Is Uplifting Ethical?

[@elitemook4234]

Humanity fails to find aliens Humanity; Fine, I'll do it myself.

[@OutsiderLabs]

Imagine the children of the Earth being those to spread across the entire universe. If we're truly the first this is the path.

[@MrMonkeybat]

If humans spread across the galaxy, in a million years time the descendants of those humans will become many different species more different from each other than most of the species in Star Trek. Even without any genetic engineering just classical evolution.

[@gabrielalejandrodoldan4722]

​@@MrMonkeybat All tomorrows

[@tonyug113]

@@OutsiderLabs - yeah,,, kinda boring

[@tonyug113]

If humans colonise mars -- the gravity will make for quick speciation, as at 37% gravity kids born there unlikely to survive in 2+ x gravity of earth

[@nightshadedim3396]

If we can't find any alien friends we will just have to make our own.

[@vapormissile]

Who's gonna be a good boy?!

[@GotMyTowel42]

damn right

[@casbot71]

I just posted a long winded version of the same comment, but it took a lot longer to write which is why I didn't see yours first.

[@SerPapus]

@@GotMyTowel42breaking bad lol? I mean technically aren’t dogs uplifted? We should uplift gorillas tbh they strong asf

[@bgcvetan]

You're here to hear if catgirls are possible, we all are.

[@mooseitself]

The real uplifting was the friends we made along the way.

[@GeneralJarrett1997]

Quite literally in fact...

[@Human_01]

Lol 😅

[@verti3213]

Can something that don't have feelings becoming unable to reciprocate them even be called friend?

[@stcredzero]

"I make friends." -- J.F. Sebastian.

[@ac.creations]

​@@verti3213 wat

[@metholuscaedes6794]

Predators being a great factor in the evolution of intelligence gives me a funny idea. An engineered super predator, that simply hunts the least intelligent of a pack and tricks or tests a species to make it smarter. Sort of makes me think about stories about fey and their mischievous nature.

[@stevecharron6341]

I like the way you think. Very interesting

[@paulramsey2000]

That would have a small rapid effect in the short term as you select to elevate possibly rare but pre-existing alleles but after that you would hit sort of a ceiling and would be stuck waiting for random mutations to have a positive effect in the selection characteristics which could take thousands or millions of years. In plants, mutations have been accelerated using gamma rays since the 1960s. Increasing mutations would decrease viable offspring but would increase the chances of encountering a useful mutation. Ideally you would somehow limit the gamma radiation to gametes (sperm and eggs) to prevent the radiation from killing off the actual species you're trying to uplift.

[@danieljacksononearth]

Check out the Shadows in Babylon 5 and then let me know if this still seems like a good idea...

[@stcredzero]

"An engineered super predator, that simply hunts the least intelligent of a pack" -- There are human beings that already do this, on many levels!

[@ClockworkEngineer]

@@danieljacksononearth Looks like someone made my comment already.

[@josephd.5524]

- we uplift dogs - dogs uplift cows - cows come home with a real stern look in their eye

[@tarrantwolf]

Wrote a story where cats were uplifted accidently. People were trying to make them better suited for spacetravel because modern humans found themselves on a highly advanced starship but wanted, well, pets. So they modified cats, gave them perhensile tails, turned their forepaw dewclaws into something more like a thumb, made them more social, gave them more control over their lips so they could use a straw (incase of gravity failure), and made them a little smarter so they could better handle the idea of something like zeroG. However, turned out they were a little smarter than expected. Smart enough to understand simple speech and even make up their own words. Not quite as smart as humans but much smarter than chimps or dolphins. Oh, they got similar rights to humans after their sentience was discovered but the genetic modification make them enjoy being human companions so similar rights but not quite the same. And to adopt one, of course, requires both human and kit accepting the union.

[@hoi-polloi1863]

I like this idea! Butcher has intelligent cats in his "Cinder Spires" series, but they're prideful enough that *they* would probably claim that they uplifted humans, if the question ever came up.

[@maxwaspace5348]

What is the story called?

[@tarrantwolf]

@@maxwaspace5348 never published anything so never named it, could have named it after the ship though, Claymore, because it kind of looks like a giant sword from above.

[@T3hLiZ]

@tarrantwolf That does sound amazing. I'd be happy to help you write/proofread/edit. Sounds like it belongs on HFY, definitely should publish on AO3.

[@tarrantwolf]

@@T3hLiZ thanks for the offer but I had to come to the sad conclusion that I'm absolutly horrible at interpersonal dialogue and filling in holes with enough subplot to keep things interesting.

[@jvcscasio]

"We should not deprive them of their blissful ignorance. If they knew as much as we do, they surely will fall to despair." - The Ea

[@gaychinee]

“Ignorance is a cruel slave master”

[@brodriguez11000]

Be as unhappy with who they are as we are with ourselves.

[@catdaddy294]

Is that an Endwalker reference?

[@jvcscasio]

@@catdaddy294 yes

[@MrAWG9]

This is one of the most uplifting episodes I have watched today!

[@matthewwriter9539]

👍🏻

[@spiffygonzales5160]

: ) Sir... you win

[@Jay_Reacts_REAL]

I see what you did there

[@JamesDecker7]

@@Jay_Reacts_REALI what there you did see.😅

[@barryon8706]

In the webcomic "Freefall" uplifted animals are treated as another variety of AI, which makes sense to me. For example, the implications of "one sapient, one vote" with, say, uplifted rabbits, is only a blip compared to the implications with self-replicating sapient software.

[@oberonpanopticon]

Man I really need to get back in to reading that…

[@05Matz]

Oh yeah, I used to be super into Freefall, and just got back into it recently -- apparently it's still updating? @@oberonpanopticon Definitely a great comic, very thought-provoking.

[@tondekoddar7837]

"self-replicating sapient software" that be memes, yw

[@chrishartley4553]

And isn't Sam Starfall, the alien squid, an example of cultural and technological uplifting? He is from a civilisation that is much less advanced then the human one.

