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[10ebbor10]

Well, it depends. Most mechanical hands are coated in plastics and other nonconductive materials, so it's entirely possible that nothing would happen.

A metal, conductive hand would probably have the same results as sticking a very expensive fork into a socket. Some electrocution, and you probably need a new hand as well.

[WillowLuman]

Do you think the short-circuiting of components connected directly to the nervous system might cause some kind of painful feedback?

[ChairmanPoo]

Not true. To my knowledge, there are quite a few European countries without a two-party system. However, the media oftentimes tries to portray elections as a two-person race, because that's what sells better.

Can someone please rerail the topic?

Those match pretty well with the European nations that use the First past the post system, actually.

? AFAIK most European countries do not use such a system and thus have many parties.

Strictly speaking the US does not use such a system either, there are many parties. In practice, however, both in the US and Europe...

[wierd]

Do you think the short-circuiting of components connected directly to the nervous system might cause some kind of painful feedback?

Unlikely.

The brain itself is completely devoid of pain receptors. Something could be throwing high voltage arcs inside there, and you wouldnt feel pain from the brain.

In the case of a directly wired prosthetic limb, the subject would only feel pain on a malfunction if the limb was wired to their pain receptors, and those circuits were being errantly activated.  There are some possible scenarios where it would be ethical to attach a device to a subject's pain reception nerve endings, (Pain is a valuable sensation to alert the person that they are being harmed-- allowing a prosthetic limb to inform the wearer that they are damaging it with a pain response is a somewhat questionable, but still logical course of action) however the technology to do that poses a number of very nasty ethical quandaries.

Bay12 is a fairly well-read forum community, so I will presume that at least some of you have read Frank Herbert's Dune-- If we attach devices directly to the nervous system, and have very skilled surgeons able to attach devices to pain receptor nerves, we can create an "Early, clunky prototype" of the "pain amplifier" technology Herbert describes in his book. In the hands of the unscrupulous, that's a scary scary thing.   What measures should we take to avoid having assistive technology become torture-- er "Enhanced interrogation" technology?

But in regard to a short circuit? We PURPOSEFULLY run current through peoples brains as a therapeutic technique!
I am much more worried about the controlled and misused aspects of advanced prosthetic tech.

[Helgoland]

Strictly speaking the US does not use such a system either, there are many parties. In practice, however, both in the US and Europe...

What do you mean, "in Europe"? I can't think of a single country that has only two significant parties. I can think of a party that should have its third party eliminated, but that's another issue.

wierd: No need for prosthetics there. Give me an anaesthetic, a drill, two wires and a battery, and I'll tickle your brain's neurons in ways you wouldn't even think possible.


Slight change of topic: What do you guys think of Matrix-style brain-computer interfaces?

[scrdest]

Strictly speaking the US does not use such a system either, there are many parties. In practice, however, both in the US and Europe...

What do you mean, "in Europe"? I can't think of a single country that has only two significant parties. I can think of a party that should have its third party eliminated, but that's another issue.

wierd: No need for prosthetics there. Give me an anaesthetic, a drill, two wires and a battery, and I'll tickle your brain's neurons in ways you wouldn't even think possible.


Slight change of topic: What do you guys think of Matrix-style brain-computer interfaces?

Well, UK has what I heard being described as two-and-a-half party system.

[wierd]

Possible solution to world overpopulation.

Radically removes energy requirements for human upkeep-- Humans enjoy the experiences of freedom, and even sensations that are physically impossible outside of the simulation (Such as flying like superman).

As long as it wasn't a dystopian regime running the show, I could well see many people electing to live inside the virtual environment preferentially.

[scrdest]

Possible solution to world overpopulation.

Radically removes energy requirements for human upkeep-- Humans enjoy the experiences of freedom, and even sensations that are physically impossible outside of the simulation (Such as flying like superman).

As long as it wasn't a dystopian regime running the show, I could well see many people electing to live inside the virtual environment preferentially.

Not sure. I wouldn't.

[Levi]

I probably would end up living in virtual reality(or whatever the future equivalent is).

I've never really felt that attached to my body anyway.

[ChairmanPoo]

I probably would end up living in virtual reality(or whatever the future equivalent is).

I've never really felt that attached to my body anyway.

So do we have a deal, Mr Levi?

[Graknorke]

Possible solution to world overpopulation.

Radically removes energy requirements for human upkeep-- Humans enjoy the experiences of freedom, and even sensations that are physically impossible outside of the simulation (Such as flying like superman).

As long as it wasn't a dystopian regime running the show, I could well see many people electing to live inside the virtual environment preferentially.

Not sure. I wouldn't.

Any particular reason as to why?

[scrdest]

Possible solution to world overpopulation.

Radically removes energy requirements for human upkeep-- Humans enjoy the experiences of freedom, and even sensations that are physically impossible outside of the simulation (Such as flying like superman).

As long as it wasn't a dystopian regime running the show, I could well see many people electing to live inside the virtual environment preferentially.

Not sure. I wouldn't.

Any particular reason as to why?

Same reason why I'm not interested in taking drugs.

[SalmonGod]

Possible solution to world overpopulation.

Radically removes energy requirements for human upkeep-- Humans enjoy the experiences of freedom, and even sensations that are physically impossible outside of the simulation (Such as flying like superman).

As long as it wasn't a dystopian regime running the show, I could well see many people electing to live inside the virtual environment preferentially.

I had this as a story idea in my early teens.  Where everyone was put in virtual reality pods to conserve space and resources as a solution to overpopulation.  Robots are set up to perform maintenance and care for everyone's physical bodies.  After a while, everyone forgets that they're living in a virtual world, and the story follows some people who discover the truth and find their way out.  I laughed out loud watching The Matrix in the theater when Neo sees the real world for the first time, because I immediately realized "This was my idea!!"

[Graknorke]

Possible solution to world overpopulation.

Radically removes energy requirements for human upkeep-- Humans enjoy the experiences of freedom, and even sensations that are physically impossible outside of the simulation (Such as flying like superman).

As long as it wasn't a dystopian regime running the show, I could well see many people electing to live inside the virtual environment preferentially.

Not sure. I wouldn't.

Any particular reason as to why?

Same reason why I'm not interested in taking drugs.

I'm afraid that I don't know the reason for that, either.

[Telgin]

I see living in a virtual environment as a sort of natural extension of playing computer games.  As it becomes increasingly realistic and available, I could easily see myself spending more time in such an environment.  There are lots of virtual worlds that I'd love to live in for a while.  Likening it to drugs isn't without some merit.  It could easily become an addictive experience, and enough people become addicted to games like MMOs as it is.  If living in a virtual world was somehow viable though, I probably wouldn't be averse to it.