"If we believe some futurists by 2050 we will be able to upload a human mind onto a chip . If we then repalce a human's brain with that chip what do we call the result ? "

"I would use an absolutist approach to the definition of cyborg; anything artificially implanted that imparts any change to the augmented person.

Technically, a pace-maker is cybernetic augmentation; the person using one is no longer 100% natural.
"

"Indeed. I'm just asking whether the living part of a cyborg needs to be biological, or, can a non-biological entity be consdered alive?

"BTW Ivy, I was just messing around earlier with that recipe post I did."

Of course, no reason we can't have a little fun!"

""Do androids dream of electric sheep?" "

"I guess that would depend on how you define life. That question's been debated throughout history by philosophers, theologians and scientists.

One of my favorite eps of Star Trek: TNG was when Picard defended Cmdr. Data in a trial to determine if Data was alive, and if he should have rights as an android. The argument, as I recall, centered on whether Data was a living, sentient being.

IF TSCC continued, I think we'd have seen Cameron gradually become more of an individual; not just a fancy robot, but a cybernetic being. "

"Just popping in to say that I too loved that episode and the implications thereof. The title was, "The Measure of a Man.""

"That was a very good episode. And it brought up good questions regarding sentient machines and their rights, which I think is in issue we may face some where in the distant future. "

""Do androids dream of electric sheep?" "