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Wealthy, Healthy and Wise
Okay, let me see if I've got this right. I could stay young
forever? Groovy. A complete backup of my
brain? Copy that. What's this? An estimate? I knew it
sounded too good to be true.
As with previous medical breakthroughs, it is possible
that future
human enhancements,
like brain-machine interfaces and longevity drugs,
at least initially, may
only
be affordable for the wealthy.
The well-to-do, well could be, the next big
thing.
What scenarios might lead to human enhancement technologies
for
all?
Trickle Down Technology
Some future forecasters point out that many medical
products and procedures have been expensive when
they were first introduced. Prices can drop through
competition, lower production costs and after patents run
out.
Medical
enhancements, however, may encounter unique
barriers to lower
prices.
Cosmetic surgeries and implants, for
example,
have been available for decades. Visit Beverly Hills
and you'll see more lifts than a crane operator, but you'd
be hard pressed to find a tightened temple in my neck of
the woods.
What obstacles, wrinkles if you will, face society in
providing
available and affordable
transhuman technology for everyone?
Wrinkle #1 - In the year 2050, 'transhuman technology
for all', would mean advanced medical technology for an
estimated
9 billion people.
Wrinkle #2 -
Medical insurance policies will probably not cover
human enhancements.
Wrinkle #3 - The fewer recipients, the higher the value to
the consumer. What fun would Jeopardy be if everyone had an
encyclopedia implant?
Wrinkle #4 - You just invented the
Immortality pill. What price will you set?
Superhuman Compassion
Another proposed path to parity, is that
the first transhumans, enlightened by electronics and wise
beyond their wires, will become benevolent and intelligent
enough to share transtechnologies with the world.
The problem with this scenario, is that transhumans are
not posthumans. Transhumans will still have undesirable
human characteristics like greed and hate, that posthumans
would hopefully transcend.
Misfits and Retrofits
Even with reasonable closing costs, brain
implant surgery may not be in the budget
for many people living in the transhuman age. No
prescription for immortality, for those that cannot afford
the pill. In the era of 'half
human/machine', the
gap between the Halves and the Halve-Nots, will be as large
as the profits.
For billions of aspiring species travelers, posthumanity
might offer the first chance to board the techno-evolution
train. A future departure point where
empathetic
conductors stop at every station and the journey is always
free.
--
FFA
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