Why humans are special.

[Miserabilia]

....

[Gamma Male]

Oh yeah, humans are special alright.
I don't know any dolphins with a fulltime job.
I don't know any suicidal pigs.
I don't know any fish who've caused oil spills.
I don't know any monkeys who've killed millions of other monkeys at once with a nuclear bomb.
I don't know any tigers who've caused the extinction of thousands of other species.
I don't know any wolves who've ever forced to live their prey in 4x6 metal cages their entire lives.

Humans suck. We're a virus. A plague. A cancer upon the the surface of the Earth. In a few hundred years, we've caused more damage to this planets ecosystem than every other species of animal has in a few billion.

[conniption]

Oh yeah, humans are special alright.
I don't know any dolphins with a fulltime job.
I don't know any suicidal pigs.
I don't know any fish who've caused oil spills.
I don't know any monkeys who've killed millions of other monkeys at once with a nuclear bomb.
I don't know any tigers who've caused the extinction of thousands of other species.
I don't know any wolves who've ever forced to live their prey in 4x6 metal cages their entire lives.

Humans suck. We're a virus. A plague. A cancer upon the the surface of the Earth. In a few hundred years, we've caused more damage to this planets ecosystem than every other species of animal has in a few billion.

How very misanthropist of you.

Anyway, humans suck, but we don't. How often do you come across an animal as intelligent as us? We're destructive as hell, but so is the rest of the universe. Chaos is life.

[xxdrakeTxx]

Oh yeah, humans are special alright.
I don't know any dolphins with a fulltime job.
I don't know any suicidal pigs.
I don't know any fish who've caused oil spills.
I don't know any monkeys who've killed millions of other monkeys at once with a nuclear bomb.
I don't know any tigers who've caused the extinction of thousands of other species.
I don't know any wolves who've ever forced to live their prey in 4x6 metal cages their entire lives.

Humans suck. We're a virus. A plague. A cancer upon the the surface of the Earth. In a few hundred years, we've caused more damage to this planets ecosystem than every other species of animal has in a few billion.



this is completely true we are intelligent but well that doesnt mean we are benificial to earth more along the lines of a plague . but we can change and do great things for earth if we actually tried.

[Miserabilia]

Oh yeah, humans are special alright.
I don't know any dolphins with a fulltime job.
I don't know any suicidal pigs.
I don't know any fish who've caused oil spills.
I don't know any monkeys who've killed millions of other monkeys at once with a nuclear bomb.
I don't know any tigers who've caused the extinction of thousands of other species.
I don't know any wolves who've ever forced to live their prey in 4x6 metal cages their entire lives.

Humans suck. We're a virus. A plague. A cancer upon the the surface of the Earth. In a few hundred years, we've caused more damage to this planets ecosystem than every other species of animal has in a few billion.

We are terrible, yes, we are terrible towards other life on earth and to ourselves.
But the things we can do are amazing, and we are an entirely different level of life.
But yes, in alot of ways, aw are still awful.
Yes so amazing biologicaly.

How very misanthropist of you.

Anyway, humans suck, but we don't. How often do you come across an animal as intelligent as us? We're destructive as hell, but so is the rest of the universe. Chaos is life.

Yup.

this is completely true we are intelligent but well that doesnt mean we are benificial to earth more along the lines of a plague . but we can change and do great things for earth if we actually tried.

True. We are intelligent but in general we are not beneficial to other life.

[darkangel91]

Gamma, I used to believe the same thing. I used to think the best thing for the world would be if humans all just died, went extinct. Then I realized, we are the way we are because we evolved to be imperfect, we evolved to care more about ourselves than others, to be immoral, to commit logical fallacies, to believe in superstitions, etc. All our bad traits came from nature just as much as our good traits. And any intelligent species would start out exactly the same. But.

WE CAN CHANGE.

