Semi-OT: Past Shock

From: Robin Lee Powell (rlpowell@digitalkingdom.org)
Date: Sun Nov 06 2005 - 23:33:56 MST


I had an experience today that I am sure many people here have had,
and I wonder if it's been written about.

There was a full-page picture/article in the paper about us
modifying ourself. Picture is of a pig-like human fetus. Had a few
quotes, then started the explanatory bit with "Living to 150 or
modifying our descendants for amazing intelligence may seem
fantastical".

I was *thoroughly* disgusted. Shocked. Dropped the paper
immediately. It was just almost beyond my comprehension that
*anyone* could be so completely failing to pay attention to modern
medical science as to describe living to 150 as "fantastical".

It seems to me that being at SL3/4 long enough, without enough
interaction with the SL0 world, might often lead to this sort of
thing, which I'm arbitrarily dubbing "past shock". Maybe "present
shock" is better, though.

-Robin

-- 
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