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Comment by chillingeffect | Hacker News Reader

Although often vague, hese aren't bad, really, but you can see Kurzweils' bias for nerdiness and longevity:

> Average life expectancy is over 100.

> Most human workers spend the majority of their time acquiring new skills and knowledge.

Also, just as a PSA, many people do not realize most deaf people don't consider themselves disabled, nor do they want to join the hearing world with cochlear implants bc it means leaving their hearing world. They are quite happy in their own network. For talking with hearing people, they use notes written on paper or phones.

> Deaf people use special glasses that convert speech into text or signs, and music into images or tactile sensations. Cochlear and other implants are also widely used.

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That's crazy. I find it hard to believe that any profoundly deaf person would refuse some technological device that would give them perfect hearing because 'They are quite happy in their own network.'

No matter whether they consider themselves disabled or not, hearing > not hearing, and anything they could do while deaf can still be done with 100% hearing restored.

> 100% hearing restored.

I think you're imagining CIs as shiny and perfect technology, but they aren't. Check out this article below for some details. [1] They take quite a long time to learn how to use. Also, for people born deaf, their hearing isn't restored, it never existed, so it becomes an addition and an added responsibility. It's two new skills - hearing and speech therapy - they have to learn since ASL/etc is already their first language. It's really just a random cultural conditioning that we tend to think we have to be perfect or even enhanced to have a good life, be loved, successful, etc., but there's much more to life than the hearing world.

> hearing > not hearing

Actually, it turns out "not hearing == hearing." They make friends, make money, program, cook, play sports, exercise, etc. You might say they can't do this with people who aren't deaf, so they have a smaller population to choose from, but their community is huge and well-connected. they actually don't need the rest of us. I sat next to a deaf guy on a plane and he ordered coffee with cream and sugar by typing on his iphone then read the whole plane ride.

[1] https://www.thisisinsider.com/why-deaf-people-turn-down-coch...

No. Hearing is, unquestionably, absolutely, no argument whatsoever, qualitatively BETTER then not being able to hear. A hearing person has a strict superset of the abilities and experiences of a non-hearing person. If a deaf person had my hypothetical 100% hearing restoration device fitted, but still wanted to do the things they did while deaf, nothing is stopping them - maybe my imaginary device has an off switch. But, when that switch is off, they will never be able to hear their name called from across a dimly lit room, or experience the full gamut of orchestral music , or many other things. But they can still use sign language, or write things down on paper to communicate, and so on. I agree that there's more to be developed in terms of CI type technology before this becomes a reality, and there will absolutely be a period of learning and adjustment.

It is unrealistic to suggest that most deaf people would refuse an operation to have their hearing restored. This is just as crass as suggesting that someone who has learned to live a full life with a prosthetic leg would turn down the (hypothetical, futuristic) opportunity to have a brand new biological leg...

In the past, we (as a culture) attempted to civilize the uncivilized peoples, for we found it hard to believe that any uncivilized person would refuse the technological advances that would give them civilization.

As it turns out, there were quite many people who actually did not prefer modern civilization and especially the forced nature of it, and we now look back on those attempts as hallmarks of an embarrassingly racist era.

History suggests that we should be cautious of assuming that others share the same values we do, especially if we have never experienced the world in the same way as the other person. One thing you can't do with 100% hearing restored, for example, is enjoy true silence.

Crazy people exist. http://www.hearingtimes.co.uk/News/83303/Do

"most deaf people ... nor do they want to join the hearing world with cochlear implants"

[Citation needed]

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