Comments on: iPlant – the motivational implant http://futurismic.com/2009/06/05/iplant-the-motivational-implant/ Presenting the fact and fiction of tomorrow since 2001 Mon, 22 Mar 2010 13:35:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Christopher http://futurismic.com/2009/06/05/iplant-the-motivational-implant/comment-page-1/#comment-32249 Christopher Fri, 05 Jun 2009 16:28:40 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=7710#comment-32249 Paul: Well put. Any suggestions? Paul: Well put. Any suggestions?

]]> By: Paul Raven http://futurismic.com/2009/06/05/iplant-the-motivational-implant/comment-page-1/#comment-32242 Paul Raven Fri, 05 Jun 2009 15:33:24 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=7710#comment-32242 Christopher: no clinic worth its license would do so, no. But there's a long-established aphorism in science fiction: "the street finds its own use for things". This is, as you point out, a fairly simple technology - and simple technologies are the easiest to hack, duplicate and misuse for quasi-legal or illegal purposes. Assuming that no one would ever do such a thing is a recipe for disaster; humans are lazy, and they're prone to addiction. The former means there'd be a black market desire strong enough to make bootleg iPlants a financially attractive option in those countries or cities where such an operation could hide itself from the eyes of authority; the latter means that even those fitted with the devices legally may well be tempted to find a way around the restrictions placed on them by their medical consultants. I'm not knocking the idea, nor its practical applications - I'm playing the "what if?" game that is the foundation of critical futurist thinking, and the risks are obvious enough that they need to be considered early on. :) Lawrence: "Humans will always choose the reward but if we did not then we would never have developed as a species." Oh, very true - but you've got to concede it's a double-edged sword, no? Think how easily we might have solved the climate change problem if we were better at deferring gratification, for example; yes, dopamine motivation made us who we are, but that includes many of our flaws as well as our successes. It's important to consider both sides of the coin. Christopher: no clinic worth its license would do so, no. But there’s a long-established aphorism in science fiction: “the street finds its own use for things”. This is, as you point out, a fairly simple technology – and simple technologies are the easiest to hack, duplicate and misuse for quasi-legal or illegal purposes. Assuming that no one would ever do such a thing is a recipe for disaster; humans are lazy, and they’re prone to addiction. The former means there’d be a black market desire strong enough to make bootleg iPlants a financially attractive option in those countries or cities where such an operation could hide itself from the eyes of authority; the latter means that even those fitted with the devices legally may well be tempted to find a way around the restrictions placed on them by their medical consultants. I’m not knocking the idea, nor its practical applications – I’m playing the “what if?” game that is the foundation of critical futurist thinking, and the risks are obvious enough that they need to be considered early on. :)

Lawrence: “Humans will always choose the reward but if we did not then we would never have developed as a species.”

Oh, very true – but you’ve got to concede it’s a double-edged sword, no? Think how easily we might have solved the climate change problem if we were better at deferring gratification, for example; yes, dopamine motivation made us who we are, but that includes many of our flaws as well as our successes. It’s important to consider both sides of the coin.

]]> By: LAWRENCE M (iMOVE4PD) http://futurismic.com/2009/06/05/iplant-the-motivational-implant/comment-page-1/#comment-32193 LAWRENCE M (iMOVE4PD) Fri, 05 Jun 2009 14:21:37 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=7710#comment-32193 As a 37 yr living with early onset PD this is science fascinating. However the issue of over use or incorrect usage is something we as a society do have an issue with, however I think that the iPLANT should not give enough dopamine to get one high nor be used without proper medical following. Also if you study PD one issue that we have is the on/off timing off meds. This device could be set to issue at regular intervals and should it have the self initiating "joy button" that should issue very limited amounts within a predetermined time period. Humans will always choose the reward but if we did not then we would never have developed as a species. As a 37 yr living with early onset PD this is science fascinating. However the issue of over use or incorrect usage is something we as a society do have an issue with, however I think that the iPLANT should not give enough dopamine to get one high nor be used without proper medical following. Also if you study PD one issue that we have is the on/off timing off meds. This device could be set to issue at regular intervals and should it have the self initiating “joy button” that should issue very limited amounts within a predetermined time period. Humans will always choose the reward but if we did not then we would never have developed as a species.

]]> By: Christopher http://futurismic.com/2009/06/05/iplant-the-motivational-implant/comment-page-1/#comment-32192 Christopher Fri, 05 Jun 2009 13:33:19 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=7710#comment-32192 Come on, obviously no clinic would fit a patient with an iPlant if he or she could self-stimulate unconditionally. Rules and regulations like those that limit patient access to painkillers would be strictly enforced. More here http://www.iplant.eu/programming.html and here http://www.iplant.eu/ethics.html Come on, obviously no clinic would fit a patient with an iPlant if he or she could self-stimulate unconditionally. Rules and regulations like those that limit patient access to painkillers would be strictly enforced.

More here
http://www.iplant.eu/programming.html

and here
http://www.iplant.eu/ethics.html

]]> By: Jonathan M http://futurismic.com/2009/06/05/iplant-the-motivational-implant/comment-page-1/#comment-32188 Jonathan M Fri, 05 Jun 2009 12:25:37 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=7710#comment-32188 Zombies yes, cruel and violent yes but isn't it more likely that someone would just rig it so that everything they did released vast amount of dopamine? This would effectively work like the drug glands in the Culture. Have an iPlant fitted, spend the rest of your days in a state of orgasmic bliss. Zombies yes, cruel and violent yes but isn’t it more likely that someone would just rig it so that everything they did released vast amount of dopamine?

This would effectively work like the drug glands in the Culture. Have an iPlant fitted, spend the rest of your days in a state of orgasmic bliss.

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