ghostbusters101 wrote...
InHarmsWay wrote...
My biggest problem with the synthesis ending is when the starchild calls it the apex of evolution.
Anyone with a basic understanding of biology and evolution know that there is no such thing as the apex of evolution. Evolution is a continuous process where organisms (both biological and non-biological) continue to adapt to their environments. Organisms have to adapt or face extinction. If we take the starchild at its word, then we just stagnated evolution in all life in the galaxy. This means we just doomed all life in the galaxy because it can no longer adapt. Diseases and the environment can wipe out everything.
I hear you. The writer doesn't understand evolution.
I can't believe i am really defending them, but your base assumption is wrong. Diseases and enviroment would also be half synthetic, which means they will not change as well. Plus being half synthetic would allow a much easier interface process between fully anorganic options, thus allowing people to evolve on their own. Designing better bodies, making themselves stronger, faster, smarter.
Diseases caused by virus and bakteria would still apply, because they too would be half synthetic. Though i admit i am not sure how far that applies to a virus, considering its no real living thing but basically just a few strands DNA. A Virus thats half synthetic would probably be less dangerous as it would loose a lot of its adaptbility itself and at the same time make it easier to fight. It would be as easy as upgrading your system with a stronger firewall.
Evolution wouldn't happen in the same way it used to be, but it wouldn't stop and live wouldn't stagnate. The catalyst is wrong, tho... because if everything is half synthetic you can expect Human and other Races like the Salarians to succumb to Strife. They probably would try to enhance themselves until they are barely recognicable anymore. Being half synthetic means there are less boundaries.
As humans we are bond to our flawed bodies. We still trying to find ways to preserve our conciousness, who we are, by synthetic means. We are working at ways to interface things with our minds. Thinking about that one mouse for example. We are working at prothetics which are actually controlled by our thoughts. Humans research how to bond neural pathways with electronic chips already. They even archived a measure of success so far.
In Synthesis is actually what humanity in Reallife is strifing for at this very moment, because it can and will cure a lot of the failings of our bodies. But it won't stop evolution. It will just change the source of evolution. From external influance to strife. Trying to be better, and breaching the boundaries set before us. Its a human trait and salarians doesn't seem to be so much different (okay, we could say here that on a philosophical level humans are incapable to imagine truely alien species), so there will always be strife and the demands of time.
100 years ago, people thought capitalisem is all the rage. 1000 years before that it was feudalisem. Society structures are something artificial, thats why i name them right now, they do only evolve because the demand of society changes. Today we have reached a point with growing automatism, robot workers and decreasing demand of a workforce, where capitalisem as concept starts to fail, because it never was designed in a situation where you can't supply a job for everyone anymore. Yet, it will evolve. Eventually society will pick a new concept to direct their society towards. Its because technology advanced, knowledge advanced and the understanding of our surrounding changed. Its something completely artificial and yet it evolves. You don't need organic components to something to have it evolve. Enviroment and diseases isn't the only thing that evolves stuff. Strife and the desire to change can do the same.
Of course, i admit, people wouldn't like it to much. Especially those who like to work with concepts that do not like to change. Like Religion. Its rather difficult to make some of the hardliners understand that something is their dieties will, because it wasn't written down 2000 years ago in some book. Especially the fanatics wouldn't really like the idea of synthesis pushed onto them. After all their deity didn't create them part synthetic. Of course, at this point there would be the valid question: "Wouldn't it be their deities will if it happened?"
But lets face it... the whole topic is rather difficult to untangle. I think ultimately its something everyone has to come to terms with on their own.
As far as i am concerned, i don't think its disgusting. Its something we evolve towards anyway. And i think it would help many, many people. Making the blind see, because its easier to interface the brain with artificial components, the lame walk, because you can create real cybernetic limbs. Offering organ replacements because rejection is less likely to occure, simply because synthetic elements ain't as picky as organic. Bone Marrow Transplants for everyone or at least a much wider group of people because the synthetic elements provide a much better acceptance between donor and patient.
And seriously, just because we have to worry about a few less Diseases doesn't mean we don't have to face selfmade disasters anymore. Like Clima change and war. Evolution happens anyway, in all things and it never ceases to exist. Even in Artificial things. Take cars as another example. Climate Change and ressources growing scarce, along with a desire to see new designs have evolved cars over the past 100 years. And in 100 years from now... who knows, they might fly with an oxgen or sand engine. Humanity has surpassed natural evolution at this point, yet we don't stop to evolve. Or at least i'd like to think we don't.
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