[@alfadorfox]

@@chrishartley4553 He is also intelligent enough to attempt cultural downshifting, so to speak, attempting to teach Sqid values to robots, humans, and Florence alike. >:3

[@Fluffypancakes-o7q]

-Talks about Uplifting -Questioning if it's ethical *-Casually adds furrys into the equation* *:3*

[@TobyCatVA]

A long while ago I had difficulty understanding you between your speech impediment and my poor hearing, but now I find you easy to follow. I'm unsure if you improved from practice, by making videos, or through speech therapy, but my hearing hasn't improved, so I am confident the gains are on your side. All this is to say, either way, your efforts have been rewarded and your videos are much more enjoyable for it. Consider this positive feedback from a fan. BTW your scripts remain top-notch.

[@Elmithian]

In a video few years back he talks about undergoing speech therapy and how he was working on getting better at that whilst also retaining his relatively unique accent most listeners had gotten used to by that point. Which I feel he succeeded at.

[@nmccw3245]

Isaac’s surgery and speech therapy has lessened his impediment into an accent.

[@IkarimTheCreature]

He got uplifted by his surgeon and speech therapist.

[@ChrisChoi123]

​@@IkarimTheCreatureLMAO!

[@Bear-form]

He still sounds the same. And it is actually a comfortable voice.

[@cannonfodder4376]

Sometimes, I wish I could slightly uplift my cats. I wish they could understand the concept of curfews, and taking them to the vet was for their own good. Also, dont thrown up on the carpet. Use the linoleum floor dammit. All in all, another informative video, Isaac.

[@tondekoddar7837]

I've had no luck in teaching german shepherds, few mutts or cats. Friends terrier, well, that's a different story. Few dozens of words and always when I say "home later" with sad voice doggo knows oh well no reason to try, I'll go to your car after this morning walk... Also using voice "hey wtf?" doggo stops barking at some other dog that started it and waits for a second for me to tell what to do. Darn I really didn't think it would work but yeah, every dog has its own ideas. I mean, when hunting and I'm friggin' tired it finds a fallen tree and sits there (usually asks for food/water/treat or points what animal) - doesn't accept any treat or other until I sit down for a while. So yes, no need to teach the doggo to teach me more tricks at the moment, tyvm.

[@andrewashby70]

I would imagine it would be like having your own Salem from Sabrina the teenage witch.

[@dinkaboutit4228]

I hate to be the one to break it to you but, your cats comprehend all of those things perfectly. They just don't respect you.

[@snarkymoosesshack8793]

I would pay a titanic sum of money to know the thought process of the common house cat and family dog. Some of the things I've seen...😂

[@isaacarthurSFIA]

My cat objects to trips to the vet so violently they have me give him a sedative before I bring him :)

[@kevinstoneburner1116]

I think my favorite accidental technological uplifting story would be “The Gods Must be Crazy”. Additionally, we failed to mention Stolen Selflifting, like found in “Battlefield Earth”.

[@Penrose707]

Have you read Children of Time by chance? This is my personal all time favorite accidental uplift story

[@comentedonakeyboard]

Prometheus stealing fire in Greek Mythology

[@tylersmith3139]

I feel like the application of the term uplifting to other humans is pretty derogatory. It implies the inferiority of one culture to another when each culture has more or less knowledge in certain aspect. The San man has a much greater knowledge of his environment than the European colonialist in the 1600s-1800s and they had long been introduced to European society and outright oppression and slavery long before 1984 when the movie was made. The movie is a outwardly racist, purposely ignoring the harsh reality of life the San people in Apartheid where they were treated extremely cruelly by the SADF and Apartheid government, instead faking an image of a noble savage completely oblivious of the world around him, as if that's how any human society has worked. Even in the extreme isolation of Amazon, local ethnic groups still have contact with other parts of Brazil and they speak Portuguese in addition to their native language.

[@kamikeserpentail3778]

I still think Animorphs was actually rather interesting. The conflict in the series largely started with a technological uplift, by giving the mind controlling slugs access to space travel. The race of the individual who gave them that tech found themselves responsible for fighting them. Still, a member of the same race decided to give Earth a fighting chance by giving a handful of human children access to shapeshifting technology. I for one hope that if AI ever surpasses us, that it will uplift me. Though probably as slowly as possible, be gentle. Similarly I'd do the same for my cat if possible. Personally I'd consider downshifting to be worse than genocide. All Other Tomorrows for example...

[@dashiellgillingham4579]

Animorphs also effectively positions the Andelites as a selfish empire that opposes the Yeerks and uplifting in general because it threatens their monopoly on force and therefore ethics in the galaxy. Remember how that story ends.

[@MySerpentine]

Note that they gave them enough tech to become conquerors, but not enough that they'd have no need to conquer just to keep using that tech.

[@alpha007org]

It's funny to me, now that I think of it, in Star Trek episodes where the Prime Directive is a central plot element, the crew almost always finds a way to justify bending or outright breaking it.

[@dragoninthewest1]

[Spoilers for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds] I thought it interesting that in Ad Astra Per Aspera, Robert April when he captained the Enterprise, had engaged in a technological uplift by supplying an early industrial species with advance water processing to save them from a potential extinction level drought.

[@stevenscott2136]

The Prime Directive is their version of "politically correct" -- it exists to make influential fools feel all warm and fuzzy about themselves, while practical folks get on with the business of running the galaxy.

[@deker0954]

I haven't watched it but I'm guessing they tinkered with it and made many devices from the technology.

[@TheCrathes]

The Foreigner seried by C.J Cherryh is about how a lost human spaceship had to technologically uplift a species on a planet they found from the steam age to the near future modern space age (where I am currently). Pretty interesting!

[@Eurotool]

Was not expecting a furry thumbnail from this channel 💀💀

[@ramennight]

About doing slight uplifts of animals, as someone who has been in the animal world his whole life. Most people don't want smarter animals, they want more obedient and easier to train. Intelligence can give you those things, but it often brings a lot of other potential problems if you not a good enough trainer. Even for current animal intelligence.

[@zs9652]

Excellent point. Hence why monkeys do not make good pets. The smarter they are and the more capable of manipulating things, the more terrible twos toddler like they are to have in the house.

