I don't see telepathy eliminating the need for technical skill when creating stuff.
Clear visualization would likely be "skill" involved. But presumably like painting, you'd be able to apply mental brush strokes, see the result, and modify accordingly. I see no reason for it be necessary to visualize an entire environment all at once.
End result would be that creating mental environments and experiences will be an acquirable skill just like painting or 3d design. But one that will probably be far more accessible and easier to learn because the interface would be designed to take information directly from your mind and experience rather than being encumbered by any kind of intermediary tool.
there are serious consent issues with "opposite gender of a different species". Them being in a human body doesn't change that (and if they somehow get a human brain that would make them no longer the individual from another species)
I think you're limiting the scenario in a way that creates the problem you're describing. You appear to be thinking, for example, girl has a pet dog, and then gives that dog a human body. That would result in all sorts of problems, consent of the dog being merely one of them. However, try it the other way: girl has a pet dog, crafts a dog body for herself, has sex with her dog, gives birth to puppies, then has her body altered back to human and then meets you and wants to be your girlfriend. Some people would be majorly squicked by a scenario like this, but it may be technically feasible in a number of years.
Note that it's already possible to go to bars and buy drinks for people without being completely certain whether their visible gender is the same gender they were born with. Imagine that same scenario but with better and faster body modification technology.
Sure, not everyone is going to want to give birth to puppies, but I can easily see a lot of people wanting to be a dolphin for a few hours, for example. Or engineering their pets to be able to speak. Or making humanoid hybrids. And once you open the doors to that kind of thing, a lot of things become possible that might not be immediately obvious. Body modification is already a common phenomenon, and as technology improves it's likely to become more so. Imagine that the girl in the above scenario is your girlfriend. You have a pet dog. You want puppies. So she offers to give birth to them. After all, it will only take a a few months and it will be an interesting experience, just like swimming as a dolphin. Or maybe she'll propose that
you become the female dog and
you can be the one to give birth to puppies.
Technology can make things like this possible. And just like "old people" who have to put up with the young'uns using it, even if you and I personally don't engage in this kind of thing, the younger generation that grows up with it is as a possibility is unlikely to have the same inhibitions. Today, people might easily accept gender reassignment. Later generations might easily accept temporary species reassignment. Even if you
personally can't or won't accept these things for yourself, it's very likely that the people
around you will, and you'll be exposed to it. It doesn't have to be you giving birth to puppies. It could be your neighbor. Or your preacher. Or your daughter. Or your son.
And that's the point of this thread: Will old people of the future be as technophobic as the old people now? Will they be uncomfortable with the technology around them? Will you?
Think very carefully about it.
Author
Topic: Will the old people of the future be as technophobic as the old people now? (Read 43654 times)