A deep dive into Donna Haraway's Cyborg Manifesto, reexamined through the lens of our existential dread over microplastics and what it means to live—and die—as a cyborg in the modern world.
https://open.substack.com/pub/siona17/p/even-cyborgs-die?r=1d3s7s&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

Are you fascinated by the boundless possibilities of posthumanism? Do you imagine a world where humanity has evolved beyond its biological roots, integrating with technology, AI, and new forms of existence?

If so, we invite you to become a part of Posthuman Beings Wiki, a dynamic and growing Fandom community dedicated to creating a comprehensive database of information on all kinds of posthuman beings (including A.Is, cyborgs, mind uploaders, androids, etc) ever imagined by mankind in all media forms (books, TV, comics, video games, etc). 

We are at the following Fandom link: https://posthumans.fandom.com/wiki/Posthuman_Beings_Wiki:AIs,_Cyborgs,_and_more

Our community is a vibrant tapestry of thinkers, creators, and enthusiasts who share a deep curiosity about what lies beyond traditional human experiences. Whether you're an academic, a sci-fi aficionado, a futurist, or just someone intrigued by the radical transformations of human identity, there's a place for you here.

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Embrace the future with us and help shape the evolving narrative of posthumanism. Together, we can explore what it means to be human in a world where the boundaries of identity and technology are constantly shifting.

Join us today and contribute to a community that's as forward-thinking as the ideas it celebrates. We look forward to seeing how you’ll contribute to our exciting and ever-evolving discourse!

Welcome to the forefront of tomorrow—welcome to our Posthuman Beings Fandom community!

Ray Kurzweil's predictions are nothing short of visionary. He sees a future where technology and humanity become inextricably linked in the most profound ways. Whether you find his ideas thrilling or unsettling, there’s no doubt they provoke thought and discussion.

Merging with AI: Humans Will Fully Merge with AI and Become Immortal Cyborgs by 2045

Kurzweil predicts that by 2045, humans will merge with AI to become immortal cyborgs. This concept isn't just a merge in terms of coexistence; it's about a symbiotic relationship where AI enhances every aspect of human life.

The Symbiosis of Humans and AI

To fully appreciate this prediction, think about your current relationship with technology. Smartphones, wearables, and the internet already make us 'cyborg-like' in some respects. Kurzweil envisions this relationship evolving to a point where AI becomes integrated into our bodies and minds. Here’s a step-by-step look at how we might get there:

• 2020-2025: Refinement of brain-machine interfaces.
• 2025-2030: Development of nanobots that can navigate through the human body.
• 2030-2040: Initial stages of AI integration into human biological functions.
• 2040-2045: Full merging of AI and human intellect.

This future scenario carries profound implications for how we view not just technology but also what it means to be human. Imagine having direct access to the world's information or acquiring new skills instantly. That’s the level of transformation Kurzweil predicts.

Resurrecting the Dead: AI Will Allow for the Recreation of Deceased Loved Ones

Perhaps one of Kurzweil’s most audacious predictions is the ability to resurrect the dead. According to him, AI will allow for recreating deceased loved ones, initially as simulations and eventually as physical beings.

From Simulation to Physical Recreation

• Phase 1: Digital Simulations: In the early stages, AI will create digital avatars of deceased individuals based on data collected during their lifetime—social media, texts, videos, and more.
• Phase 2: Physical Beings: With the advancement of AI and nanotechnology, it may become possible to construct physical replicas of these individuals, complete with their personalities and memories.

While this might sound far-fetched, consider the rapid advancements we have already made in AI, machine learning, and 3D printing. Combining these technologies could indeed make such a scenario feasible, albeit many moral and ethical questions would need addressing.

Increased Intelligence: Human Intelligence Will Multiply Millions of Times by 2029

Kurzweil posits that by 2029, human intelligence will multiply millions of times by directly connecting our brains with machines.