[@hherpdderp]

"Congratulations we have uplifted you!" "Btw you now feel shame and have to pay bills"

[@LaserGuidedLoogie]

Sounds like the first chapter of Genesis.

[@Thick.Mothers64]

As one wise mathematician once said... "To suddenly exist is horror enough, but to suddenly exist - to comprehend so much..."

[@CYI3ERPUNK]

welcome fellow tenno =]

[@spacedinosaur8733]

“People…At least, all children are born into a world that seems unreasonable and crazy to them. No one is asked at birth if they agree to come into the world. Everyone is born that way.” - Nyanta - Log Horizon

[@Yokoto12343]

Eyyyy Fish-oh-nah-chee

[@thewizard1]

WARFRAME MENTIONED!! RRRAAAAGGGGHHH!!!!!!!!

[@lordzodiak1575]

​@spacedinosaur8733 not the same as existing and suddenly becoming intelligent

[@yeout4386]

Isaac arthur's videos always manages to uplift my day

[@stcredzero]

I hope this isn't a reference to "yiffing"

[@renaissanceman3264]

😢

[@thiagom8478]

Yep, mine too. But is that Ethical of him?

[@renaissanceman3264]

@@thiagom8478 Enlarge nueron.

[@stcredzero]

@@bromine_35 Trust me, you don't want to know.

[@scottthomas3792]

The webcomic " Freefall" has an uplifted wolf as one of the main characters, and barious ethical questions are looked at from time to time..

[@lilijoy5243]

And to quote Florence herself: "What if I hadn't been modified? I'd be dead by the age of fifteen. Less if I lived in the wild. I wouldn't have my family. No hands. No language. Definitely no frozen peanut butter doggy treats. People tend to concentrate on the negative that I have to deal with. From my point of view, I won the lottery." FF-3145

[@ferdievanschalkwyk1669]

One thing I have learned, is that if you can do it in Stellaris, it's probably not ethical.

[@Wanderer042]

Not exactly, I when I uplifted an Alien Race I mainly gave them a lot of autonomy and the ability to form their own culture, only stepping in when they need it. When They get to be a FTL race. I mainly turn them into a protectorate and while later on they ask to become a vassal. I do not rule over them with an iron fist. I mainly like: You do you, and call me if you need any help. I role-played as the UNE, so it made sense they would uplift the alien race then give them the freedom, but are under the protection of humans. But I there was a small undertone of me putting my ethical and cultural teaching onto them of being Fanatic Egalitarian and Xenophile. In a sense, the galaxy was lonely and I thought why not? Make some friends along the way?

[@Jean-Luc_Renard]

That seems to be a pattern for Paradox grand strategy games, especially Crusader Kings.

[@ferdievanschalkwyk1669]

@@Wanderer042 So you are not turning them into genetically engineered ground combat thralls? What blasphemy is this?

[@Wanderer042]

@@ferdievanschalkwyk1669 not everyone is evil when playing this game. I uplift a race, let them develop, and go about my way. Treat them fairly and I get a potential ally in the endgame. I am a diplomat, not a warlord.

[@ferdievanschalkwyk1669]

@@Wanderer042 so long as you are having fun I guess... In all seriousness, I was joking, it's a great game because there are so many ways to play it and enjoy it.

[@MarlinMay]

Dogs are an extremely interesting example. We've already spent thousands of years selectively breeding and hybridizing them for an extremely wide variety of roles. There doesn't seem to be any movement to stop. We're now looking to correct problems introduced during those centuries of selective breeding, like the short lives of large breeds or the susceptibility of some breeds to ailments like hip dysplasia. So, in my mind, as far as dogs are concerned, the question isn't should we uplift them, the question is really where should we stop.

[@dinkaboutit4228]

Dogs are NOT more intelligent than wolves, rather the opposite. We've made dogs more capable of performing certain tasks, often breed specific tasks, but in doing so we've actually made them less suited to surviving in any context other than our own. If the human race disappeared tomorrow, every domestic dog on the planet would be either a coyote mother or coyote food within a year.

[@BATCHARRO]

@@dinkaboutit4228 If you've been where there's a stray dog problem you'd know that dogs without humans are a little more resilient than that. Hell there's dogs living in fricking Chernobyl and it's not for lack of trying to end them.

[@nekomakhea9440]

The Nature of Predators is another good scifi example of "downlifting" or "downshifting" species before they can become a threat

[@Mate397]

Funnily enough at the moment in the game Warframe the story involved animals that were "accidentally" (a cosmic entity wanted to make a deal and it had to make the 4 test animals smarter) uplifted mentally, going from regular feral animals to selfaware beings. The game showed it quite nicely how they try to handle their new found sapience. Each character showed a different aspect, and though by that point only 3 were alive (4th one died [as far as the story explained it] because one paniced and vented the one closest to the door.)

[@Yokoto12343]

poor Minn

[@Mate397]

@@Yokoto12343 Yea.. Tagfer is probably the most relatable of the trio.

[@fantalone666]

That cosmic entity itself may have been uplifted from literally nothing into whatever it is now, too. They say it reacted to Albrecht coming into contact with it. Although giving it a concept that it could embody itself around was a pure accident on Albrecht's part.

[@Mate397]

@@fantalone666 It's possible, but we don't know that much about the Man in the wall yet.

[@thefrenchmanleo]

As soon as I finished the last video, this one pops up in my notifications. What a wonderful coincidence!

[@Thuddster]

David Brin has been one of my all time favorites, ever since I read the Uplift trilogy. They are the works of a true Master of the craft. I think they would make a fantastic series of movies, very challenging to film but incredible to view, and mind-expanding in scope and vision. Thank you, Isaac!

[@tomboyd7109]

I think the golden rule applies here. "Would I want to be uplifted in this situation?" I think that the answer for me is usually going to be YES. In spite of the costs.

[@MySerpentine]

But you say that from the point of view of a being that's already on the other side of it. The problem with the golden rule is that you don't know if others want what you want.

