Artificial Wombs & You

[Brickjectivity]

negative psychological impacts due to some unknown factor unique to humans

That is my only concern. For one thing, a baby may benefit from knowing the mother before birth happens. For another thing, a mother bonds to the baby while she is pregnant with her baby. This helps the baby, because the mother is extremely interested in the baby.

The advantages are wonderful though. A man could have a baby, so we wouldn't need any more women. Finally we could send the women away to a distant planet. We could put an end to sexual activity. What a huge step forward for humanity.

 

[danieldemol]

I have no problem with it. It could potentially save women the pain of child labour.

 

[danieldemol]

Finally we could send the women away to a distant planet. We could put an end to sexual activity. What a huge step forward for humanity

I sure hope you are joking, I wouldn't see an anti-sex brigade's wet dream as a positive thing.

 

[danieldemol]

I think mass produced soldiers are a worry, however they are sort of superseded by nukes and the like.

 

[Brickjectivity]

I sure hope you are joking, I wouldn't see an anti-sex brigade's wet dream as a positive thing.

I am joking about sending the women to a distant planet and about some other things. Overall I think humanity will not be the same if babies are no longer gestated naturally. It sounds like a whole new level of revolution. It could result in men vs. women. There could be nations of men or nations of women. Its weird.

 

[ppp]

I am joking about sending the women to a distant planet and about some other things. Overall I think humanity will not be the same if babies are no longer gestated naturally. It sounds like a whole new level of revolution. It could result in men vs. women. There could be nations of men or nations of women. Its weird.

"Nations of men or nations of women. "sounds like a bad 80s movie where there is a situation, but no cogent reason for that situation to exist in the first places.

 

[libre]

I think mass produced soldiers are a worry, however they are sort of superseded by nukes and the like.

That is interesting.
I had thought only of the conventional parenting scenario, but thinking about how some might want to profit does raise concerns.

Human trafficking, cradle to grave brainwashing, lots of stuff best left unexplored.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Almost 40 years ago, one of my favorite sf writers, Lois McMaster Bujold, introduced me to the concept of the artificial womb, which she called, the uterine replicator. Not only to the concept of the device, but to it's impact on a society which, unto that point, was restricted to body births. Of course in her story, the artificial womb was a mature and tested piece of technology, which only cultural impact at the heart of discussion. In our world, in the here and now, it is new and human trials are on the horizon.

Do you have concerns?

• negative psychological impacts due to some unknown factor unique to humans
• baby is born with out a soul
• mother won't bond properly
• god hates artificial wombs
• Might make us less human
• ???

It would be a great opportunity for nefarious governments to breed a super Army eugenically superior in traits of strength and intelligence eternally pushing out and raising more new soldiers non-stop 24/7.

 

[ppp]

It would be a great opportunity for nefarious governments to breed a super Army eugenically superior in traits of strength and intelligence eternally pushing out and raising more new soldiers non-stop 24/7.

I think that the resources and expertise and personnel need to support such a thing would be formidable. So much so is to make the whole process unwieldly, chaotic, and prohibitively expensive

 

[Twilight Hue]

I think that the resources and expertise and personnel need to support such a thing would be formidable. So much so is to make the whole process unwieldly, chaotic, and prohibitively expensive

When you look at the prohibitive amount the oligarchy has compared to the rest of us commoners, it's should be a small expense for them like giving out pocket change.

 

[1213]

Do you have concerns?

Yes.

Maybe the biggest concern comes from, what is the point of having babies. If there is no good point, then it may be that the result is not good.

 

[Brickjectivity]

"Nations of men or nations of women. "sounds like a bad 80s movie where there is a situation, but no cogent reason for that situation to exist in the first places.

Yes, it really does, doesn't it!

I guarantee that protocols will start to change. You'll have more areas where women and men like to cross paths and areas where they don't. You'll have separatists and unionists: female places and male places. It won't just be bathrooms. Its hard to say what the religions will promote, because on the one hand they elevate marriage to a high position but on the other they often see sex as not beneficial. Catholicism and Buddhism both see sex as somewhat evil. You may also see women and men increasingly desire separate laws. They already do, but with this new technology they can actually live in separate areas and still have babies no-strings-attached. Consider how much difficulty sexuality creates between males and females whenever we have to coexist. We have to not leer, not say things, not hang too close or flirt on accident. Consider the sexual tensions in the workplace. Lots of people would opt out, and it might also become the moral and fashionable thing to do.

 

[ppp]

Yes.

Maybe the biggest concern comes from, what is the point of having babies. If there is no good point, then it may be that the result is not good.

I don't see that there's a necessary connection between a good point and a good result.

 

[loverofhumanity]

Almost 40 years ago, one of my favorite sf writers, Lois McMaster Bujold, introduced me to the concept of the artificial womb, which she called, the uterine replicator. Not only to the concept of the device, but to it's impact on a society which, unto that point, was restricted to body births. Of course in her story, the artificial womb was a mature and tested piece of technology, which only cultural impact at the heart of discussion. In our world, in the here and now, it is new and human trials are on the horizon.

Do you have concerns?

• negative psychological impacts due to some unknown factor unique to humans
• baby is born with out a soul
• mother won't bond properly
• god hates artificial wombs
• Might make us less human
• ???

If science can help keep premature babies alive until they mature then that is great. The soul will be there no problem. Under the circumstances we are saving a child’s life.

 

[Quintessence]

In some hypothetical fantasy land, this is one of many obvious solutions to the problem of women being rendered second-class citiezens on a routine basis because they are birthing people. Another is to genetically modify humans to lay eggs, which would be a better option than technologically-intensive and potentially non-sustainable external machines.

Regardless of the method used, outside of hypothetical fantasy land humans are catastrophically overpopulated right now. It is foolish to engage with means that further increase birth rates while a species is overpopulated. What we actually need is investment in technologies that dramatically reduce birth rates... because that's a lot more palatable than the inevitable death rate solution that'll come if humans don't take the birth rate option.

 

[Eddi]

What we actually need is investment in technologies that dramatically reduce birth rates

I don't think that would make too much difference

Cultures and attitudes need to change and I think these are more important than technologies

If people are not interested in using them such technologies would make very little difference