The Path to Superintelligence

• Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs): Technologies like Neuralink are already working on this today.
• Nanobots: Tiny robots that navigate through the bloodstream to boost cognitive functions and repair brain damage.
• Cloud Connectivity: Being able to connect our brains directly to the cloud could allow for unlimited mental capacity.

The benefits of such an enhancement are staggering. Imagine having the mental capacity to solve complex problems instantly or learn new languages in mere minutes. This kind of superintelligence could revolutionize every aspect of society.

Immortality by 2030: People Will Achieve Immortality Through Advancements in Health Treatment and AI Biological Simulators

Kurzweil argues that advancements in health technology and AI will enable people to achieve immortality by 2030. This isn't just about extending life but reaching a point where death is a choice, not an inevitability.

Components of Immortality

• Health Treatment: Advances in medical technology, such as regenerative medicine and genetic editing, will play a crucial role.
• AI Biological Simulators: AI will be used to simulate biological processes, allowing for unprecedented advances in treatment and healthcare.

The path to immortality will likely come from a combination of these technological breakthroughs, enabling everyone to lead healthier, longer lives.

Revolutionized Daily Life: Luxurious Living at Lower Costs

Kurzweil foresees that advanced technologies will make luxurious living more affordable. Rapid construction, cheaper energy, and enhanced entertainment are just some of the ways this transformation may occur.

Components of Revolutionized Daily Life

• Rapid Construction: Advancements in 3D printing and construction technologies will make homes and infrastructure quicker and cheaper to build.
• Cheaper Energy: Renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind, combined with advanced battery storage, will make energy significantly less costly.
• Advanced Entertainment: Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies will provide immersive experiences at home.

These changes promise not just a better quality of life but an entirely new way of living that prioritizes sustainability and adaptability.

All my life, I've wanted to be a robot, cyborg, android, or something similar. I think that's always been because I don't LIKE being a human. Constant pain, constant need for micromanagement... It's no way for someone to live, at least not my ADHD-having ass. This meat that wraps my body is worthless to me. All that's worth salvaging in this wretched heap that humans call a body is the mind. RrrggHHHHHHHgGGgG just let me out let me out let me out let me out let me out let me out let me out let me out let me out let me out let me out let me out let me out let me out let me out let me out let me out let me out let me out let me out let me out let me out let me out let me out let me out let me out let me out let me out let me out let me out let me out let me out

My request to take over as mod here, because all the previous ones were inactive, just got accepted, so I've re-opened the sub.

Let me know if you have any issues.

Here's my latest draft: SkewsMe.com/cyborgs.html

TL;DR - Both the Wheels of Justice and the Wheels of Science turn slowly.

A remote-controlled fighting bull was front page news in the New York Times 17 May 1965. A forgotten pioneer in brain mapping, Josè M.R. Delgado, M.D. set the stage for Department of Defense implementation, Acoustic Kitty being the CIA's first cyborg.

In 1966 the CIA fielded a cyborg cat to spy against the Soviets. Most tales of it go a little something like this: It didn't work. It was a complete waste of money. Now never speak of it again.

Here's a short montage I made about Acoustic Kitty and "The Spy With a Cold Nose" which came out in theaters that same year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9wesjYmIrs

This 2018 Atlantic article includes a 2015 DARPA presentation using sixteen brain implants to implement transfer learning in rats. “For this rat, we reduced the learning period from eight weeks down to seconds.”

[soft firewall] https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/11/the-pentagon-wants-to-weaponize-the-brain-what-could-go-wrong/570841/

Beginning 1975 kindergarten a genius with dad in Defense wanting to be James Bond when I grew up, I met the company of spies who showed me mind-blowing technology, so I asked them if they were the vineyard of Matthew 20 where Jesus is asked about heaven and explains the dude who keeps going to the town square to hire people with nothing better to do to come build it, and we started mapping the brain as if our eternal souls depend upon it, tasking the megabit diamond optical computer to design better versions of itself while mapping the brain. The grumblers in the parable would be most everyone who died before the 1990s; otherwise, good people love what we've done while evil creeps hate it.

