After humanity

Anyone well versed in the star wars universe knows that lightsabers aren't made of laser but of superheated plasma. The weapon has got a "blade" that can, in fact, break. It's happened in star wars literature. It's the same with every other "laser" weapon in star wars.

 

I was actually wondering; is it possible to teach robots to recognize certain emotions, and react to them? Also, how far do you think will the doctors go with replacing missing body parts of their patients (in these days mostly arms, legs, hands) with robot parts? (Mine victims, wounds through war, or born without a hand, arm, leg, deaf, or blind)

 

Since facial expressions correlate with emotional states, it's pretty easy for a robot to recognise emotions in a strictly pattern recognition fashion. As to cybernetic replacement of body parts; the limbs we can do pretty well now. With advances in neural-interfacing, microelectronics, composite materials, tactile feedback, etc, it should be possible in the next 10-20 years or so for an amputee to have a fully functional limb replacement that not only allows fine and detailed manipulation of objects, but also provides sensory input such as heat and pressure and in every way is superior to a biological limb. They've also developed a crude artificial eye, so work in that area is making progress. Lungs, kidneys, heart, etc all have artificial devices capable of at least mimicking their functions on a temporary and rudimentary level. As far as I'm aware, the only organ we don't seem to have a plausible artificial replacement for is the brain.

 

Gravedig, but anyways...

I can't source this, but I'm 99% sure I read of some machine able to interpret human facial expressions as certain emotions.

I *can* source this, providing suggestive evidence for genetic morality. Israeli zoologist Amotz Zahavi and evolutionary biologist Robert Trivers have observed, in animals, patterns of behavior that can be construed as "moral behaviors" that are beneficial to the propagation of genes. The first is the expectation of societal reciprocation. The second is the display of dominance by being altruistic. The third is the display of mental and physical prowess through public-spirited risk-taking. Note that all the underlying reasons are inherently "selfish".

Stephen Hawking has assured us that we're physically unable to survive forever as a race. Even IF we do forestall all the threats, including black holes, meteors, other life forms, ourselves, and astronomical events, we will not be physically capable of affecting the universe's expansion or contraction. Since nothing outside the universe even has the property of being able to contain anything, much less time and space, we physically can't leave the universe. Eventually, the universe will either become hot and chaotic as shit, or it will become cold and motionless as shit. Scientists aren't sure which, but they're pretty sure we're screwed about a few hundred billion years down the road.

As for objective morality, I'd first like someone to provide an objective definition of morality. What the difference between morality and preferred conduct?

 

To be totally honest, I doubt that Humanity will ever actually die. We are just too bally stubborn. The only real threat to our collective existence is our sun expanding, and by that time we would have discovered space travel (If that is actually possible).

If humans are some how wiped out however, it would probably be in a way that eliminates all life on the surface of the earth. If any other sentient beings would surface, I would like to entertain the notion of them being Lovecraftian fish/lizard/man creatures. It seems silly now, but it may very well be a possibility.

 

No, see you are actually a twat with a fantasy based mind who doesn't understand the very nature of Human Beings.

 

How human of you to say so.

 

Big Crunch, Big Rip, Big Freeze. So many possibilities sharing a common conclusion - the Universe will eventually cease to exist and/or become no longer able to sustain life. Humanity will die out eventually, one way or another.

 

I plan to live for at least a couple of hundred years

 

What for kind of minerals is there possible to find on Mars? Also, how can they bring them back to Earth? That's because it will be very expensive to keep on bringing the minerals from Mars to Earth, and returning with the empty spaceship.

Well, about the food problem, if I can remember correctly they were working on a way to use nano technology to duplicate any kind of objects. Perhaps one day they can duplicate food like in Star Trek.