I am a Singularitarian. I believe that it is possible - indeed, necessary - for humans to create and merge with artificial intelligence designed to be more perfect - more intelligent, more ethical, less likely to make logical errors or see the world from a biased point of view. We can create a more perfect form of intelligent life, and through neural implants, and eventually, full body prostheses (our minds and consciousnesses downloaded into stronger, faster, more dexterous, more beautiful robotic bodies of our own design), we can merge with that more perfect form of life - we can transcend the chains of imperfect natural evolution and take control of our own destiny. Technology, properly used, by people dedicated to the higher good, has the capacity to stop and even reverse the negative effects humans have had on the earth, extend our lifespans, destroy disease, aging, and eventually death itself, and eliminate not only crime, but the desire to commit crime, changing the structure of the brain itself to cure antisocial behavior at its source. In short, we are imperfect, we are somewhat harmful - for now - but we also have the power to BECOME perfect, to BENEFIT life on Earth and elsewhere rather than harming it, and to make our Dreams into realities.

Also, Cheesee, are you a Singularitarian - or at least a Transhumanist - too? You sound like it.

Sorry for ranting, but this stuff is close to my heart. I used to have no faith in the human race. Now I do, because I've realized we can change. We can become better. The human brain is capable of vast evil, yes - but it is also capable of infinite good.

Love and light! :)

[Miserabilia]

Gamma, I used to believe the same thing. I used to think the best thing for the world would be if humans all just died, went extinct. Then I realized, we are the way we are because we evolved to be imperfect, we evolved to care more about ourselves than others, to be immoral, to commit logical fallacies, to believe in superstitions, etc. All our bad traits came from nature just as much as our good traits. And any intelligent species would start out exactly the same. But.

WE CAN CHANGE.

I am a Singularitarian. I believe that it is possible - indeed, necessary - for humans to create and merge with artificial intelligence designed to be more perfect - more intelligent, more ethical, less likely to make logical errors or see the world from a biased point of view. We can create a more perfect form of intelligent life, and through neural implants, and eventually, full body prostheses (our minds and consciousnesses downloaded into stronger, faster, more dexterous, more beautiful robotic bodies of our own design), we can merge with that more perfect form of life - we can transcend the chains of imperfect natural evolution and take control of our own destiny. Technology, properly used, by people dedicated to the higher good, has the capacity to stop and even reverse the negative effects humans have had on the earth, extend our lifespans, destroy disease, aging, and eventually death itself, and eliminate not only crime, but the desire to commit crime, changing the structure of the brain itself to cure antisocial behavior at its source. In short, we are imperfect, we are somewhat harmful - for now - but we also have the power to BECOME perfect, to BENEFIT life on Earth and elsewhere rather than harming it, and to make our Dreams into realities.

Also, Cheesee, are you a Singularitarian - or at least a Transhumanist - too? You sound like it.

Sorry for ranting, but this stuff is close to my heart. I used to have no faith in the human race. Now I do, because I've realized we can change. We can become better. The human brain is capable of vast evil, yes - but it is also capable of infinite good.

Love and light! :)

I do see myself as transhumanist, yes.

[CharlieHorse]

i think the most important thing that makes us human is Empathy, and our unique social flavors that we as a species have more of than any other living thing we know of.

[Tatii99]

Haha, we are destroying our home. Which intelligent species does that? We are like cancer for this world.
Emphaty is what make us really special. being intelligent and having a cold heart would be an empty life imo. we are not here to build things, but to help each others. i wouldn't like to become a machine or virtual entity like someone above said.

[Miserabilia]

i think the most important thing that makes us human is Empathy, and our unique social flavors that we as a species have more of than any other living thing we know of.

Well are social and communication skills are very different than from other animals, but our ability to controll the surrounding is even more important;
we use it to express more complex ideas.


Haha, we are destroying our home. Which intelligent species does that? We are like cancer for this world.
Emphaty is what make us really special. being intelligent and having a cold heart would be an empty life imo. we are not here to build things, but to help each others. i wouldn't like to become a machine or virtual entity like someone above said.

