I work with a lot of disabled people and while obviously my sample size isn’t large enough to write a paper, the ones capable of understanding consent all think this is a terrible, terrible idea.
Being disabled in some area really makes you think “I had better take care of what I have left” rather than “what are my options for modifying and upgrading what is left?”
There is actually a strong feeling in much of the deaf/heard of hearing community against cochlear implants because it is “othering” them in the process.
Which is stupid because they were “othered” by their physical disability and are being returned to the fold by having that ability restored.
Also it’s a minority of deaf egoists who think they’re special because they lack normal capacity and turned their disability into their personality, not some strong feeling in much of the community.
I’ve healed various parts of myself that have been fucked up, mostly mentally and emotionally, and when I’ve found myself normally able, the first reaction I have is grief. For all the years before I even knew such things existed.
I steer, on purpose, into gratitude, and I take what I can get. But there’s a little secondary voice that wants to be bitter and hold it against people who had the ability while young.
As someone with physical disabilities I grieve the life I had before them and the things in life I won’t be able to do in the future. Like spend a full lifetime with my kids.
Bitterness is not a reason to avoid a cure if one is available.
I lack the eloquence to describe the look on her face when she found out about it. But her answer was, “Oh, great, so I can trade in the problems I have now for new ones we can’t even accommodate yet!”
Just because a culture adopts a narrative doesn’t mean it’s the only functional narrative.
It’s just as feasible for someone to think “hey new sense, fuckin sweet!” or even “Hey new sense, nah I’m good”, and in both responses not find any insult at all in the offer.
“It’s simple. We implant the chip. No matter how hard you try, you can’t stand up or walk right. You go through the process, then we remove the chip, and we take 10% of your benefits. Are we clear?”
Yeah, everyone would. PrimeCorp stock would go through the roof, not least of all because of their delicious nutrition bars. So much value would be delivered to the shareholders, can you imagine it!?
It’s not that serious, we’re just cracking jokes on the internet. Of course we’d all pick walking, even if we suddenly got an insatiable hunger for delicious, satisfying PrimeCorp nutrition bars. The nutrition bar with legs!
Do you think someone in a wheelchair so much lesser a person that you automatically assume free access to their brain is adequate payment for legs? People who can’t walk still have lives, and agency, and choices. This would be a choice, for everyone. You would choose walking because you’ve never had to compensate for losing it.
This kind of emerging technology preys upon those people’s hopes of living a normal life again. I just recently saw a YouTube video of people who got implants to cure blindness (with a glasses-like device to bridge the gap) and once the company that produces them went out of business they ceased support for their units that were inevitably going to fail as all hardware does.
Elon Musk and Neuralink is no different. They’re rushing this tech to market and they know it. High likelihood of it becoming abandonware, but improving the lives of their patients was never the goal. Making money is the goal.
The fucking-people-over part is NOT a necessary part of the tech! You can have tech that gets stably supported with adequate safeguards in place to make sure patients get everything they need to keep them safe and working for the rest of their life–safeguards enforced by government mandates. Those are policy issues that we already know how to solve, we just don’t, because we let tech companies do whatever the hell they want.
I can imagine for people who are disabled this is super exciting stuff.
I work with a lot of disabled people and while obviously my sample size isn’t large enough to write a paper, the ones capable of understanding consent all think this is a terrible, terrible idea.
I don’t blame them. I can’t imagine voluntarily getting brain surgery unless it was life or death.
Being disabled in some area really makes you think “I had better take care of what I have left” rather than “what are my options for modifying and upgrading what is left?”
There is actually a strong feeling in much of the deaf/heard of hearing community against cochlear implants because it is “othering” them in the process.
Which is stupid because they were “othered” by their physical disability and are being returned to the fold by having that ability restored.
Also it’s a minority of deaf egoists who think they’re special because they lack normal capacity and turned their disability into their personality, not some strong feeling in much of the community.
Thank you. Much better put than my comment.
