21 March
Normally
I enjoy the BBC series Horizon, yet
there was one last week that I really get my head round. The basis of it was
the idea that at some point in the future we would be able to live forever,
hmmm … I’m not keen on that idea at all. Even now at 67 I have far too many
memories that I wish I didn’t have. To have to carry those in my head forever
and a day, sounds like a nightmare to me. But this process has a not so wee twist.
This idea
is looking at the possibility of down loading our personality as well as
memories to a robot. At some point we would then get rid of our human bodies
and live has robots. That idea frightens me even more, I should hate to see
that, and for me it is an even worse nightmare. However, this is not the first
time I have come across the idea. Writers have been dreaming this one up for years.
Isaac Asimov wrote about it several times and the latest writer I’ve read with
it as the central part of a novel was Peter James.
There is
a bigger dream of course, that of hibernation, or suspended animation. There’s
many sci-fi films that use it, films like Forbidden
Planet and 2001: A Space Odyssey. I
remember one sci-fi short story I remember was about a man who had developed an
untreatable illness and being a wealthy man he has himself put in to suspended
animation until a cure is found. While he sleeps on a committee, appointed by
the sleeper, takes charge of running his little empire, and yes, a cure is
found.
However,
this wealthy man sleeps on in ignorance of what is happening around him. Every
so often one of the committee steps down and new member is elected/appointed.
First order of business is to explain the history of the company and the
sleeping man. They are told that the sleeper has gained so much wealth that
although there is now a cure for his illness, he is also the owner of the whole
world. The question now is whether to wake him for his illness to be cured.
However, is it right to wake him for his cure seeing as he would also have the
power to run the whole world? The man is left to sleep in ignorance of what is
happening around him and the role his company and wealth plays in it.
This
thirst for knowledge is fine as far as it goes, but just how far should it go?
Is the research I’ve written about here today, a valid and humanitarian thread
of research? Another line of research that hits the headlines every now and
then is that of stem cell use. There’s a lot of opposition to it for various
reasons. As for me, any chance of finding a cure for so many illnesses, is
worth the effort, however, where the source material comes from could be an
issue. The thought that embryos are being used to harvest stem cells, a concern,
and that is just where the objections come from. At times though, we may have
to accept some things that might go against our beliefs and wishes.
Of course,
there is another line here, that of money and what is done to gain more of it.
At that point we all need to rethink our stance on so many issues. Companies
like Monsanto love to wrap up things in humanitarian language like, ‘ending world
hunger’ when it comes to things like GM crops. Sounds good eh? What Monsanto
don’t mention is the amount of profit they will make if and when they get the
go head to roll it out. This type of research is not just to learn, or advance scientific
knowledge, no, it is aimed at making more money for Monsanto.
This
raising issues with the big pharma companies doesn’t it? They spend billions of
£ and $ to bring a new drug to the market, and yes, of course they have to
cover their costs, but do they really have to recover it so quickly? How many
people die because the new drugs are far too expensive I wonder.
The
biggest problem us see, is us humans. By nature, we are a bunch of greedy thieves
and fiddlers. Thankfully most of us are able to ignore that urge and live
honest lives. When it comes to making money, the greedy people are the ones who
are able to get to the top of the tree. From there they can direct the money
grabs and do so by making the humanitarian claims. They get away with it simply
by using higher share dividends to keep other greedy people on side.
Time for
a photo then …
A yellow primrose.
Today’s
funny …
The Sunday School Teacher asks, "Now, Johnny, tell me frankly do
you say prayers before eating?"
"No sir," little Johnny replies, "I don't have to. My Mom
is a good cook."
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