We do destroy things, and we are not nescecairly good for this planet and it's life; we are in some ways, a "cancer".
But we are a whole new type of life, because we can express and figure out complex and abstract ideas, instead of just trying to survive.
Helping each other is good, but the sake of our existence is more focused on progress I'd say, since that is what our brains are programmed to do.

[darkangel91]

I did not mean becoming inhuman but rather taking all of the best traits of humans and getting rid of the bad ones, like hate, superstition, and so on. Love and art and so on will remain, but in immortal bodies. Think twilight without the bloodsucking. ;)

[Lovelife090994]

I see humans as special for our sympathy and ingenuity but I have little hope for humanity. We still have issues over something as small as skin color, wealth, and beliefs. I do see us as have come far, but we have so far to go. Humans mainly should start coming together and try to help others in need, but of course that takes time, effort, cooperation, and money. I do love how overall humans seek peace and self-improvement but sadly our history is full of evil and violence, but I guess that is human nature. I want things to get better and it will but not for a very long time. One thing I find amazing to humans is how we look to spirituality and at times power which we don't understand for solace, understanding, belief, or personal circumstances. Also, it is special how we have so many languages and cultures.

[Miserabilia]

I did not mean becoming inhuman but rather taking all of the best traits of humans and getting rid of the bad ones, like hate, superstition, and so on. Love and art and so on will remain, but in immortal bodies. Think twilight without the bloodsucking. ;)

:P
ok.

I see humans as special for our sympathy and ingenuity but I have little hope for humanity. We still have issues over something as small as skin color, wealth, and beliefs. I do see us as have come far, but we have so far to go. Humans mainly should start coming together and try to help others in need, but of course that takes time, effort, cooperation, and money. I do love how overall humans seek peace and self-improvement but sadly our history is full of evil and violence, but I guess that is human nature. I want things to get better and it will but not for a very long time. One thing I find amazing to humans is how we look to spirituality and at times power which we don't understand for solace, understanding, belief, or personal circumstances. Also, it is special how we have so many languages and cultures.

True, true.
I don't think it will take a long time to get better though.
Human culture and communication is improving more rapidly, so a better world may be pretty close in the future;
it's just that there may be a new war, or uprising of somekind, that will ruin it all.
And ofcourse our langaueg and culture is a perfect example of our unique communciation and coding.

[britishboy]

Why humans are special.

Well I made [this] (http://www.virtualteen.org/forums/showthread.php?t=202508) thread before,
about what I think makes life different from non-life.

So what makes humans special from other organisms?

The first thing that comes to most people,
is probably intelligence.
And ofcourse (Besides standing up straight),
intelligence is the most important and special quality we have.

It's our key to survival and progress.
We are however, not the only intelligent animals.

We are smarter than dolphins and elephants,
but they are very smart too;
why aren't they as different as us?

image (http://www.howtofascinate.com/Portals/126289/images/Brain1.jpg)

Well,
the thing I think is that the secret is tools;
our ability to DO something with the outside world.

Ofcourse this is a generaly accepted idea,
and not just my own.
But I feel like we don't realize how special it is.

image (http://www.thesaleslion.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/marketing-tools-for-automation.jpg)

The moment we existed as a species is a breakthrough;
a breakthrough in life on earth.
It sounds like I'm just saying how amazing we are,
and I am; not because humans are such good living things for the world,
but because they are revolutionairy for life;

the fact that we can handle and make tools,
and can perfect communication of what we observe and feel,
isn't just a neat trick;
it speeds things up.

In normal life,
life has to adjust with evolution.
Ofcourse, some develop simple ways to do different things,
like move, or provide protection for the next generations, etc.

But we are different (yes, again, we are speshiul :P)

Because we can't just OBSERVE,
we can PREDICT, and PREPARE.
We can calculate in our heads when something will happen,
and where, and how,
and determine whether or not it is a good place for us to be.

We have such a complex understanding of perception,
time, and "being",
that life seems so fast for us;
too fast.

image (http://www.principalspage.com/theblog/wp-content/uploads//2013/09/time-warp.jpg)

And that is what makes us different from any life form.
And I think it's amazing.
It's wonderful that we have this ability;
we want to make something of ourselves in our short time here.
We remember the past and prepare for the future.

