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Space Historian Sees Cyborgs in Our Future
Space.com ^ | 15 February 2007 | Leonard David

Posted on 02/15/2007 7:41:09 AM PST by jmcenanly

Albuquerque, N.M. – Fifty years after the dawn of the space age, hundreds of people have flown into space. A dozen of those left their boot marks on the Moon’s surface, and several nations now are planning to send astronauts back to the Moon and then beyond. So you would think the expansion of humanity ever deeper into the Cosmos is a sure bet.

But the notion that human explorers are destined to become an interstellar species is far from a sure thing as far as Roger Launius is concerned.

More likely, humans, and the machines they use to explore space, are going to evolve together in ways that are hard to predict at this early stage in the opening of the space frontier, said Launius, an eminent space historian and chair for the Division of Space History at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington.

Multi-Planet Species

Speaking to a crowd of space professionals at the Space Technology and Applications International Forum (STAIF 2007) in Albuquerque Feb. 14, Launius said humans are destined to become a multi-planetary species, but that word may take on a whole new meaning as time evolves.

Given that there will be the first child born on the Moon, as well as Mars, will that person be a Homo sapien, he asked. Could the differences of gravity, radiation exposure mean those children would be unable to return to Earth?

“I think that’s problematic,” Launius said, and in some respects might this be an evolutionary road not unlike that taken by amphibian creatures that departed their water world to become land creatures.

“There is the possibility of the evolution of human species into something different,” Launius said.

(Excerpt) Read more at space.com ...


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: future; space
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To: Squawk 8888
>I liked the two Crichton novels I've read so far (State of Fear, Airframe)

Yeah, I liked those two,
but to me Terminal Man
and Congo are GREAT.

(FYI Crichton:
There are excerpts and essays
at Crichton's website.)

41 posted on 02/15/2007 11:31:17 AM PST by theFIRMbss
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To: jmcenanly

Hmm...mebbe that's why I feel like a Z-80 guy in a multi-core 64-bit world...


42 posted on 02/15/2007 11:38:24 AM PST by Billthedrill
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To: discostu
Life isn't fair. They need to get over this fact.

If they think life is fair, have them ask a Diplodocus over how fair they think life is. Or a Dodo. Or a T-Rex.

43 posted on 02/15/2007 11:48:22 AM PST by Dead Corpse (Anyone who needs to be persuaded to be free, doesn't deserve to be.)
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To: Dead Corpse
I, for one, am looking forward to it.

Count me among those who would embrace cybernetic enhancement.

To many flaws in the original design that need improvement.
44 posted on 02/15/2007 11:55:29 AM PST by Dr.Zoidberg (Mohammedanism - Bringing you only the best of the 6th century for fourteen hundred years.)
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To: Dr.Zoidberg
I wouldn't even call them flaws really. As an organism, we work good in our environment. However, there are things I WANT to do that are currently beyond the biological means to do so.

Seeing from infrared through to ultraviolet. Hearing from 3 meter through radio frequency another. Stronger bones and muscles. More adaptable, and durable, epidermis. Disease protection. Biological immortality or life extension via repair mechanisms.

Yes. It will run against some people morals, ethics, ect... This should be their problem to worry about. Let those who want to modify themselves do so. It is none of anyone else's concern. My body is my property. Not theirs.

45 posted on 02/15/2007 12:09:33 PM PST by Dead Corpse (Anyone who needs to be persuaded to be free, doesn't deserve to be.)
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To: Dead Corpse

You know how these people are, they'll never get over it.


46 posted on 02/15/2007 12:12:35 PM PST by discostu (Feed her some hungry reggae, she'll love you twice)
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To: Trueblackman

YOUR MOVE CREEP!!!


"You're not human. You're...PRODUCT!"
47 posted on 02/15/2007 12:12:42 PM PST by NCC-1701 (PUT AN END TO ORGANIZED CRIME. ABOLISH THE IRS.)
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To: discostu

Not much they'll be able to do about it though is there? A bit like a bunch of unarmed hippies wanting to take away my firearms. If it's just me/armed vs them/unarmed... ain't a lot they can do about it.


48 posted on 02/15/2007 12:39:53 PM PST by Dead Corpse (Anyone who needs to be persuaded to be free, doesn't deserve to be.)
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To: Dead Corpse

I figure they'll probably push through something similar to the public schools, making certain types of implanted technology (especially educational) available for free. Of course much like how we have a public school/ private school eduction gap now we'll probably wind up with a welfare implant/ private implant gap. Never under estimate a socialist's ability to spend your money.


49 posted on 02/15/2007 12:49:13 PM PST by discostu (Feed her some hungry reggae, she'll love you twice)
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To: jmcenanly
humans are destined to become a multi-planetary species

What is this evolution of time thing? Got a feeling the eminent space historian is no clearer on that than on the chances of FedGov programs ever resulting in a multi-planetary species.

50 posted on 02/15/2007 12:56:55 PM PST by RightWhale (300 miles north of Big Wild Life)
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To: b_sharp; neutrality; anguish; SeaLion; Fractal Trader; grjr21; bitt; KevinDavis; Momaw Nadon; ...
FutureTechPing!
An emergent technologies list covering biomedical
research, fusion power, nanotech, AI robotics, and
other related fields. FReepmail to join or drop.

51 posted on 02/16/2007 9:27:10 PM PST by AntiGuv ("..I do things for political expediency.." - Sen. John McCain on FOX News)
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To: jmcenanly

Crap! Now I see cyborgs!


52 posted on 02/16/2007 9:36:27 PM PST by Reaganesque
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To: jmcenanly
Well, I've been kind of hoping that we'll figure out how to make spaceflight relatively easy, safe and comfortable for humans before we figure out how to make full blown cyborgs.

I'm interested in the future of mankind and, personally, it's a little difficult for me to identify with or care much about some highly engineered future contraption that's 90% machine and 10% biology.

53 posted on 02/16/2007 11:17:32 PM PST by LibWhacker
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To: Reaganesque

All the time.

But seriously, the idea of using pictures of human beings with exposed wiring and mechanical structure makes as much sense as using Frankenstein's monster as a poster child for organ transplants


54 posted on 02/17/2007 12:20:27 PM PST by jmcenanly (Do not handicap your children by making their lives easy. -- Robert A. Heinlein)
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To: Dead Corpse
"Where things will get interesting is when the replacements exceed the capabilities of the originals, or expand our capabilities beyond anything our biology can do currently."

Yes. And this will happen within the lifetime of many here. In addition to helping the disabled, you will also see people giving up their original, perfectly-good parts for sythentic replacements, like your "organic" eyes for cybernetic copies that look real in every way, plus can see in IR, take fotos, even go non-passive for ranging and targeting data, etc.

55 posted on 03/13/2007 10:39:43 AM PDT by Gantz (Th4+'5 th3 +h30ry, 4nyw4yz.)
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To: jmcenanly

What? You mean that a space historian woke up, looked around and noticed artificial teeth, knee joints, legs, stints, heart pumps, hearing aids, radio headsets, IR goggles...amazing.


56 posted on 03/13/2007 10:53:31 AM PDT by timer (n/0=n=nx0)
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