About 'uplifting' other species

[corbomite]

In the Uplift Saga by David Brin(most of the people here should know who this is) it is standard practice to 'uplift' non-senitent species to senitence. Now, if we had the genetic engineering technology to so this, would you support such a move, and what species would you 'uplift'?

[AdmiralKanos]

Brin is an idiot. And there is no conceivable reason to "uplift" a species over this imaginary dividing line between sentience and non-sentience (which is really just degrees of intelligence). It would only create more competition for resources.

[GrandMasterTerwynn]

In the Uplift Saga by David Brin(most of the people here should know who this is) it is standard practice to 'uplift' non-senitent species to senitence. Now, if we had the genetic engineering technology to so this, would you support such a move, and what species would you 'uplift'?

If it was possible to lift a species to a very high degree of intelligence, I wouldn't do it. This species would probably end up competing for my resources. If this species could exist in habitats we could not, I might consider it, but if we had that sort of control over genetics and biology, it'd be much easier to tinker with humans to make them hardier.

[C.S.Strowbridge]

Brin is an idiot. And there is no conceivable reason to "uplift" a species over this imaginary dividing line between sentience and non-sentience (which is really just degrees of intelligence). It would only create more competition for resources.

Was Brin advocating uplifting species? Or was it just part of the stories?

BTW, in the stories there was a reason to uplift another species. The more you uplift the more political power you had.

[Durandal]

Heh, Mike doesn't like Brin.

[NecronLord]

[spock, ST6]If I were mike I beleive my response would be; Brin is a ****** ******!, if I were Mike.[/spock, ST6]

I happen to agree.

cookie for whoever works out what ****** ****** = ?

[C.S.Strowbridge]

Heh, Mike doesn't like Brin.

Wait a minute, was he the nob that attacked Star Wars for being racist? Claiming the Jedi were the rulers of the Star Wars universe. Was that David Brin?

[Durandal]

The one and the same.

[His Divine Shadow]

I don't like Brin either, I'l piss on his grave!

[FBHthelizardmage]

I hate Brin to. (read one of his books loathed it the guy actually knocks off TNG plot devices)

however I can see the use of an uplifted species they would be useful servants and much cheaper than robots. for example uplifted primates could do jobs where humans cannot.

there is however the problem that if you make a races sentient then using it as slaves is highly imoral.

[NecronLord]

I have had the misfortune of seeing "The postman" film

IMO
It truly sucks huge piles of ass with extra piles, excessive flatulence and dihoreah. If it were Iain M Banks trashing SW I would care. But this guy is an appalingly bad writer.

[Durandal]

The Postman was positively awful.

[Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi]

The only good thing about The Postman was the peace and quiet on the theater. I could do anything I wanted to! It was so empty, not even the guy running the projector was there! It was almost like a private screening.

[salm]

i´d uplift the creationists.

[Raoul Duke, Jr.]

I think it would be pretty fucking rude of some asshole to go and fuck with a species that in all probability is happy the way it is. My cat, for example, is perfectly content to wander around my house and backyard in pajamas all fucking day long, loafing around, doing absolutely nothing constructive with his time but eating, sleeping, shitting and demanding attention (which my kids and girlfriend are all too happy to indulge) and just generally doing whatever the fuck he pleases. I envy that life sometimes. I think my cat would be pretty fucking pissed if I took him to some rotten freak and boosted his IQ by a few hundred points, because at that point the spoiled little fuck would have to sign a lease and pay rent -- and not in sparrow meat.

[Durandal]

Indeed. I'm pretty sure my cat's memory retention isn't any longer than 5 minutes. She'll beg to go out, I'll open the door, she'll see that it's raining and run away. 5 minutes later, she comes back, asking to be let out again. She doesn't remember that it was raining out.

That'd be a fun life. Every five minutes is a new experience.

[Raoul Duke, Jr.]

Indeed. I'm pretty sure my cat's memory retention isn't any longer than 5 minutes. She'll beg to go out, I'll open the door, she'll see that it's raining and run away. 5 minutes later, she comes back, asking to be let out again. She doesn't remember that it was raining out.

That'd be a fun life. Every five minutes is a new experience.

Or it's possible that your cat's intelligence is about on par with that of a 4 year-old human who constantly demands to know Are We There Yet. Cats are notoriously similar, in my experience, to small children -- impatient, demanding, self-absorbed little creatures that really serve no purpose other than to absorb resources and look cute while sleeping. Yeah, wonderful, aren't they?

[Durandal]

My cat rules. She's a fine distraction for the little kids when they come over. She just sits there, as she is too lazy to move. And she's fat. And cross-eyed. Which is quite amusing.

[neoolong]

This reminds me of an episode of Batman Beyond were a gorrilla is made sentient. At the end, he has the choice to go back, but he doesn't because he wants to "remember" who he became. Of course, in a comic book of the series, a tiger was put through the same thing and was given the same choice, he chose to go back to being a "dumb" animal.

Ultimately, I think it depends on what the benefits are vs. the costs. Of course, it works out that its more of a benefit for them to not have to deal with sentience.

[Raoul Duke, Jr.]

My cat, Set, is a freakin' monster. Probably almost 2ft tall, about charcoal colored except for the weirdest shade of green eyes, and not fixed. Call me irresponsible; I just couldn't take my best pal into that office -- I would've guilt-tripped myself hardcore over that. As it is, the bastard thinks he runs the house. Fine with me, as long as he doesn't bring home cheap hookers.

[Durandal]

Cats certainly are prideful animals.

[Darth Yoshi]

I'd uplift all of the southern US, and the entire Middle East. Other than that, no.

[Yogi]

We can hardly get our OWN species to work, much less get along with another one.

[XaLEv]

Hey, Duke's back!

Anyway, I'm rather neutral on uplifting. I don't really think that it should be done, but I don't think that it shouldn't, either.

I envy that life sometimes.

You could always abdicate.

[EmperorMing]

We can hardly get our OWN species to work, much less get along with another one.

Thank you; I was thinking the same thing. Too many morons in our own gene pool to worry about without having to tamper with another...