[@adammyers3453]

“The Federation saw their cruelty, but in our naivety, we thought we could change them. If we uplifted them, there would be no logical reason for their destructive ways to persist. Thus, we made our worst mistake: we decided to intervene.” -The Nature of Predators

[@male272]

Isaac, if there is any indication to be found in how we've run headlong into 'social media' without any consideration, and how facile the current concerns are over A.I. (referencing Sci-Fi concerns from dystopian scenarios 50 years old without consideration of a 'layered evolutionary adaptation' in social response) then by the time Uplift would become an Ethical Issue...it won't be.

[@jkfecke]

The answer to sentience and rights is always simple: anything sentient and sapient is a person. Not necessarily a human, but a person, and people deserve full civil rights. So an uplifted dog is a person, and all the ethical rules about humans apply.

[@hoi-polloi1863]

I guess the real question is how many votes does the hive-mind entity get? As many as it has bodies, or just one, because it's one "personality"?

[@mertgokgoz4073]

I have been reading the children of ruin, and the idea of octopus consciousness being so passionate that it forces the rational/calculating subconscious in the 8 arms into achieving space time bending was interesting.

[@AccessAccess]

Habitable planets don't last forever, and changes to stars or other things over features (over time) may cause threats to the life on the planet. So one other reason we may wish to uplift a species is brought on by these types of changes, particularly for a civilization that wants to preserve life and thinks in the very long term. This may mean simply giving aliens technology or adapting them to survive on a world that has become increasingly hostile, or even assisting a civilization on a doomed world by accelerating their development of space travel and spacecraft so they can escape their world before being wiped out.

[@Yokoto12343]

Even Evacuating a primal civilisation to another planet could count as cultural uplift

[@Dan_ModernDayViking]

I'm interested in writing a story around this exact premise. 😊👍 I thought it would be interesting if aliens found a species that had all but destroyed itself through nuclear war. In the aftermath of the war the species would essentially be in a Dark Age of confusion and loss of technology from being reset back to hunter gatherers. These would become tribes in a Dark Forest on their own planet and extremely hostile towards everything, while also having lived a period of time long enough to not know what happened to them. Long enough that it's people had begun creating a mythology around how they got to that point. "Wrath of the gods" and whatnot that scorched the earth not knowing they did it to themselves, just a tale of death from the sky. Perhaps a hope of rebirth? In come the Aliens who wish only to help them - How does First Contact and Uplifting turn out, and what are the difficulties of establishing trust between warring tribes and with the Aliens? Especially when their mythology points at the Aliens as if they are at fault, did they do this to us or did we? Do we blame and or fear them? How do we trust them, will they help us develop and recover or do they want to conquer us? Will there be more war or finally peace?

[@innocentbystander3317]

What, we gonna sit around waiting for them to ask for it, let alone consent? Allow me to default to the golden rule: Would I want to be uplifted by a superior species? Of course, yes!

[@8darktraveler8]

That's how I met my wife.

[@tondekoddar7837]

Superior race comes to solar system, enhances you to live in space, never breed but leave von-neumann kind of probe-copy of yourself every few millenium and just move towards great attractor. It removes your intelligence because it's not useful, to a superior expanding cloud of these machines. Have fun

[@SupersuMC]

​@@8darktraveler8Heh. XD

[@chrishartley4553]

Consent here is the key. Sure, if some advanced benevolent alien came down with the option to 'uplift' I would like to know what is entailed, possible downsides and what options are on offer and to fully understand it to my Mk.I Smart-Ape brain before I agree to anything. If those aliens were more inclined towards the morals of, lets say the Affront in the Culture novels, I think any uplifting on offer would be mandatory and would be horrific.

[@innocentbystander3317]

@accelerationquanta5816 There's no reason to treat you with respect or dignity, either... What's your point?

[@lgjm5562]

Asking a preuplifted species if they want to be uplifted is like asking a gradeschooler if they want a face tattoo.

[@JRussellDay]

Why ask, just give that gradeschooler a face tattoo! They will definitely want it, and will be better for it too.

[@oliviamaynard9372]

Maybe ignorance truly is bliss. I love my puppy and wouldn't want her to know how bad things are in the world. She would be so disappointed in humans if she knew what we were up to

[@konstantinavalentina3850]

I just watched an episode of Nature that follows a South African Bush Baby seeking it's own territory after leaving its mom's nest, and it's interesting to see Bush Babys in urban environments evolving significantly greater social interactions and groupings where in their native forests they're only lightly social for courtship, nesting, and raising young. It's also noted that urban Bush Babys are better fed, heavier, with bigger muscles since people tend to feed them better than what Bush Babys find alone in the wilds. It's evolution in a sense, happening on observable timescales, but, is it also, perhaps, passive, unintentional uplift where humans that like little animals leave out food that in turn alters the behavior, the culture, and even the bodies of some animals self-adapting to living closely with humans in urban environments? We see temple monkeys in crowded tourist hotspots stealing tourists' sunglasses, cell phones, and other things knowing that they can barter the item they just stole for some treats they wouldn't have got just begging. This is adaptation, perhaps evolution too, but could it also be unintentional uplift?

[@krispalermo8133]

I am with .. unintentional uplifting. Brazil, years ago they imported a type of African monkeys to feed on a type of insect that made it over on shipping. The African monkey looks total different compare to the native monkey but both monkeys integrated into a working social structure despite being unable to cross breed with the other. Still they trade items, food, and look after each other infants. The video of them date back like 16 or twenty years. What makes them real interesting, .. a.) After digging through trash, the local humans separated the trash types for recycling into different bins and put out different types of nuts and over rip fruit that humans can't eat. Now the monkeys separate paper, plastic, into different bins as they search for leftover human food. And they are happy paid in nuts. b.) The two breeds of monkeys learn to catch morning bus/train rides to their prime forage city location. Along with hopping rides on motorcycle taxi or trucks. c.) Some monkeys carry around small handbags filled with a given item that they trade with other monkeys or playful humans. d.) Older/ more mature monkeys dealing with humans learn about coin trade or picking up metal washers and trying to use them as trade coin. When monkey pay for something with lost lose human coins, the human vendors make fair honest trade with the monkeys. Belief you should never cheat someone in business be them human innocent, dim wit or monkey. e.) There is one imported monkey and two local breeds, they work as join groups. They just move from one human apartment building to the next, chasing out and eating every insect, mice, rats, rodent in their path. Best part they know how to use a litter box. So locals screw their cabinets close and open a window when they know the monkey troop is making their rounds when they go out to work for the day. f.) After a couple hundred years of living in a human city, the three main monkey groups learn from humans, .. Sigh language for basic concept ideals, trade items, money coin exchange, how to catch rides to cross town. Along with wearing doll clothing and using handbags to carry more than normal. Something about watching a monkey go through the trash collecting used plastic water bottles, opening the crush bottles with a stick. Washing out the bottles to be fill with water from the public fountains, and then carry water in bags to take to others for trade or social support. They don't know how to make fire without a lighter or how to control fire " once burnt twice shy", but they know the value of taking raw food to someone' cooking grill to roast their food on. Monkey see, monkey do. Hope you had a good weekend.

