Transhumanist Soviet Union

Teleology

Banned
In my uninformed opinion, if the Soviet Union existed in the transhuman age of technology this national stance would be quite possible, but before then transhumanism is too close to a New Age-y spiritual exercise...though the idea of atheist religions had been tried by revolutionaries before (the Cult of Reason in France).
 
I was hoping for a more fleshed out time line. I find the concept interesting, if rather over optimistic, through I find the casting of the US, and the west in general, with the villain ball disappointing. It removes all tension.
 

Glen

Moderator
I'm surprised that nobody's brought in technocrat, SF author and blood transfusion* pioneer Alexander Bogdanov yet...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Bogdanov

* He's not the only communist blood transfusion pioneer. Norman Bethune of Canada made the first bloodmobile for use in the Spanish Civil War.

Good example of the futurist tendencies in early 20th century Russia. He's a bit too early to be directly incorporated into the Transhumanist Soviet Union, but he could be 'rehabilitated' posthumously and his writings and ideas incorporated into the evolving Transhumanist nature of the Soviet Union.
 

Glen

Moderator
Interesting concept. Cosmism-wank is what it boils down to.

Thank you. And yes, there is a bit of the Cosmism-wank to it.:D

Maybe in 70s, US and the USSR get into a cyborg race after the Space Race ends in a draw?

Cyborgs are definitely going to make an appearance, but not as early as the 70s.

The Space Race won't end....
 

Glen

Moderator
I LOVE this idea! Reverse-Cyberpunk! The Borg as more than just a SciFi analog of Leninism! True Rule of Cool. :cool: Premier Rand is worth 3x10^34 Irony Points alone.

Please continue this, Glen.

Thanks lots, Geekhis. I will get around to adding to it at some point. Feel free to throw out some ideas.

I like the Randian bit, too.;)
 

Glen

Moderator
In my uninformed opinion, if the Soviet Union existed in the transhuman age of technology this national stance would be quite possible, but before then transhumanism is too close to a New Age-y spiritual exercise...though the idea of atheist religions had been tried by revolutionaries before (the Cult of Reason in France).

Transhumanism is about getting there, not being there. The 20th century has enough of the idea of improvement of humans through science that the philosophy can be established, even if they are a century or so away from most of the realization of their goals.
 

Glen

Moderator
Note that not all is sunshine and happiness in the Transhumanist Soviet Union (at least from OTL perspective).

I suspect that abortion will be available on demand, and that once genetic testing becomes available, aborting for genetic defects will have a lot of social pressure (if not actually required in the Individualist Workers' Paradise). Gender selection will likely also be allowed, but by the time this comes about, the Transhumanist Soviet Union will have put a huge dent in sexism, so its more likely to be used to get 'balanced' families (one of each gender) and maybe birth order preferences (yes, it will be that casual in this 'Brave New World'). Expect too that as in vitro fertilization and genetic testing develop, more and more of the proletariat will choose to have in vitro and genetic screening for 'preferred' traits (as defined by the individual, though we have to believe there will be some societal pressures or biases that people still succumb to). Once true genetic engineering (as opposed to genetic selection) becomes available, tinkering with progeny rather than selecting them will become more popular.

Education will be universal and there will be a very high social value placed on it throughout. Better grades equal better opportunities and coming closer to the ideal of the proletariat evolving into a pan-intelligentsia. Children will be under incredible pressure to 'succeed' from their parents and society at large. Expect a higher rate of childhood suicides. However, unlike some OTL societies with this emphasis on education, it won't be restricted to just rote learning, and a high premium on creative achievement will also be placed. Creative geniuses will be identified early and 'nurtured' as the imagineers of this overgrown EPCOT.;)

Since the Transhumanist Soviet Union will more and more place a premium on the individuals of the proletariat into some uber-intelligentsia, there will be increasing pressure to free the proletariat from any work that is in essence drudgery, thus a high premium on automation and robotics. By the 1970s, Soviet workers won't be on assembly-lines; they will be the technicians keeping the machines of the assembly line running.

Prosthesis will also advance quickly for the injured. The real question will be when will prosthetics become superior to current flesh, and thus unleash a wave of cyborganization....:cool:

Also by the 1980s, standard funeral practice will be cryonic preservation. In urban areas there will be huge cold rooms filled with corpsicles....
 
