Future Brain
What if they invented a chip that could be installed in your brain at birth, giving you twice the intelligence of other people. Suppose it had no negative side-effects, but was so expensive that only 5% of the population could afford it for their children. Having the chip would pretty much automatically give someone access to the best jobs available, not to mention other advantages.
What would the end result of this be? Where would such an invention take society? Would it be right to ban the chip altogether? But what if some people want it? Surely all parents want the best for their children. What right would the government have to intervene? And if they didn't, would society become even more fucked?
These are rhetorical questions only.
What would the end result of this be? Where would such an invention take society? Would it be right to ban the chip altogether? But what if some people want it? Surely all parents want the best for their children. What right would the government have to intervene? And if they didn't, would society become even more fucked?
These are rhetorical questions only.
posted by the baron ash von foolishness at 9:37 AM
2 Comments:
Have you ever seen the movie "Gattaca?" Its a sort of a Phillip K. Dick-lite Sci-Fi movie from the mid 90s starting Ethan Hawke and Jude Law (before he was famous). I think Uma Thurman is in it, too. The question you are pondering is at the center of the movie, but its in the form of being able to alter a child's genes directly before it is born. They alter the genes to make a child more intelligent and to eliminate things like obsesity, learning disabilities, pre-disposition to certain diseases, shit like that. In the movie, the generation of altered gene children are grown up and have become the superior ruling class, whereas those who have regular, unaltered genes are known as the "deGENErates," and are janitors, garbage collectors, etc... Its actually a good movie by Hollywood standards, certainly more intelligent than 80% of what's being churned out.
That would really suck. But think of all the potential Mozarts and Einstiens in famished parts of Africa. They're going nowhere unless Bono can save them...
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