38 replies to this topic

[CyberMisterBeauty]

In the timeline is written about the new lifeforms that synthetic biology will create in the future(search year 2056) and I was thinking if we will be able to create mythical creatures that have never existed like dragons,pegasus,vampires,demons,angels,mermaids,beasts,create folcloric creatures,create pokemons(my preferred is scizor),create power rangers-like monsters,ogres,digimons and even ressuscit the dinosaurs?It could be very interesting but very dengerous as well...

I was also thinking if these creatures would also substitute the animals in the future,when most of fauna will be extincted.What do you think?

[shane_allen]

Interesting topic, introducing synthetic life into the wild.

I do not think that pokemon, digimon or vampires will replace native creatures in the future, though. I wouldn't rule out synthetically created lifeforms filling in gaps created by environmental change. There may be use in doing this. I don't know, for instance, bacteria that breaks down plastics and poops manure could be introduced to landfills. Of course, I don't know if that's possible, it's just a tongue in cheek example.

But I don't think unicorns have a competitive advantage over white tailed deer or that Scizor could realistically survive in the wild. We design fictional creatures to look cute, evil, cool, or to fulfill specific plot requirements. To make sure they survive in the real world would be a waste of effort for aesthetics and displace life that already exists and is appreciated.

In VR, you could easily have whatever life you wanted inhabiting the wild in whatever quantities you wanted.

Edited by shane_allen, 26 February 2012 - 01:01 AM.

[eacao]

Introducing synthesized mega fauna into the environment scares me... which is why I want to live in orbit or on under the oceans.

[Deadbolt]

Nothing scares me about technology... which is why I'm an idiot who deserves to be eaten by a Gozxrootl Drendagog™

[RCM88x]

The difficulty in creating fictional life is enormous. We would have to completely understand every pair of DNA molecules and it's effects. I don't think you will have to worry about this type of thing until much latter than 2050. Also considering the risk of releasing something like this into the wild is enormous because there's no turning back. You can't recall life like you can technology. The unpredicted effects on the ecosystem could be very damaging to what's already here and we don't want that.

[eacao]

You can't recall life like you can technology.

But if the technology exists to create an entirely synthetic macroorganism, then the tech would be available to create a target-specific microorganism to kill any species released.

[RCM88x]

You can't recall life like you can technology.

But if the technology exists to create an entirely synthetic macroorganism, then the tech would be available to create a target-specific microorganism to kill any species released.

But if the killer organism gets out of control there is a possibility that you would just have to keep creating organisms. Which would be very harmful I would think not only biologically but also economically and on the image of the scientist creating the organisms.

[Alric]

On a related note, I was wondering what would happen if we started to merge with technology then started using similar technology on pets and animals. Might we end up with dogs that have human level intelligence, or maybe talking dolphins? I mean if we develop technology that can boost our own intelligence, then boosting the intelligence of animals seems plausible as well. I could so see someone loving their dog and giving them an injection of intelligence boost nanobots, so that they could talk to it.

[SG-1]

I don't know. We would have to completely change the brain which would be possible, but we would need to know how to create consciousness and we don't even know how to define that yet.

Intelligent animals seems pretty cool, but would some animals become depressed since their bodies lack limbs or thumbs? I guess they would opt for an artificial body. Sounds ridiculous haha

[Alric]

There is no reason to believe that animals don't already have a consciousness, even if it might be a low level of consciousness because their not that smart. So increasing their brain power might make them more human like.

I have thought about that though, what if we start having artificial bodies and stuff, and then we start doing the same things to animals? We might have humans in dog bodies and dogs in human bodies, and no one would be able to tell the difference because they would both be very smart.

Then you could take it to the extreme, what if you did it with like a cockroach? Could you imagine what it would be like? You are a cockroach running around in a lab some where one day, then a few months later you are writing poetry and while your automated car drives you around and you surf the internet. Future technology will make all sort of crazy things possible.

[Alric]

Early in the 22nd century two well dressed men walk into an old style hardware store. One of them walks by some glue and picks it up, "I sure have come a long way. I remember when I was a child I used to eat paste."