[@nmheath03]

Had a similar thought a few years back: on a planet where humans and cities are a major factor in evolution across the world, I could see the majority of animals evolving along the route of "Pet, Pest, or Person"

[@rodylermglez]

I, for one, welcome our new furry overlords.

[@augustday9483]

And so Man looked out across the wide, silent abyss laid out before him. With a cry of defiance, he spoke: "I WILL BE ALONE NO MORE." And from the forests and the oceans and the mountains, new minds were made in his image. Never in all the eons to come would Man ever be alone again.

[@roberthofmann8403]

I love the pace of your current videos. I've been recently delving into some of your oldest videos. You spoke so fast back then, I could barely keep up. I tried slowing them down but it just didn't sound right. Your content has always been top notch but, presentation-wise, you have become one of the best on KZbin!

[@d00m0racl3]

This is slightly on a tangent of this episode but I believe it still may apply. I have watched many a short or full video of wild animals "asking" random people for help when a member of their group is in danger, trapped or injured. This may be due to the preponderance of our ability to film things, it may be humanity now has a more hollistic world view & thus is more apt to act in assistance/defense of our wildlife or it may be it's always existed but was never known due to only being shared amongst the few of a close circle of friends. I believe we are "uplifting" wildlife by the sheer pressures we excert on their environment. Over time they have come to "know" we are the "top alpha" beings who control their world & therefore their survival. In a case of dead if I don't or maybe dead if I do scenario they may be opting to trust we'll do the right thing & render assistance.

[@johnh.mcsaxx3637]

Maybe. Brown bear mothers are known to hang around human settlements with their cubs because they know the male bears won't put themselves at risk like that, so that species certainly seems to be aware of what humans can do to them, to some extent.

[@bryceshane2057]

honestly, Im not sure if its because of the pressures were putting on them that their becoming "smarter," so much as they've learned to think of a human as an equal, another of their kind who they can ask for help. Though the distinction may not matter in the end.

[@tondekoddar7837]

I'd guess it's both (3) you stated: -those animals have a distinct guess that humans know and are generally more capable than other species nearby so in unexpected situations humans may very well be the best "last resort" to help -videos of animals acting this way are more watchable/interesting so they get copied/shown more often -when nothing else helps, even taking the very hard risk of going near humans is better than umm keeping near predators with a plastic bag around your head when you're totally helpless - predator you know will harm you is worse than possible predator you know is able to do a lot but haven't had personal experiences with, just some instinct and motherly advice

[@Vaeldarg]

Seen the video/article about a cat walking up to a grocery store employee with a green leaf in its mouth? It was smart enough to observe "human gets food, gives other human thin green thing". Don't recall if was given something, hopefully was. Not like the clerk can communicate to it the nuances of money to correct it.

[@nekomakhea9440]

I'm disappointed you didn't show the "giving snakes their (robot) legs back" video as an example of uplifting

[@darksidegryphon5393]

-You're lifting the snake's body up from the ground.-

[@NoSTs123]

I like the kind of uplift Iain Banks described in The Algebraist. The Galaxy spaning Alien Civilizatian captures some individuals of a young species not yet on the interplanetary stage, cultivates them modifies them to be longer lived, immune against sickness et cetera, and spreads them on any sutible world for colonization. By the time their home planet starts their first interstellsr collonization efforts contact is initated and everybody of the basline species, that assumed they were alone in the Galaxy finds out that not only everything is owned already by some alien, bit that their species is already everywhere, more noumerus, smarter and actually not a big deal in the Galaxy Spaning Alien Civilization. Hell of a way to intimitade any up and coming interstellar civilization. I can also recommend the webcomic Freefall by Mark Stanley featuring Uplifted Wolfs, Apes, Aliens Sqids and the struggle of sentient Ai robots in a post scarcity, Human controlled collonization effort.

[@gofannon1943]

The blunt-force downshifting in Three Body Problem was pretty disturbing!

[@robotmafiagaming]

First, let me apologize, sir. I have enjoyed your content the moment I found it. Your take on this subject matter is as always, presented expertly. A cursory check confirmed I was not subscribed. I have remedied this oversight. Thank you for everything, most especially your cogent understanding of mass effect. As demonstrated in this and several other videos you created, Your grasp is great. I personally invested many hours in me1 and me2. as a result, in me3, i experienced an ending with synthesis that saw my Mc survive as well as the Normandy and mass relays while ending the cycle of extermination by the reapers. #dontstopbeingawesomesir

[@isaacarthurSFIA]

Welcome aboard!

[@robotmafiagaming]

@@isaacarthurSFIA thank you sir

[@matthewwriter9539]

A common outcome of uplifting would probably be: 1. Advanced civilization gives technology to significantly less advanced civilization. 2. Less advanced civilization mistakes more advanced civilization for gods. 3. Not desiring this situation, yet finding themselves in it anyway, the more advanced civilization ends up passing down guidance which the less advanced civilization turns into their holy book.

[@yeout4386]

A fan of stargate?

[@arcadiaberger9204]

"Is Uplifting ethical?" is a question sort of like, "Is settling asteroids ethical?" or even "Is having children ethical?": It all depends on how you do it. Clearly, Uplifting a species to human intelligence and exploiting them as slaves would be as unethical as enslaving humans, frex.