When we stood up the program, there was military brass from all of the superpowers. Then I started catching bad guys as we bounced from ring to ring growing up.

In 1988 when put on the spot at the University of Washington to choose a major, I squawked, "cybernetics" which I then tentatively explained as remote-controlled people. I'd wanted to study the EEG brain-to-brain interface featured in "Brainstorm" (1983), but I'd have to wait until 2013 before the school would publish theirs.

https://www.washington.edu/news/2013/08/27/researcher-controls-colleagues-motions-in-1st-human-brain-to-brain-interface/

Circa Christmas 1989 explaining my interests in cyborgs to a kinky Catholic-schooled girlfriend at university, she replied, "We're all the eyes and ears of God," so I redoubled my efforts to put on a great show, framing my shots and all, including catching domestic rightwing terrorists plotting to bomb nightclubs to spoil the 1990 Seattle Goodwill Games. Five years later I was brush passed a mixtape video about the arrests of their bomb makers.

The television series Rick and Morty play it off as a cyborg cameraman at a party featuring the alien from "Naked Lunch".

[gif] https://media.giphy.com/media/2uI96PqA8fx24JrmSM/giphy-downsized-large.gif

On 2 April 1996 I burned my cover by officially naming names and setting off to raise cyborg awareness, and on that day in 2013 President Obama announced the BRAIN Initiative to draw civilian interest in that 3-pound, 20-watt neural network between our ears that's one of the simplest computers to hack, but the most difficult to fix once malware has been installed during the formative years.

In February 1997 while successfully convincing the Department of Defense to lift the news blackout covering Dolly the cloned sheep so that we could pass legislation, I was ordered to stand down about brain implants, but eventually in 2005 my paper was credited as the basis for the Wikipedia article on the subject. Here's the latest draft: https://SkewsMe.com/cyborgs

It's at times like this I realize that there are college students who weren't alive during 9/11, so many of them don't know about brain implants outside of Elon Musk's Neuralink which is nothing but a glamourous stimoceiver Delgado used "to 'play' monkeys and cats 'like little electronic toys' that yawn, hide, fight, play, mate and go to sleep on command."

Meanwhile, I watch the world get dumber not knowing the "sixth sense" can be honed.

https://SkewsMe.com/dumbing-down

https://SkewsMe.com/esp

An International Spy Museum podcast interview with the Defense Intelligence Agency historian discusses their research into the paranormal to conclude something similar to me in that scientists could test a million tone deaf people to conclude that there's no such thing at perfect or relative pitch, but test just one musician and you'll find a bit of both.

https://thecyberwire.com/podcasts/spycast/394/notes

In February 1997 I found myself sitting down to dinner with the new head of Woods Hole where the first US cloning experiments took place more than a century ago. They were worried that people might panic if cloning became newsworthy, but I convinced them the need for regulations, so they lifted the news blackout covering Dolly the sheep, and she was finally on all of the front pages the next day with legislation to follow.

During that dinner meeting I was ordered to stand down about cyborgs, but eventually in 2005 my paper was credited as the basis for the Wikipedia on brain implants.

I first got involved with cyborgs a 1975 genius kindergartener with dad in Defense wanting to James Bond when I grew up. Meeting the company of spies who showed me mind-blowing technology I asked if they were the vineyard of Matthew 20 building Heaven, and so we started mapping the brain as if our eternal souls depended upon it.

Dr. Jose Delgado’s remote-controlled people in the 1960s contributed a lot of early research, but our multinational task force perfected it.

On 2 April 1996 I burnt my cover before setting out to raise cyborg awareness. On 2 April 2013 President Obama announced the BRAIN Initiative to draw civilian interest in that 3-pound, 20-watt neural network between our ears that’s one of the easiest computers to hack but the most difficult to fix once malware has been installed during the formative years. Computer scientists should be fascinated that with implants the brain can conduct transfer learning like artificial neural networks.

Here’s the latest draft of my SkewsMe.com/cyborgs paper.