Black technology: a super empire spanning two worlds

Chapter 177 [Communication]

Chen Shuding's use of the word "united front" to describe the situation was quite to the point. Xiao Yu's previous interview with the media was intended to achieve the effect of a "united front", otherwise he would not have had the time to accept media interviews.

He has a lot of things to do.

Because the issue of single-organ cloning technology is of great significance, to be precise, this technology can greatly extend human lifespan, and the subversive changes it brings to the structure of human society are extremely profound.

Once the variable of significantly extending life expectancy appears, it will have a far-reaching impact on the existing social structure of mankind, and this is no exaggeration.

The benefit of longer life comes at a price, and there are many, many problems involved, and they are all very tricky.

Putting aside other things, the impact on the social security mechanism is extremely huge. The current mechanism is to receive pensions in your sixties, but if the retired group can live to be over 200 years old, then the current amount of social security funds will definitely not be able to support it and will definitely be stretched to the limit.

Because when it was originally designed, it was not considered that retirees would be able to receive benefits for such a long time. If the social security is not adjusted and continues to be implemented according to the current regulations, it is inevitable that it will be stretched to the limit, without a doubt.

It can be seen from this that there are many, many problems that arise, and they are foreseeable.

However, Xiao Yu is determined to promote the single-cell cloning technology, because it is related to the long-term development of expanding the boundaries of human survival into the outer space, and the short lifespan of human beings is a core pain point that restricts the development into space.

At this time, the "united front" becomes extremely important, otherwise the resistance will be unimaginable, and Xiao Yu's plan to promote single-organ cloning technology may not be able to proceed, or it may be extremely difficult.

Once we have achieved support from the upper, middle and lower classes, the rich and ordinary people, and formed a "united front" at this level, the resistance will be much smaller, because everyone wants to succeed. This is what the people want and what they expect. This is what we call public opinion cannot be violated.

Decision makers would certainly be happy to see this happen, because even if they don't do it openly, they might do it secretly, as doubling life expectancy is too tempting.

Once the voices of support from all classes become the mainstream, there is no need to do it secretly; it can be pushed forward openly, and decision makers will of course be happy to see it happen.

At this moment, Xiao Yu heard what Chen Shuding said, and immediately said: "The mainstream voice is supportive, but since there is a mainstream, there are still non-mainstream voices. The broad support from all walks of life is certainly a good start, but the objective reality cannot be ignored. We still have to be cautious and optimistic, and the road ahead is still full of thorns."

Xiao Yu added: "For example, on the ethical level, there are heated discussions on the nature of life, identity recognition, and interference with evolution; on the legal level, the current definition is unclear, the regulations are unclear, and the protection of rights and interests is lacking, which urgently needs to be improved." He then said: "Especially in terms of social acceptance, the public's cognition is uneven and attitudes are divided. The allocation of medical resources, medical insurance policies, and social concepts are facing shocks. These problems can be put aside for now, but it does not mean that they do not exist."

At this time, Chu Jinmeng, who was sitting next to Xiao Yu, couldn't help but say, "Speaking of social acceptance and public awareness, two years ago, our industry and foreign academic circles jointly conducted a survey covering many countries and regions around the world with a sample size of tens of thousands. At that time, I also participated in the volunteer activities of the survey."

Chu Jinmeng recalled: "The survey report shows that the public's awareness of single organ cloning technology varies. In developed countries and my country, about 40% of respondents said they had only heard of the name of the technology, but knew little about its specific principles, operating procedures and potential impacts. The proportion is even higher in non-developed countries, with about 60% of the public saying they have never had a deep understanding of it."

"As for professional knowledge, even among the highly educated population, only about 10% of people can accurately explain core technical aspects such as somatic cell cloning and gene editing, which reflects the serious lack of popularization of public knowledge."

After a pause, Chu Jinmeng continued, "In terms of attitude, according to survey data, the public is clearly divided. About 30% of the respondents are optimistic about single organ cloning technology, believing that it is a revolutionary breakthrough in medical development, which can save countless lives and should be developed and applied more quickly. They often have relatives and friends who suffer from organ diseases and have personally experienced the helplessness of organ shortages, so they have high hopes."

"Another 35% of the public are cautious or concerned about this. They are worried about technical risks, such as the safety and long-term stability of single-organ cloning, as well as the ethical confusion that may arise. They are afraid of the emergence of derivative problems such as 'cloning humans' that violate human nature."

Obviously, the group Chu Jinmeng was talking about was deeply influenced by traditional ethical concepts and had doubts about the emerging technology breaking the laws of natural reproduction and life reproduction. However, Xiao Yu was not worried about this. If the opportunity to double their lifespan was really put in front of them, they would definitely be disgusted.

Chu Jinmeng went on to say: "The last 35% of the public are in a state of uncertainty, waiting for more scientific evidence and the formation of social consensus. Their attitudes are easily influenced by external factors such as media reports and expert interpretations. This also highlights the urgency of strengthening popular science propaganda and guiding rational cognition."

At this moment, Xiao Yu couldn't help but glance at Chu Jinmeng with a little surprise when he heard this. He suddenly found that this girl was quite contrasting. She was usually quite funny, but now she showed such a serious and intellectual side. Could it be that she was restrained because the tutor was present?
However, Xiao Yu also discovered that Chu Jinmeng was indeed very professional when talking about professional matters.

After a moment, Chen Shuding nodded and said, "Yes, that's why it is so precious that Mr. Xiao can achieve such a broad 'united front' effect in all walks of life with just a 20-minute interview video. To be honest, I was talking about this with a few colleagues the day before yesterday, and we were very surprised by the reaction from the outside world."

Chen Shuding further said: "Single organ cloning technology has always been mired in many complex and sharp ethical controversies. The first and foremost issue is the ethics of life. Although the cloned organs are intended to cure diseases and save lives, their essence has caused deep thinking from a philosophical perspective. It breaks the traditional model of natural reproduction and organ generation, and challenges human cognition of 'life' and 'humanity'."

"Whether cloned organs have independent consciousness or potential human qualities has always been a hot topic among scholars and the public. If future technological developments allow organ cloning to have partial consciousness, it will completely overturn the existing ethical continuity of life and trigger a redefinition of 'human'."

……

(End of this chapter)