I wonder if there is anything people are not going to do in science. If there is going to be a point where scientists stop and say, this has a huge potential for corrupt use. We probably shouldn’t fuck with it.
Nope. That would be bad ass. I would want to erase just about all my memories of growing up, my marriage, and a about a handful of drunken nights at the bar. And my fear of heights… I feel like such a pussy. Even at 3 stories, my balls shrivel up and I get a weak feeling in my stomach. If i could get rid of that…
I wonder if there is anything people are not going to do in science. If there is going to be a point where scientists stop and say, this has a huge potential for corrupt use. We probably shouldn’t fuck with it.
Does anybody else think along these lines?[/quote]
I’ll take what is stem cell research for $500. On second thought, perhaps I’ll take cloning for $400.
Some curious scientists will always want to tamper, and a lot of other people will think about it twice and deny them funding.
[quote]Zap Branigan wrote:
Screw that, our memories are a huge part of what we are.[/quote]
I would think it’s the actual experiences that make us what we are, and memories are more like a phsychological scrapbook that we can look at.
The damage is already done, as we experience a horrific situation. A memory is just a recount of the story.
Or, am I off base?
I personally wouldn’t change a damn thing, but I could see how this may help war vetrans, rape victims, or other people who have been involved in tragic situations.
I’m pretty sure DARPA has been funding this same sort of research to deal with PTSD. If they could get it working reasonably well it would help plenty of vets and maybe eventually even save a pile of money on longterm treatment costs.
[quote]Professor X wrote:
Zap Branigan wrote:
Screw that, our memories are a huge part of what we are.
They are everything we are…but think of the applications of being able to erase fear.[/quote]
Hmm, that would be kick-ass. Of course, then you would have a shitload of people kicking each others ass since they aren’t scared, but it would definitely be interesting.
[quote]imhungry wrote:
Zap Branigan wrote:
Screw that, our memories are a huge part of what we are.
I would think it’s the actual experiences that make us what we are, and memories are more like a phsychological scrapbook that we can look at.
The damage is already done, as we experience a horrific situation. A memory is just a recount of the story.
Or, am I off base?
I personally wouldn’t change a damn thing, but I could see how this may help war vetrans, rape victims, or other people who have been involved in tragic situations.[/quote]
EVERY thing that has the potential for good has the potential for evil. Science should know no bounds in my opinion. The open pursuit of discovery is the greatest gift we have as humans and should not be stifled.
[quote]Lonnie123 wrote:
EVERY thing that has the potential for good has the potential for evil. Science should know no bounds in my opinion. The open pursuit of discovery is the greatest gift we have as humans and should not be stifled.[/quote]
If we are going to wipe ourselves out anyway, we might as well get it over with.
I do believe that science can overstep its bounds, but I also see those who stand against it as postponing the inevitable.
[quote]Professor X wrote:
Zap Branigan wrote:
Screw that, our memories are a huge part of what we are.
They are everything we are…but think of the applications of being able to erase fear.[/quote]
Unless the technology could be exact, you’d have adults with child like experience. If you think burning your hand on the stove due to a lack of knowledge “memory” is bad, who knows what an adult could get in to.
You’d be taking away a lifetime of lessons learned.
Is there ANYTHING that really compares to the ethics of memory selectivity? Any medical procedure that fundamentally changes who we are?
Living a life with erased memories would be a false pleasure: if you derive pleasure or avoid pain from…say…thinking that your first wife didn’t cheat on you BUT SHE DID, then you’ve got a source of false pleasure.
I’d also imagine that, practically speaking, such a procedure would be insanely risky.
I don’t think it would be used for such minor instances as some guy getting cheated on. My guess is it is only for people with extremely traumatic memories that stops them from doing casual activities.
As someone mentioned already, rape victims, war veterans, and people who watched hostel. That movie seriously freaked me out. I freak out every time someone tries to burn my eyes out with a blowtorch now. Talk about irrational fear.