the brain. (Mood-altering surgery) feels like fundamentally modifying who a person is."'"
slashdot chorus of "let us hack away at our bodies, and use all the mind altering substances we want, the enemy here is just narrow-minded busy bodies"
there is a subtle philosophical issue at play here, and the issue is self-perception. for example: you win a chess match, or ace an exam, or win the nobel prize, while under the influence of a concentration enhancing drug, or with some sort of technological mind alteration
the question is: did YOU achieve something, or did your modification achieve something?
what happens is we develop a poverty of self-perception. you begin to think: without various crutches, i cannot achieve what i achieved. such that you have no confidence, and you have no real self-regard. you begin to think of yourself as just a piece of meat channeling some sort of technology or drug. that you yourself are not the key to your own performance
...
Having just taken my cognition enhancer. I have just had an epiphany. This conversation is only a distraction and waste of time as /. is populated mostly by Trolls. I just realized I am a Troll. So that is why I enjoy it here.
To say something on topic. It was Abraham Maslow who said.
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.
So any tool will change how we perceive the ourselves and the world. But this can not be totally avoided and there will be room for those who wish to follow either path. Oh wait it is wearing off...
Feel the urge to Troll comming back...
I am sick and tired of everyone being sick and tired. If I loath myself so much I want to modify my brain and body let me. Go on and develop your mind but leave me out of it and hug a tree while your at it.
"The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget." -Thomas Szasz
I agree, no one goes crying foul when teenagers go through puberty and the hormones change them into stupid little whipper snappers that won't STAY THE HELL OFF MY LAWN!
Moralists do serve a purpose.
Hmm... yes, nothing else goes quite so well with plum sauce as a nice, juicy roast moralist. Except babies, of course. I love babies. [smacks lips] If I could only find some baby moralists, my culinary experience would be complete.