I’d find it hard to believe people paralyzed from the neck down would share similar views.
Again it’s not a huge pool, but one. One paralyzed lady who thinks this an atrocious idea. But I bet its more than you’ve asked personally!
Why is that? I think it’s a really exciting technology.
I’ve healed various parts of myself that have been fucked up, mostly mentally and emotionally, and when I’ve found myself normally able, the first reaction I have is grief. For all the years before I even knew such things existed.
I steer, on purpose, into gratitude, and I take what I can get. But there’s a little secondary voice that wants to be bitter and hold it against people who had the ability while young.
As someone with physical disabilities I grieve the life I had before them and the things in life I won’t be able to do in the future. Like spend a full lifetime with my kids.
Bitterness is not a reason to avoid a cure if one is available.
I lack the eloquence to describe the look on her face when she found out about it. But her answer was, “Oh, great, so I can trade in the problems I have now for new ones we can’t even accommodate yet!”
She’s very much an enemy you know type of person.
Just because a culture adopts a narrative doesn’t mean it’s the only functional narrative.
It’s just as feasible for someone to think “hey new sense, fuckin sweet!” or even “Hey new sense, nah I’m good”, and in both responses not find any insult at all in the offer.
Learning about cochlea implants right now in SLT school, this is beyond me lol
How many of them are paralyzed from the neck down?
All the more reason to not let someone fuck with the last bit that works lest they set your brain on fire with nerve damage.
Fixed that for you.
“It’s simple. We implant the chip. No matter how hard you try, you can’t stand up or walk right. You go through the process, then we remove the chip, and we take 10% of your benefits. Are we clear?”
Disable AdBlock or we’ll disable you again.
“I can finally walk, but I really enjoy the bold rich flavor of PrimeCorp nutrition bar.”
Haha, too accurate
I think I’d choose walking personally
Yeah, everyone would. PrimeCorp stock would go through the roof, not least of all because of their delicious nutrition bars. So much value would be delivered to the shareholders, can you imagine it!?
Fuel to Go Wherever Your Feet May Roam
Who gives a shit if I could walk again. I wouldn’t care who’s profiting off of it.
This is frankly a ridiculous position.
Let’s not allow people to walk as someone might make money. The horror.
It’s not that serious, we’re just cracking jokes on the internet. Of course we’d all pick walking, even if we suddenly got an insatiable hunger for delicious, satisfying PrimeCorp nutrition bars. The nutrition bar with legs!
Do you think someone in a wheelchair so much lesser a person that you automatically assume free access to their brain is adequate payment for legs? People who can’t walk still have lives, and agency, and choices. This would be a choice, for everyone. You would choose walking because you’ve never had to compensate for losing it.
I’d 100% give it to get rid of my physical disabilities.
I also did specify paralyzed from the neck down which I assume gives people less agency.
This kind of emerging technology preys upon those people’s hopes of living a normal life again. I just recently saw a YouTube video of people who got implants to cure blindness (with a glasses-like device to bridge the gap) and once the company that produces them went out of business they ceased support for their units that were inevitably going to fail as all hardware does.
Elon Musk and Neuralink is no different. They’re rushing this tech to market and they know it. High likelihood of it becoming abandonware, but improving the lives of their patients was never the goal. Making money is the goal.
All the advancements will still most likely help others down the line.
The tech exists now and that’s still a big leap forward even if that particular company fucked people.
The fucking-people-over part is NOT a necessary part of the tech! You can have tech that gets stably supported with adequate safeguards in place to make sure patients get everything they need to keep them safe and working for the rest of their life–safeguards enforced by government mandates. Those are policy issues that we already know how to solve, we just don’t, because we let tech companies do whatever the hell they want.
Yeah most places except America this is what would happen. It’s a big advantage of nationalised medicine.
Could we somehow both have the advancements and not fucking people over? 🤔
Yeah pretty much every country except America runs their healthcare that way.
A big advantage of socialised medicine is the system has huge buying power and can enforce things like this when making contracts.