[@spiffygonzales5160]

Eh... theres a LOT to each of those.

[@Reiman33]

this ignores ethics as a transcendental morality. If the universe and the first life in it, were "created" then whether or not uplifting is ethical is dependent on whether or not the Creator God thinks so. Without this frame of reference, the question itself is literally meaningless. Without a real transcendental morality, ethics is illusory. You cannot get around this question without acting in bad faith.

[@arcadiaberger9204]

​@@Reiman33 Certainly, if I were a professional contemplating beginning an Uplift project, I would sit in silence and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance, as did Friend Joseph Lister and Friend Thomas Hodgkin. Any aspect of life science is especially worthy of profound moral consideration. I'm not entirely clear what your overall point is, though?

[@malcolmt7883]

I'd hate for my dog to speak. It would be, 'Hey, how about some sausage? How about now? Sausage? Time for sausage!'

[@nmccw3245]

That’s our burden to bear.

[@ThanksIfYourReadIt]

Hope you doing well thank you for the videos on time every time!

[@exoterric]

I just had this conversation with my ex last night. Dude I'd love to pick your brain about the philosophical and moral application of the different methods as you see them. Also, congrats again on the paperwork. Family looks like an amazing social construct that I envy every time I see great ones. Love, safety and good fortune to you and yours bud.

[@TheRezro]

I just mention that technological and cultural uplifting can be put basically in the same bag. Until you literally dump blueprints to figure out, it is rather expected that it would be paired with teaching specie how to use it safely. To avoid Cargo Cult issue (what BTW is real thing related to WW2).

[@hollybyrd6186]

Dogs living longer wouldn't be a bad thing. One thing i always hated about space sci-fi is no dogs. We've had a dog by our side since almost the beginning.

[@troymcguffey8801]

Much love to you Issac from my family to yours. Much love to all who see this message. May the Universe bless all of you.

[@arthurdowney2846]

Odo: "Has it ever occurred to you that you believe the Founders are gods because that's what they want you to believe? That they built that into your genetic code?" Weyoun: "Of course they did. That's what gods do. After all, why be a god if there's no one to worship you?"

[@grimace4257]

Inside every wolf there is two wolves; one is gay, the other is gay.

[@netangamer1057]

Arknigth? lappland Texas

[@saintgeorge3752]

Prime directive vs uplifting sounds like a great stng episode

[@user-kv6lw4cp4u]

في المستقبل البعيد وبفضل التكنولوجيا المتقدمة سوف يتساوى الخيال مع الواقع ويمتلك الإنسان قوى الآلهة ليحول الكون والأكوان المتعددة إلى جنة خالدة ❤

[@hazonku]

I'd uplift my cat without a second thought about it. I'm also certain I'm not alone in this as all of us who have an orange tabby in the family would argue it's not unethical if the cat only has one braincell anyway and would just end up being like a normal cat instead of a constantly manic and clumsy mess. 😂

[@stm7810]

would you be willing to help them live independant of you if they decide you're not the sort of room mate they want? these are people we're talking about here.

[@primordial-chaos00]

Are sure that a good idea the cat might hate being changed and resistance enjoying it current form. Uplifting would change the personality and the relationship.

[@viorelviorel2324]

congratulations on being uplifted now you get to work 9-5 job be depressed and have existential dread

[@GamerShock]

I think uplifting is ok. I know this is a human centric take but, we got to where we are by technologically uplifting each other. New discovery? The idea gets passed to someone who doesn't have it. Maybe it's just kinda natural to sentient evolving species to pass on good ideas.

[@Brazen1234]

check his harddrives

[@TC-uj7ui]

they also pass around bad ideas, which are very dangerous when you don't have the required antivirus and antimalware training in your head

[@animo9050]

@@Brazen1234 no, let him cook

[@TC-uj7ui]

@accelerationquanta5816 spoken like a relativizer whose entire brainstem was hijacked by a bad idea, as can be clearly seen by the fact that your pfp is a hammer&sickle in a black sun pattern but solely with the nazi colors, and your handle openly portrays you as an accelerationist. You're the ideological equivalent of a virulent zombie.

[@maxtherealone5491]

why is there a furry on the space futurisum channel thumbnail?

[@kiedranFan2035]

Because they look good

[@MrHellknightimp]

because degenerates will click on it and watch the video

[@M-zg9lu]

Should have been a protogen

[@casbot71]

We might never encounter aliens (or even alien life), or not for a long _long_ time.¹ So the only non human intelligence we may ever encounter is AI or earth animals that we have genetically enhanced into a sapient level. And just like with AI, the idea of creating other intelligences might be irresistible to us. ¹Interstellar travel may be very difficult, and FTL functionally impossible.

[@OceanMachine_]

It's important to note that whales classify as intelligent. Many seem to have some form of language, and orcas at least seem to have culture.

[@aliceh5289]

Crows also have culture! We did an experiment with masks. The bird we tagged was able to pass down a description of our masks to his child, who recognized our masks without the parents present.

[@aliceh5289]

Whales & dolphins might communicate in echolocatory images instead of encoded abstract language like us

[@OceanMachine_]

@accelerationquanta5816 Whales are self aware and conscious. Some even have culture, like orcas. Your phone has non of these things.

[@higgledypiggledycubledy8899]

I haven't watched yet, but I've always thought that from their point of view, the Borg are doing uplifting. Something to think about.

[@hollybyrd6186]

Exactly. It's horrifying

[@Lamp.Cooloutski]

Humanity is too rowdy for uplifting ourselves

[@CLSB-ECHO]

I've been looking forward to this episode forever now.

[@terrykrugii5652]

It's a messy question for sure. I feel that we should uplift species, to a limited degree. It shouldn't be wholesale uplifting of an entire species, rather a splitting off of the evolutionary tree for that species... and yet, that begs the questions: how do we decide who gets uplifted and who doesn't? Why uplift any of them? Why not uplift them all? I can't answer any of these things. Sapience is both a blessing and a curse.

