i dont think they are sentient. the ones made from silcon i mean. why? bec sand isn’t alive,but we have proof neurons arw alive since our brain is made of them.
at what point do you distinguish a thing from the components it’s made of?
You say neurons have qualia, but its parts certainly don’t. Proteins don’t. Lipids don’t. Molecules don’t. But when you put them together in a specific configuration you say they do?
How is this different from silica? Why can’t a thing composed of silica have qualia even if the parts individually don’t?
A component of a component of a living thing is not inherently alive. We know neurons are alive not because they are part of the composition of the brain, but because they exhibit properties of life. Neurons being alive doesn’t mean that atoms are alive, for instance. Similarly the brain also contains water and fats which are definitely not alive.
You’ve touched on a very old question in biology: “what does it mean to be alive?” and the answer to that is going to change somewhat on who you talk to and what your subject is. Cells are alive, but in a completely different way from both “simple” multicellular life and “complex” cellular life, but I’m not really aware of a clear boundary existing.
Like all fields of study, there are orders of magnitude more information available at higher levels of research than what most people are taught in school. Clinging to the simplified views of biology organized for university or lower grades as being the end all be all of the field is a great way to harbor ignorance and bigotry.
I encourage you to learn more about the subject and close some of your knowledge gaps. You still may not agree with myself on the matter, but you’ll hopefully be able to elucidate your concerns more concretely. As it stands now, however, “idk” and “it rubs me the wrong way” seem like a fear of the unknown which is an insecure basis upon which to construct a belief system or guide your principals.
I’m curious which greater religion you espouse. I’d argue that virtually any human action is one of alerting, and while predation, gathering, locomotion, and vocalization could be ascribed to alter in a manner consistent with a god given design, every action from cooking onward directly alters “creation” in a manner not inherent to our biology. That is to say, once we adopted tools and fire we ascended above the actions of other animals.
i follow islam,specifically quran alone. i agree i do fear biocomputing bec it seems like a horror. i am however open to learn more about it. i will do research about it. but if you have any points to present to me im willing to listen even if i didnt agree.
I must admit, I know less of Islam than I do of Judaism or Christianity (being an agnostic atheist former nondenominational protestant christian myself); though I can understand coming to the conclusion that bioengineering is one of the moral tests in a world where humans are allowed to be but lack a specific dominion or subjugation over.
Unfortunately, I don’t have concrete resources for you at this time, as my understanding is borne of years of passive interest rather than specific study.
Do you believe that your moral opposition to this field of study should forcibly be respected by all people or that is a personal guidance you alone must follow?
Tree@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
idk it rubs me the wrong way,like what if they are sentient and we are tormenting them?
also i have some religious beliefs that ban altering of creation of god. and i think biocomputing would be included in that.
cattywampas@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
What if computers are sentient and we’re torturing them too?
Tree@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
i dont think they are sentient. the ones made from silcon i mean. why? bec sand isn’t alive,but we have proof neurons arw alive since our brain is made of them.
cattywampas@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
What does it mean to be alive? And how do you know that something is or isn’t?
neatchee@piefed.social 2 weeks ago
at what point do you distinguish a thing from the components it’s made of?
You say neurons have qualia, but its parts certainly don’t. Proteins don’t. Lipids don’t. Molecules don’t. But when you put them together in a specific configuration you say they do?
How is this different from silica? Why can’t a thing composed of silica have qualia even if the parts individually don’t?
unmagical@lemmy.ml 2 weeks ago
A component of a component of a living thing is not inherently alive. We know neurons are alive not because they are part of the composition of the brain, but because they exhibit properties of life. Neurons being alive doesn’t mean that atoms are alive, for instance. Similarly the brain also contains water and fats which are definitely not alive.
You’ve touched on a very old question in biology: “what does it mean to be alive?” and the answer to that is going to change somewhat on who you talk to and what your subject is. Cells are alive, but in a completely different way from both “simple” multicellular life and “complex” cellular life, but I’m not really aware of a clear boundary existing.
Like all fields of study, there are orders of magnitude more information available at higher levels of research than what most people are taught in school. Clinging to the simplified views of biology organized for university or lower grades as being the end all be all of the field is a great way to harbor ignorance and bigotry.
unmagical@lemmy.ml 2 weeks ago
I encourage you to learn more about the subject and close some of your knowledge gaps. You still may not agree with myself on the matter, but you’ll hopefully be able to elucidate your concerns more concretely. As it stands now, however, “idk” and “it rubs me the wrong way” seem like a fear of the unknown which is an insecure basis upon which to construct a belief system or guide your principals.
I’m curious which greater religion you espouse. I’d argue that virtually any human action is one of alerting, and while predation, gathering, locomotion, and vocalization could be ascribed to alter in a manner consistent with a god given design, every action from cooking onward directly alters “creation” in a manner not inherent to our biology. That is to say, once we adopted tools and fire we ascended above the actions of other animals.
Tree@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
i follow islam,specifically quran alone. i agree i do fear biocomputing bec it seems like a horror. i am however open to learn more about it. i will do research about it. but if you have any points to present to me im willing to listen even if i didnt agree.
unmagical@lemmy.ml 2 weeks ago
I must admit, I know less of Islam than I do of Judaism or Christianity (being an agnostic atheist former nondenominational protestant christian myself); though I can understand coming to the conclusion that bioengineering is one of the moral tests in a world where humans are allowed to be but lack a specific dominion or subjugation over.
Unfortunately, I don’t have concrete resources for you at this time, as my understanding is borne of years of passive interest rather than specific study.
Do you believe that your moral opposition to this field of study should forcibly be respected by all people or that is a personal guidance you alone must follow?
breadsmasher@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Tree@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
lmao and i thought i escaped reddit neckbeard atheism
starlinguk@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Learn to read and spell and then come back so at least you sound vaguely educated.