Design Philosophy

[Cognisant]

As we move into the Transhumanist age I believe it's about time we started considering the what, how, and why of our meta-creation, the philosophical design discissions we'll make.

For example there's the value of elegance, the melding of form & function with a minimalist's eye, like the Japanese katana, it is all it needs to be and nothing more, but is this perfection, or over specialization? Other possible values are functionality and/or adaptability, specifically the value of functionality would consider perfection to be something like the ultimate Swiss army knife, something with specific specialized modules for nearly every conceivable usage; whilst the value of adaptability would forgo the inefficiencies of the "jack of all trades" approach in favour of "when you have a hammer the world is a nail" idea, trying to create the perfect single implement to suit as many uses as feasibly possible.

Would one's consciousness reside within the body, or fixed at a secure location and interacting via remote proxy? Would one's consciousness maintain independence or operate as part of a collective, and if it does, what kind of collective are we talking about, something akin to this very forum or perhaps a full borg-like super-consciousness?

What is beauty when one's appearance is absolutely malleable?

Why limit oneself to a single body, or even a single mind for that matter...
(anyone seen the movie "The Sixth Day"?)

 

[Kuu]

In the age of programmable matter and virtual reality, form-function-adaptability become pretty much irrelevant.

Beauty has always been a concept of much controversy. When form becomes irrelevant and bodies can be changed as we can change clothes today, the mainstream view on beauty will shift to processes and the experience of things in time. Life as a perpetual performance.

 

[Dormouse]

Something easy to personalise. I like the idea of multiple bodies and minds, but I believe identity would prove something too many people would cling too.

And how would body-language evolve? Would we want some vestige of facial expression to remain? Or maybe the aim would be to conceal emotion... Or, on the other end of the spectrum, to broadcast our every thought as effectively as possible.

 

[Dormouse]

Why must all the cool threads die.

That said, I've been pondering this and the implications it could have on identifying criminals and anyone, really...
There'd have to be some kind of branding, a nametag of sorts attached to every vessel. Unless society could evolve to adapt to complete anonimity.

Also, I wonder whether we'd all opt to become perfect versions of humans or completely alien things... Think masks.

I personally like the idea of humanoid designs, but altered enough to nestle right into the crook of uncanny valley.