More than most people, I think, we tend to have a much greater ... appreciation of our identities. We are forced to confront who and what we are versus what society thinks we are or should be, and by the time one chooses to transition, you've already made some very hard choices around those questions.

Neuro-engineering is an emerging technology that deals with directly altering the brain through integration of technology, gene therapy and other techniques. A good example is described in an article in Wired Magazine where scientists applied gene sequences from two light-sensitive organisms directly to a lab-mouse's brain, allowing them to switch parts of the animal's brain on or off with different colours of light. A follow-up article deals with how brainwave patterns can be directly altered through application of various magnetic fields, amongst other techniques.

Now, the question of experimentation on animals aside, which I have serious problems with, my question revolves around the ethics of developing and applying this sort of technology. Obviously this stuff is fascinating and has amazing possibilities, but there are also profound questions around identity, mind and ultimately, if you believe in it, "soul/spirit/whatever" here. If depression, happiness, fear etc. can be switched on and off at will, if one can alter the structure and chemistry of the brain, thus altering the mind that arises from it - either your own or whomever else carries the control box, where do "you" begin and end?

This is a question that often comes up in cyberpunk literature and film - most notably Ghost in the Shell, where "hacking" somebody's brain through their digitally integrated components is a common crime, but now that question is starting to move into the real world, and with so many people out there so sure of "virtue" and "sin" or of "normal" and "disordered", are we ready for this kind of technology?

Mina.

We are always altering the brain. Every experience rewires it. Then there are drugs and food. Exercise and sleep. Physical damage and life style. The question is does marketing make us do things against our will?  Change is part of life and death.

I agree Lisa, especially when it comes to pharmaceuticals, not to mention procedures like electroshock or lobotomy or the like.

Obviously ... one hopes, these sorts of technologies will be used responsibly and only ever with well-informed consent, but we know that's often not the case. Up until fairly recently, and in some places still gender-variant people get put into asylums against their will, with all the abuse that entails. In those settings at least, short of a lobotomy, you can still in theory hold on to your sense of self, but once they start being able to precisely alter or remove bits of the brain ... well, I shudder to think what a radical Islamist group or somebody like Focus on the Family might do with that.

Mina.

I think the more nuts and bolts alterations such as expanding memory capacity or enhancing synaptic firing rates or things like that are fine. I know they scare a lot of people and I used to be on that bandwagon but really I no longer see a problem with it as long as we proceed correctly and make sure we know the consequences before allowing it into our gene pool.

The other, and markedly more complex, alteration would be those directly affecting the personality. It's quite Sci-Fi...for now.

But seriously what if there was a procedure that would make you a happier or more optimistic person? I know I'd like to be a happier person. Or perhaps there may one day be a procedure that would remove a part of your personality you didn't like? I know the Christians would be jumping at the gun to eliminate gay, or rather imprint straight. However what if we were to imprint Trans feelings onto Dr. Phil or gay feelings onto Ted Haggard- oh wait a minute...

Quote from: chrysalis on March 16, 2009, 03:46:33 PMHowever what if we were to imprint Trans feelings onto Dr. Phil or gay feelings onto Ted Haggard- oh wait a minute...

Mina.

It seems highly unethical to me. However, there may be instances where it could be usefull and possibly save a life. If it could be used to control epilepsy it would be a step in the proper direction.

To me, pretty-much anything that happens with informed, empowered consent is okay. That obviously means that tampering with genetics before birth or altering people's personalities without their consent is absolutely wrong. That's the problem though: We can't even respect other people's choices, decisions and lives now, why on earth would that change if this kind of technology, or the ability to alter people at a genetic level, or whatever else came along.

The technology is brilliant, as is the case with all technology. The people who will ultimately have the power to use it though ... 

Mina.