[@erichtomanek4739]

I imagine uplifted German Shepherds. Bigger brains with more neural connections means a bigger head thus a bigger neck and body to hold up that head. Alter the vocal chords so they can speak human languages as well as bark, growl etc. Running on all fours is better than two, so for arms and hands I'd modify some ribs on either side of the body. And since Dragons can fly on Pern, and were themselves uplifted from Fire Lizards, I reckon I'd modify some more ribs and fur to make wings and feather analogues. What could go wrong?

[@miltenignis1017]

I would prefer a pseudo or fey dragon from the DND universe if we're already talking about that level of genetic engineering

[@walterverlaan1286]

As always, a pleasure to watch.

[@johnbastien3872]

Cats uplifted us as a slave speicies Long aago.

[@sebastianprimomija8375]

We are the Cat's client race.

[@projectarduino2295]

If you can’t find aliens in space then store bought is fine.

[@A-Milkdromeda-Laniakea-Hominid]

Wow I forgot about Cell to Singularity. What an epic "tap the screen" game. Very intelligent yet impossible to get wrong. I'm gonna play it again, thanks for the reminder.

[@AndrewJohnson-oy8oj]

Correction: in "Sundiver" humans found out about how other civilizations uplifting clients and we rushed uplifting chimps and dogs so we would be accepted by the galactic community. Otherwise, we never would have done it.

[@tondekoddar7837]

Just yes, I wonder how long its been since IA's team read those books. I mean I do read some books w/o thinking but that was obvious and established in the books too. Or did it require thought ?

[@AndrewJohnson-oy8oj]

@@tondekoddar7837 I read that book once when it was first published and I managed to remember that plot point.

[@isaacarthurSFIA]

Audiobook about 20 years ago, but I should have remembered that, to be fair the author advanced screened the video and didn't mention it either so I don't feel too bad

[@Kurai_69420]

If we can't find the sexy aliens, we'll have to make them ourselves.

[@kiedranFan2035]

I mean your not wrong. Most of the times furries look better then humans indeed

[@ninekindzo3569]

26:02 I'ma go with yeah. I've had a lot of dogs throughout my life. Helped raise a couple wolves and a few German Shepherds. (You were really good babies, Ottis and GG, and I miss you a lot.) I currently have 2 pit bulls and they're the sweetest big ole babies you could meet. They deserve a lot more what I'm able to give them. If I'd suddenly been given an option for any of them to get uplifted like that, I'd take it in a heartbeat.

[@sulljoh1]

It's nice to see SFIA tackle ethical issues Many episodes start with "we won't address the ethics of X"

[@ThanksIfYourReadIt]

Technically we always uplift our own childs.

[@asahearts1]

Huh, the idea of uplifting an already intelligent species by increasing their capacity for tool use makes me wonder if humanity could be considered intelligent by other species yet lack some capability they see as basic. Maybe ESP or photosynthesis or something? "Dear Doctor" is the Star Trek episode which finally killed all of my interest in that show. The idea that someone gave the greenlight on that and thought it was some kind of ethical lesson is absolutely chilling.

[@andrewruiz7894]

Uplifting of humans is the whole basis for ancient alien theorists.

[@ergerg2]

I read the episode synopsis, and it seems fine. What part bothered you about it? Non intervention is a strict policy in Star Trek. They have a deep historical context reinforcing it as a core principle. The biggest issue I can see with the episode is star fleets wild inconsistency with the rule (which is the biggest hole in the overall plotting of even TNG). Their semi fine giving them warp drive in the episode, but not with their pending destruction. Old TNG usually violated the rule in the opposite way. edit: I misread that synopsis, still curious about your take, but I can see it now.

[@asahearts1]

@@ergerg2 Yeah, the Prime Directive didn't exist yet, and it wasn't about an uncontacted species or warp drives. It was a species which were dying of a disease and the captain decided against giving them the cure because there was another, slightly less intelligent species which lived on the planet as well. The captain and doctor decided it was time for the dying species to go extinct so the other species could evolve. Meanwhile the less intelligent species was already becoming smarter and was being treated fairly by the more intelligent one. In my opinion they were witholding medical treatment for discriminatory reasons which aren't even internally consistent. What they did checks all the boxes of eugenics and genocide. What would these show writers justify among humans on Earth? Hiw do they feel about the Tuskegee experiments or Xinjian? This was on the heels of the episode where the engineer becomes pregnant from an alien who didn't tell him what they were doing... and the crew all laugh at him. This one: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bqmpmGlrhtN5Y9kfeature=shared

[@ergerg2]

@@asahearts1 Hey no argument from me, agreed on all of that. I see a lot of these insane flippant dismissals of serious ethical considerations in modern pop culture writing. For some reason it's always around characters and organizations known for their virtue, it's weird. The new Picard shows first season had him go into a bar, that was racist against humans, just to prove a point resulting in his bodyguard beheading someone. TNG Picard would never have done something so antagonistic, and his bodyguard would have received the dressing down and demotion of his life for not doing his best to de-escalate the situation. The show instead opted for Picard instead doing nothing to the bodyguard from what I remember.

[@tondekoddar7837]

​@@asahearts1Happened to watch that episode yesterday. There were two species on the planet, and by some (you say intelligent? Whatever? By what standard?) thing, humans should have accepted one species taking all the good to farm land (timescale not said but the 2nd species said "they don't let us farm in fertile land, we get all we do from them")... So nothing like you said. Please rewatch. Also, it's said that space has infinite resources, it's not possible in "star trek" or here to make such large exponential thoughts - Isaac stated about this "fast breeding species" etc... So, giving meds to 1st species, warp-drive and w/e, they'd expand and still trample species2. Maybe humans and others too. So yes, it was simplified, but still nowhere near as simple case. Yes, the episode was disappointing but probably not because of writing but because of time-limit, cuts in filming etc

[@EliasMheart]

Thank you for publishing the extra episodes to yt (: And wow in general, more videos :D The year promises to be a good one :D

[@OpreanMircea]

great video, thanks team I enjoyed it

[@Jon6429]

You could make a case that the process is already well established. Dairy farming would be a good example with cattle trained to interact with automated milking machinery. There was also the pigeon guided missile and a some more recent experiments using them as observers for search and rescue. Genetic modification of course has been going for centuries to increase or suppress natural traits & behavior, we just called it selective breeding.