All this was actually pretty common in East and West up to the 70s - only then did a return to more dogmatism in the East, and more religiousness and "nature loving" or political correctness in the West end this development.

Yeah, the Baby Boomers did put an end to the GI generation's machine exploration. However the Silent generation egged them on by making those horribly anti-transhumanist science fiction movies and television shows like The Twilight Zone--The Brain Center at Whipple's only being one of MANY examples of anti-transhumanist thought within that show.

The Lonely - "Get out of here. I don't need a machine."
The After Hours - "That's right, I'm a manequinn"
The Mighty Casey - "I made Casey, he's a robot"
A Thing about Machines - "You, you machines!"
The Lateness of the Hour - "I'm not your daughter... I'm a machine!"
The Trade-Ins - "But these two senior citizens happen to live in a time of the future where nothing is impossible, even the trading of old bodies for new."
I Sing the Body Electric - "And one day, if I happen to live long enough, I'll be given the greatest gift of all, life"
In His Image - "In a way, it can be said that Walter Ryder succeeded in his life's ambition, even though the man he created was, after all, himself."
Steel - "My Fighter needs a lube job"
The Old Man in the Cave - "This was your old man, your dictator, a computer!"
Uncle Simon - "Bar-ba-ra, help me!"
From Agnes--With Love - "But you're a machine, you can't experience love or emotions!"
The Brain Center at Whipple's - "It isn't fair, Hanley! It isn't fair the way they...diminish us."

~Chas'88
 

The Sandman

Banned
I can see a schism developing within the Transhumanist Soviet Union over whether cybernetics or biotech is the proper route to the future, especially since there are pros and cons to both options.
 

Glen

Moderator
That's an interesting way to view it.

Yeah, the Baby Boomers did put an end to the GI generation's machine exploration. However the Silent generation egged them on by making those horribly anti-transhumanist science fiction movies and television shows like The Twilight Zone--The Brain Center at Whipple's only being one of MANY examples of anti-transhumanist thought within that show.

The Lonely - "Get out of here. I don't need a machine."
The After Hours - "That's right, I'm a manequinn"
The Mighty Casey - "I made Casey, he's a robot"
A Thing about Machines - "You, you machines!"
The Lateness of the Hour - "I'm not your daughter... I'm a machine!"
The Trade-Ins - "But these two senior citizens happen to live in a time of the future where nothing is impossible, even the trading of old bodies for new."
I Sing the Body Electric - "And one day, if I happen to live long enough, I'll be given the greatest gift of all, life"
In His Image - "In a way, it can be said that Walter Ryder succeeded in his life's ambition, even though the man he created was, after all, himself."
Steel - "My Fighter needs a lube job"
The Old Man in the Cave - "This was your old man, your dictator, a computer!"
Uncle Simon - "Bar-ba-ra, help me!"
From Agnes--With Love - "But you're a machine, you can't experience love or emotions!"
The Brain Center at Whipple's - "It isn't fair, Hanley! It isn't fair the way they...diminish us."

~Chas'88
 

Glen

Moderator
I can see a schism developing within the Transhumanist Soviet Union over whether cybernetics or biotech is the proper route to the future, especially since there are pros and cons to both options.

Schism, no, factions, yes. Overall, since self modification is an individual worker's choice (with funding provided by the state), it will be a matter of choice. However, there will be a lot of fights over what research will get how much funding on the Central Committee.
 
a transhumanist soviet union would mean that christian conservatism will ruin Americas technological growth
 
I read that the Soviets were developing a 16 bit Processor as the USA was developing an 8 bit Processor. Sad thing was the KGB got a hold of the 8 bit Tech Specs etc and orders were given to drop the 16 bit work and replicate the 8 bit processor.

I would reccomend checking out the Essay/Article "InterNyet". It covers Soviet Cybernetics highs and lows including Cybersyns precursor Project O.G.A.S.

A very good AH thread you may want to check out is "A Martian stranded on Earth"
 
I read that the Soviets were developing a 16 bit Processor as the USA was developing an 8 bit Processor. Sad thing was the KGB got a hold of the 8 bit Tech Specs etc and orders were given to drop the 16 bit work and replicate the 8 bit processor.

I would reccomend checking out the Essay/Article "InterNyet". It covers Soviet Cybernetics highs and lows including Cybersyns precursor Project O.G.A.S.

A very good AH thread you may want to check out is "A Martian stranded on Earth"

can you make a link for that martian stuff
 
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