

 The Future of Sex: Androids, VR, and the Orgasm Button - kkleiner
http://singularityhub.com/2009/05/20/the-future-of-sex-androids-vr-and-the-orgasm-button/

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anigbrowl
Zzzz...the first article I read like this was written in the 1970s. I am so
tired of this formula...

Thought you'd seen it all when (someone) did (that thing) (within the last
year)? Think again, because (specific technology) is changing the way we (do
something) faster than ever before.

Imagine a world where (well known person) does (the same thing with
technology). Or where (those kinds of people) do (something else with
technology). Or even (well known event) is (different with more technology).

But will things be better or worse? (something) would be awesome. But maybe
(something we value) would disappear.

One thing's for sure: before long (repeat half of first paragraph) will seem
like (some old example of technology chaning something). And maybe we'll (have
some emotion) while we (do something familiar with new technology).

The best (or worst) example I've seen of this kind of lazy journalism was an
article in the Economist speculating that musicians might one day take
performance-enhancing drugs. You don't say.

~~~
stcredzero
The part of how "New treatments will cure STDs." That's been wished for since
before the 70's. Still not there.

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eru
Some STDs have been treated with success, e.g. with antibiotics.

And even AIDS victims live vastly longer with the new drugs than before. We
just do not have a silver bullet.

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jnorthrop
With all sincerity, if we could have a button to induce sexual pleasure, would
we want it? The root of this article is the promise/expectation/hope of quick,
easy, sexual pleasure through the use of technology.

For a quick analogy of what might happen think about what cheap, easy calories
are doing to us as a species. Now think about how much more emotionally
powerful an orgasm is vs. say, a piece of chocolate...

~~~
wheels
_With all sincerity, if we could have a button to induce sexual pleasure,
would we want it?_

If people did, masturbation might be common. Since it's not, I guess we have
our answer.

~~~
stcredzero
Is that sarcasm? I thought that the Internet is for Porn, and the late 20th
century was the start of the biggest explosion of...bothers! How the heck do
you talk about this stuff without sounding like a /b/tard?

In any case, Internet Porn as it is now is close enough to a button to induce
sexual pleasure. The dangerous thing is not producing raw pleasure. It's
producing quality sexual experiences. If you could record and replay the
experience of having sex with a very desirable partner, in the words of Dennis
Miller, this will make Crack look like Sanka.

Given that the promise of sex is such a strong compulsion (there's a reason
why advertisers and gangsters gravitate to it) is there any hope of
resistance?

~~~
wheels
_How the heck do you talk about this stuff without sounding like a /b/tard?_

With sarcasm.

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nazgulnarsil
I'm having trouble finding the article, but AFAIK this was done at least once
on a human volunteer (wiring the pleasure center). The experiment revolved
around using positive reinforcement to "cure" homosexuality. Needless to say
it was shut down when it became clear just how strong the induced feelings
were (the subject became obsessed with the remote).

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spif
How can you not click on that link... ;-)

~~~
papa
Seriously, I'm impressed that the monkey (rta) only pushed the button for a
mere 16 hours a day :-)

~~~
spif
I seem to recall a ratty experiment in which lab rats had electrodes inserted
into pleasure centres in the brain. They could stimulate the centre through
pressing a bar. (Which is what lab rats do best.)

IIRC, the rats pleasured themselves to death, eschewing food and drink, in
order the stimulate the pleasure centres.

~~~
derefr
Most animals don't have sex for very long at a time; I wouldn't be surprised
if the pleasure wiring overrides any ability to feel any other urges, because
of the rarity (and importance) of its activation. I imagine it would be quite
different in the human case; things frequently "interrupt" people.

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russell
If VCRs and the web are any indication, robot sex will be a natural follow on
to vacuuming floors and welding cars. I recommend Charlie Stross's Saturns
Children for sex from the robot's point of view. And Love and Sex with Robots
is on my wish list at Amazon. (Not the robot itself, thank you.)

The future is past. The bionic dick was a cure to impotence before the advent
of Viagra.

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jpcx01
Scott Adams (of Dilbert fame) has been predicting this for years.

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paul9290
There seems to be an online sexual revolution going on that I find shocking.
ie ... ppl putting themselves on xtube and cam4 doing well.

I mean don't these people have jobs, friends and family?

~~~
stcredzero
There is a great Frontline documentary that addresses this on PBS:

<http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/porn/>

Basically, the widespread distribution of porn through emerging technologies
has caused a huge cultural shift in the US and around the world.

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fossguy
All I can say is nope! :)