The other man smiled as he looked over to him, "Oh, so you were born a cockroach as well?"

[SG-1]

Two cockroaches crawl into a bar. The bartender says, "We don't serve yer kind in here"
The cockroaches crawl out and upload themselves to human bodies.
...

[Logically Irrational]

I don't know. We would have to completely change the brain which would be possible, but we would need to know how to create consciousness and we don't even know how to define that yet.

Intelligent animals seems pretty cool, but would some animals become depressed since their bodies lack limbs or thumbs? I guess they would opt for an artificial body. Sounds ridiculous haha

They may not be depressed if they're a cheetah or an eagle. They could get the physical benefits of being an animal.

[MarcZ]

I don't understand what would really be the scientific desire to make anime characters. Unless the corporation system is still around and it's provided as a service to people that will pay. Either way making unicorns is not top priority on my list of things to see done. LOL.

[CyberMisterBeauty]

No,I don't understand why they would't create beings that were part only of fantasy stories for a long time...This is a thing that humanity always wanted to see,I see no reason to not create these creatures...If scientists create wholly new lifeforms everyone will see what synthetic biology is capable of...


Are you against the creation of synthetic people?(year 2056 of the timeline)

[Alric]

I think if you have synthetic bodies, people are going to want nonhuman bodies, and if we got nonhuman bodies that opens it up to anything. I think people will not only want to see those creatures, some will want to be them.

[CyberMisterBeauty]

That was I wanted to think of,did you read the entire timeline?By 2220,we will be able to choose any form using genetic engineering or mind uploading,and humans beings will no longer be humans...

But would you do something like that?Abandon your human body in order to become a monster or something?I'd at most transplant my brain in a beautiful human-like body but never a mythologic or anime-type monster bodies...

[Alric]

If you are not stuck like that why not? Especially with mind uploading, it would be extremely easy to switch bodies. You could try out all sort of different bodies. I am sure most people wouldn't want to be stuck as say a dog for the rest of their life, but if you asked them if they could be a dog for a day then turn back, would they try it? I think most would say yes. The same is probably true for a lot of things. Who wouldn't want to spend a day as a dragon? And if you got a very long life maybe you do it for a few years instead.

[SG-1]

Sooner than that virtual reality will make that possible

[eacao]

On a related note, I was wondering what would happen if we started to merge with technology then started using similar technology on pets and animals. Might we end up with dogs that have human level intelligence, or maybe talking dolphins? I mean if we develop technology that can boost our own intelligence, then boosting the intelligence of animals seems plausible as well. I could so see someone loving their dog and giving them an injection of intelligence boost nanobots, so that they could talk to it.

The thing which I dislike about this comment is the very clear line you draw between animals and humans. First of all, the definition, animal. Animals are not plants, fungi or algae. If you think humans don't belong to the animal kingdom, then you can go a head and call yourself a fungus. (although, I am a fun-guy

Dolphins already talk.. They cannot speak english. A software has been developed to identify intelligent language by looking for common notes, for example, in english it looks for 'e' a lot, or other vowels. Dolphins and many other marine mammals have a complex language which we believe is able to translate ideas to each other, possibly as good as, maybe better than english does (remember, a dolphin's brain is twice the size of a human's and an orca has a brain four-times bigger).

Please don't think that humans all of a sudden evolved a suite of traits which were never seen in evolution before. The reason why we have a civilisation and dolphins don't, is because we were lucky enough to evolve the three things necessary for technology. Manipulators (hands), powerful brains and the ability to communicate and teach thing which we learn to our children (compounding knowledge). Other than that, there is nothing which seperates humans, which makes us so vastly superior to other animals.

Also, you said that if we boost our intelligence, it should be plausible to boost the intelligence of animals as well.. Mice are probably going to get boost intelligence before humans.

And lastly (keeps on dragging on, I know), since humans have drawn such a distinct line between non-human animals and humans, why would we want to give a dog equal intelligence to us, or a dolphin the ability to speak english? It would just make us feel a little less superior and damage our cosmic-scale ego.

Edited by eacao, 12 April 2012 - 04:50 AM.