[@gantulgaganhuyag717]

When i saw "uplifting" and wolf's picture and wondered how we have actually uplifted wolfs to dogs. In my understanding, we actually made dogs downgraded to scavenging on throwouts of human 😅 they even got floppy ears mostly 😅 i dont really see how we "uplifted" dogs, lifestocks 😅

[@xX_Pokeman_Xx]

Uplifting doesn't necessarily imply a good thing. That's why the question is asked. Also, a lot of dogs are hunting dogs, so...

[@gantulgaganhuyag717]

@@xX_Pokeman_Xx hahahaha ok so statistically, how many dogs are actually actively hunting? i got a beagle! hopeless fur ball cant even find her food bowl.

[@THINKMACHINE]

Immediate thought is that if the process is reliable, how is it different from choosing to have a child. The ethics aren't about uplifting itself at all, but rather in how the uplifted species would be raised, taught and treated. At the same time this is the same type of problem as GMO foods; like it or not we've been doing both in a primitive way for the entirety of recorded history, both with constant interaction and selective breeding of livestock, pets and crops.

[@jezusbloodie]

How did you expect a cat person would be able to pay attention to what you're saying from 20:34 to 20:45??? So cute!

[@royeckhardt9016]

Very excited for this episode. A game called Warframe just poked at uplifting with part of its newest story quest/area, and it was excellent. Accidental uplifting that led to existential agony, really sad.

[@djdrack4681]

I think ethics/morals are. The topic is itself philosophical (not purely ethical)...because you have to step back and assess if ethics even applies: or can be. - Are the raccoons you'd uplift 1) capable BOTH pre-/post- uplifting of philosophical debate/actualizations/contemplation? Pre-Uplift = you can't ask them their opinion, regardless of your own. Post-Uplift = IF they didn't have it BEFORE, they can't give great answer now theyre able to...because they couldn't think the same as before. - NOT ALL HUMANS display ethics/morals. In fact, across both religious/atheistic types, you have many that are in fact, fundamentally solipsistic, and almost completely amoral/ and without ethics. can we argue 'ethics' of a topic...if the philosophical topic of 'ethics' doesn't even occur in a decent % of the population? You'd have to segment and describe 'a group (that is themselves ethical or unethical)" and whether they'd find uplifting 'ethical'.

[@captainmatthew661]

that thumbnail.... is this episode secretly about furriers? lol

[@definitlynotbenlente7671]

I hope so

[@captainmatthew661]

@@definitlynotbenlente7671 sadly doesn't look like it. maybe one day he do an episode all about gene editing cybernetics and furries. one can dream.

[@MrHellknightimp]

@@captainmatthew661 don't make me get the Heavy Flamer

[@YourNuGod]

As a furry myself you gotta remember it’s mainly a twitter kink for 99% of people and that animal people predate the internet and much of society , the Sumerians had hybrid people and they are oldest known stories

[@vaillencourt]

An aspect of the uplifting question that I think could use further consideration is the effect of uplifting on the original species' role in the ecosystem, and how leaving that role unfilled could potentially produce unintended consequences similar to what would happen if an important species went extinct.

[@goldenfloof5469]

Easy, just the uplifteds physical appearance a bit and leave most of the original species as is. Just tell the ones you uplifted that they're a new species now, like how humans are to apes.

[@isaacchristensen659]

This is one of my favorite topics on this channel, thank you!!!

[@BATCHARRO]

We've been making horses to carry heavier things and dogs to look cuter for thousands of years. I say make the damn catgirls already.

[@LaserGuidedLoogie]

You just KNOW that catgirls will be a thing. 😅

[@Sb129]

Other than SG-1, i was also reminded of this super long KZbin video talking about a game called NekoPara (i think) that has catgirls in it. But instead of then being humans with cat features, they are essentially uplifted cats.

[@shabah2644]

Yeah I remember that one. I don’t think we are supposed to take nekopara seriously however.

[@lordilluminati5836]

If genetically engineering catgirls is wrong I don't want to be right

[@caitgems1]

Just what i need at the end of a horrible days work. Cheers Arthur 🍻

[@ragnarhafstad9576]

You might also ask is it ethical not to do it if we have the capability?

[@TenorCantusFirmus]

African Grey Parrots: "Dunno if it's ethical, meanwhile we yet did it."

[@braggarmybrat]

What has blown my mind is the introduction of 'buttons' for dogs and cats. It allows them to communicate, to speak, to us and let us know what they want. It also clearly shows that they DO understand us to quite a degree. Buttons help us talk to one another. Which, if truth be told, can be annoying at times. We no longer have the option of telling ourselves, "Well, they're just a dumb animal, I know better than they do!" They will cuss us out and tell us how pissed they are that we aren't doing what they want us to do. That shows agency and self and social awareness. It makes me glad that S. Korea just outlawed dog meat. In all my time at Camp Red Cloud outside of Seoul I never ate Kagogi. It would be like eating my annoying dumber best friend!

[@7evYT]

IA uploads are always uplifting.

[@nadiaplaysgames2550]

i didnt consent bering born as as human the fact you uplifted a dog or a cat as long you didnt purposly make life hard give them pain or iusses then your fine

[@IanM-id8or]

I've been watching videos about dogs & cats using "talking buttons" recently, and a question occurs to me - assuming that the animals actually understand what they are doing, are the humans supplying the buttons uplifting their pets?

[@timothybruce9366]

Locutus of Borg was one such "hybridized" human for purposes of "diplomacy". Literally, Locutus means "spoken" or "said", but I think in this context as a proper name it means "He Who Speaks".

[@thesun6211]

Moral and ethical dilemmas aside, the engineering of a single metabolic pathway is a relatively simple affair in genomic code but getting it to work as intended in a living organism is a whole nother matter; nevermind the multiple pathways that'd have to be engineered, introduced to via genetic modification or plasmid, and made to work together for something like mineral accretion even if volcano snails exist. I imagine making it possible to ingest and sequester otherwise toxic substances like heavy metals would be an even more daunting challenge for an aspiring synthetic biologist.