Bob Bolin, in his piece from Skirting the Interface: Surface Anxiety and Gender in Cyberpunk, uses Gibson’s Burning Chrome as a vehicle to describe the overwhelming detachment of humanity in the information society. He successfully defines gender roles as presented by Gibson as being “self-referential” or “a cultural construct validated (only) by the events of the story” and contrasts that newly evolving cultural idea with the old world of “corporeal existence.”
So, what he is saying is that our reality is no longer defined by our bodies. Our use of machines to communicate through time and over longer distances changes our perceptions of reality and therefore our perceptions of self. The computer world is becoming more visceral and lively than our everyday life. And, we no longer need a physical body to exist in this world dominated by information. This destruction of the self is seen by many as obscene. How can we exist without bodies? We begin to question our “selves” and this heightens our ever increasing sense of paranoia about our ability to control our surroundings.
Bolin asks “does this flood of the obscene (in stories like Burning Chrome) terrify because of its proximity, or is it the suggestion that since man cannot figure himself in his culture, and cannot keep himself separate from what has been previously proscribed, he can no longer find a comfortable place in his culture?” Are our current customs and cultures then obsolete because they are based on “meat” rather than “information”? Can humanity exist without corporeal existence?
I do not think that humanity can exist without corporeal existence because to be human mean to use the supposedly superior mind that is in the body. The idea of this flood of information that makes people seem like robots reminds me of the Bing commercial, where one word is said, and the person talks about whatever words are related to the spoken one. By relying on technology, humans have given up thinking for themselves. This can be seen today in people who rely on what a celebrity is doing or on what someone commented on their picture on a social site. They change their personality or appearance to fit the mold of what the other person wants. If humans were actually the superior race, then we would not be allowing our minds to be taken over by machines.
ReplyDeleteHumanity cannot exist without a corporeal body, technology cannot replace social interaction. Networking sites and such are helpful, but they are no replacement for social interaction. This is apparent in our everyday lives. Seeing someone and interacting with them in person is always better than talking with them online. When you see someone in person you can touch them, read their facial expressions and their tone of voice. Technology cannot replace this type of socializing. Humanity can only exist with the corporeal body because the body is living and tangible, technology lacks life, lacks physical interaction.
ReplyDeleteI agree with both Sara and Krista's opinions that humanity cannot exist without corporeal existence because technology cannot replace human interaction more than we allow it. It is not as if technology will build itself larger and stronger than it already is made by humanity. We control technology, and if we are smart, we will not allow technology to increase beyond our means. We need to realize our responsibility as humans, and find the desire within us to keep that responsibility our own, and the responsibility of future generations. Human interaction is another reason we cannot allow technology to take over, interaction with people like us is what we thrive on as a species. We would cease to exist as "humanity" if we were all like computers.
ReplyDeleteRobots could never be considered human, plain and simple. So there is no way that humanity could exist without corporeal existence. Today’s technology has provided those whom are missing limbs with “robotic” replacements so they are able to access the same amount of movement a non disabled person would be able to. However, the new part to the human does not override the body or the mind. In this case, the “information” is helping out the “meat” but the information does not replace it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the four post above that humanity cannot exist without corporeal existence. Without our bodies, people would cease to feel pain, fatigue, warmth, cold and other physical factors therefore losing a basic sense of humanity and morality that we take for granted today. Just like in the story of burning chrome, the machines could not differentiate between what is right and what is morally unacceptable. Our society would also lose this basic judgement if the corporeal body no longer existed.
ReplyDeleteI agree with all of the above posts that humanity cannot exist without corporeal existence because, as abruley said, "without our bodies, people would cease to feel pain, fatigue, warmth, cold and other physical factors..."
ReplyDeletePain is what can both inspire greatness and cause the admittance of defeat. Fatigue can determine one's ability to accomplish various tasks. Without the physical existence, the weaknesses and strengths that make us human disappear to become a shell programmed to experience only the shallowest of emotions.
Machines cannot exist with hope or love for humankind--only perhaps a programmed attempt that with the right tools could be reprogrammed to "love" another being. Machines may evolve, as in "I, Robot" or "the Terminator" movies, but they never experience the full spectrum of human emotions, and therefore cannot interact fully as members of the human race.
I agree with everyone else, humanity cannot exist without corporeal existence. Human interaction cannot and should not be replaced by technology. I agree to an extent that technology is good and beneficial in today’s society. However, as time goes by, and more and more breakthroughs in all occupational fields continue to grow at exponential rates, it could mean the loss of human jobs. We as humans must not allow technology to increase past our means. It is our responsibility to control technology in order to protect the future generations from complete take over. As Norma said human interaction is what makes our species thrive and we would cease to exist as "humanity" if we were all like computers.
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