Human software upgrade?

sxt · 17-08-2016 6:45pm #1

Do you think it's time for an upgrade?

When was the last upgrade? 10,000 years ago?

What would you like implemented?

The ability to learn all language and musical instruments etc should be downloadable instantly, without having to spend decades etc

Peregrine · 17-08-2016 6:52pm

A search brain by keyword function. I'm always trying to remember things.

In terms of hardware, I'd also like a few USB 3.0 ports.

Giacomo McGubbin · 17-08-2016 6:57pm

Lying, corruption, hatred and greed is probably the four things that hold the human race back the most.

The_Valeyard · 17-08-2016 6:57pm

Improved memory recall.

Old age software reboot and defrag.

Better baby delivery system

Nice smelling exhaust system

17-08-2016 7:08pm

I think humans have constantly upgraded themselves and their environments since the agricultural revolution.

If I was to be modified in some way I would like a greatly increased healthy lifespan. Wouldn't mind being a bit taller too. Bit smarter as well please. Oh, and wings.

tomwaterford · 17-08-2016 7:10pm

Everyone to be ambidextrous

Junkyard Tom · 17-08-2016 7:17pm

Irish monks rebooted the European operating system there a while back.

failinis · 17-08-2016 7:39pm

New DNA

maudgonner · 17-08-2016 7:47pm

Burn-proof skin on the roof of the mouth so that we can eat toasted cheese sandwiches without inflicting horrific injury on ourselves.

Capt'n Midnight · 18-08-2016 12:25am

You can patch the firmware at any time but for security reasons it usually only affects the running-config, and kernel upgrades are very difficult once the unit has been run in.

A better memory would be handy, but humans are lazy, our entire civilization is built on lazy people figuring out ways to avoid work "if I tie a sharp rock on this stick and throw it at those animals then I won't have to spend all day running after them" We are so lazy that we use the interweb as external storage. "I don't need to remember X , all I need to know is how to google X"

Noveight · 18-08-2016 12:28am

Remove all recollection of sending Dustin to the Eurovision. Jedward as well, while you're at it.

Say Your Number · 18-08-2016 12:34am

Teeth that are a lot more resistant to sugar/plaque, it's a pain in the hole to have to wash them twice a day.

An ability to turn off sexual urges, most of the time they are just annoying.

Also a way to block out embarrassing memories, but keep whatever lesson you learned from them.

PirateShampoo · 18-08-2016 12:45am

We already have drugs that can enhance our physical out put, it's only a matter of time before we have them for enhancing our learning capabilities.

A Robert Winston documenty said if you took a baby from 20, 000 years ago and brought it up in today it would develop exactly the same as a modern child.

We are amazing creatures... Well most of us are.

Your Face · 18-08-2016 12:53am

I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears...in...rain.

Capt'n Midnight · 18-08-2016 4:53pm

Say Your Number wrote: »

Teeth that are a lot more resistant to sugar/plaque, it's a pain in the hole to have to wash them twice a day.

If we weren't mammals then we'd just grow new ones.

ScumLord · 18-08-2016 5:11pm

Humans are constantly upgrading our software. A human baby is pretty much born blank and will adapt to the environment it grows up in. It's partly what makes us so successful, within a generation humans have reprogrammed themselves to a new environment.

Compare human behaviour of today to even 50 years ago and you'll find a very different view of the world. Go back 200 years and the differences are even greater. Go back 10,000 years and it would be like comparing DOS to Windows 10.

I don't think we need any upgrading, as we better understand ourselves we're learning ways to compensate for any flaws we find in our behaviour. We haven't come anywhere near the limits of our hardware, our software is constantly evolving, the fact is you're actively reprograming your self with new software this very minute.

ScumLord · 18-08-2016 5:12pm

Say Your Number wrote: »

Teeth that are a lot more resistant to sugar/plaque, it's a pain in the hole to have to wash them twice a day.

Things like this always sound good, but we'd probably find some horrible side effect that has lead nature to make our teeth the way they are.

skywanderer · 18-08-2016 5:12pm

I'm still waitinf for Woman 2.0.

bb1234567 · 18-08-2016 5:14pm

I hope we never have the ability to download languages and instrument skills. Thats boring, and invalidates the hard earned skills of people who worked for them already. What is the point of life if everything is easy and you get everything you want, downloaded, instantly

El Weirdo · 18-08-2016 5:16pm

Peregrine wrote: »

In terms of hardware, I'd also like a few USB 3.0 ports.

I know. I've still got a 5 1/4" floppy.

bb1234567 · 18-08-2016 5:16pm

And besides, I think theres more serious problems at hand. We dont even fully understand human bodies yet, we dont even know why humans dream and we dont know how to cure human depression. Just two of the many things

ScumLord · 18-08-2016 5:21pm

bb1234567 wrote: »

And besides, I think theres more serious problems at hand. We dont even fully understand human bodies yet, we dont even know why humans dream and we dont know how to cure human depression. Just two of the many things

That's not exactly true, we have some ideas/theories. The problem with studying the brain is that it's a very complicated and well protected organ. The other problem is it's hard to study its functions and looking at dead specimens isn't as helpful as it is with other organs. It's going to take a long time to figure it out fully, but the journey is well underway. A lack of technology is probably the biggest issue.

Olishi4 · 18-08-2016 5:42pm

bb1234567 wrote: »

I hope we never have the ability to download languages and instrument skills. Thats boring, and invalidates the hard earned skills of people who worked for them already. What is the point of life if everything is easy and you get everything you want, downloaded, instantly

There was an episode of The Outer Limits years ago where everyone was connected to "the stream". One man who could not receive the implant to allow him to connect was seen as disadvantaged because he had to learn everything for himself until "The Stream" started taking over and then he was the smartest person.

"Unfortunately for the human race, the Stream has been erroneously programmed to crave information instead of knowledge. Soon, it begins to turn the human race into its slaves to attempt to locate and process every single bit of information, a process that will lead to the Human race's extinction as people stop doing everything to obtain the desired information.

Ryan's injury keeps him from falling under the sway of the Stream, leaving him the only person who can stop it. The Stream will not allow itself to be shut down, however, and it commands the humans under its control to defend itself from Ryan. In the end, Ryan succeeds in shutting down the Stream and saving mankind. Cut off from the mental crutch humanity has used for so long, the entire population (save Ryan) are reduced to a childlike mental state. Ryan finds himself needing to teach mankind the old ways of acquiring information again — from books."