Melanie Swan has an interesting post on her blog on MindModding. She asks the question
If individuals were given the ability to choose the settings of their personal characteristics by using an analog of the Edit Preferences menu slider, either on a one-time or ongoing basis, what would they be likely to do?
That’s a fascinating question. One only needs to look at Avatars in virtual worlds might just tell you the answer. Here is what troubles me
1. In a world where we still don’t understand the basis and cure for so many (most) diseases, where should our priorities lie 2. There is a huge danger of media manipulation. By just cosmetic surgery and the clothes we where, we have the ability to try and fit into a standard beamed to us via the idiot box and the internet. 3. The doomsday scenario of some crazy idiot wanting the entire world to fit a certain characteristic and using technology to achieve those goals.
For me, the only point that really matters is #1. I don’t really care about hot people want to look. That’s up to them, and if they want to look like the latest media image, so be it. Melanie writes
A fundamental change is occurring as the role of the medical industry and medical professional is shifting from curing health impairments to providing enhancements. As enhancement therapies proliferate, there is a clear opportunity for new fields of enhancement counseling, customizing and habituation training to develop.
I believe that we are not/should not be close to such a scenario. I prefer the P4 medicine approach that Leroy Hood talks about; a focus on prediction, prevention, personalization and participation. The rest will follow. Let’s understand our own biology first. Otherwise, any enhancements might lead to disaster. We still don’t know enough about ourselves to start making wholesale changes, plus as I alluded to earlier, we still live in a world where too many children die from TB
The danger of modding
Melanie Swan has an interesting post on her blog on MindModding. She asks the question
1. In a world where we still don’t understand the basis and cure for so many (most) diseases, where should our priorities lie
2. There is a huge danger of media manipulation. By just cosmetic surgery and the clothes we where, we have the ability to try and fit into a standard beamed to us via the idiot box and the internet.
3. The doomsday scenario of some crazy idiot wanting the entire world to fit a certain characteristic and using technology to achieve those goals.
For me, the only point that really matters is #1. I don’t really care about hot people want to look. That’s up to them, and if they want to look like the latest media image, so be it. Melanie writes
I believe that we are not/should not be close to such a scenario. I prefer the P4 medicine approach that Leroy Hood talks about; a focus on prediction, prevention, personalization and participation. The rest will follow. Let’s understand our own biology first. Otherwise, any enhancements might lead to disaster. We still don’t know enough about ourselves to start making wholesale changes, plus as I alluded to earlier, we still live in a world where too many children die from TB
Picture courtesy Kisa Maumova
Technorati Tags: Futurist, Healthcare, Avatars