We can use TOOLS, to do something with the outside world;
we can break the fabric of our world itself,
make electrical currents,
make complex devices.

We don't have time to evolve;
we want to be faster.
We want to adjust life ourselves,
evolve ourselves;
make ourselves better.

We invent and as communication gets better,
more and more knowledge gets saved.
We are more in communication than EVER before.
We aren't evolving as a species (We are but so slow we don't care);
we are evolving our communication;

as a species we haven't changed much at all.
But communication and science and knowledge have advanced so far.
And it only keeps getting faster and faster.

image (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/79/Encoding_communication.jpg/270px-Encoding_communication.jpg)

image (http://www.pmchampion.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/skills-pmp.jpg)

The more we know, the more we communicate,
and the more we communicate, the more we know.
We become more and more powerful.
What's the next step?

Our technology is advanced,
but the next step is clear;
we will fiddle with life itself.

Life is such a complex and amazing mechanism,
just think of the things we can achive with it.

We can build amazing computers,
yet none as amazing as the brain we are using to make them.
But we are getting closer.
We are finally getting to the point,
of using life to our advantage.

image (http://www.faqs.org/photos/biotechnology-2123.jpg)

Biotechnology, Neural-Network AI,
it's all here.
As our communication improves,
the rate of our improving technology speeds up,
and it will take less and less time for new and amazing things to be made.

image (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e4/Artificial_neural_network.svg/350px-Artificial_neural_network.svg.png)

We will improve ourselves as a species;
we will fiddle with our bodies and use tools to make them better;
and we are already doing it.

We have been around for 200.000 years.
We have been in civilazation for 10.000 years.
And only in the past 100 years,
we have had more improvement in technology than ever before.

If this continues you may live to see the next breakthroughs.
The next revolutionairy ideas.

If only we don't exterminate and kill ourselves in war,
we'll get there...

PS not really a debate shoulda placed in TWPR or my diary, sorryz

Interesting but we must draw the line of what is intelligent and what is interesting to study. Our species is the most important thing, as it is us, everything else we must make serve us!

[Harry Smith]

Interesting but we must draw the line of what is intelligent and what is interesting to study. Our species is the most important thing, as it is us, everything else we must make serve us!

Said the southern racists

[Capto]

Said the southern racists

Which.

[britishboy]

Said the southern racists

....Okay?

[darkangel91]

I think there's a simple solution actually. We are unique for our high degree of empathy, but we are not so empathic that we do not hurt one another. But as neural implant technology improves, I think that within twenty years it may be possible to cause one person to feel, not merely imagine feeling, the emotions of others around them - except of course for inherently destructive emotions such as anger and intense shame. This would be a sort of full empathy - if people feel others' unhappiness as if it is their own, they will naturally want to change it. And if they make someone happy, they'll be happy too. :) Obviously, this technology could be dangerous if improperly used, leading to a sort of hive mind. But I think that's unlikely to happen - and anyway, at least it would be a happy hive mind! XD

Really though, that by itself would put a dent in the evils of the world. Obviously it would be a bit more complicated than just feeling others' emotions, as that would not always be appropriate, but I think all such difficulties would be easy to iron out. When neural implant technology is thus implemented, I think war and crime will both be abolished within a century.

[Miserabilia]

Interesting but we must draw the line of what is intelligent and what is interesting to study. Our species is the most important thing, as it is us, everything else we must make serve us!

Well, that is the world for humans, yes.
We are intelligent and we can controll the world around us.


I think there's a simple solution actually. We are unique for our high degree of empathy, but we are not so empathic that we do not hurt one another. But as neural implant technology improves, I think that within twenty years it may be possible to cause one person to feel, not merely imagine feeling, the emotions of others around them - except of course for inherently destructive emotions such as anger and intense shame. This would be a sort of full empathy - if people feel others' unhappiness as if it is their own, they will naturally want to change it. And if they make someone happy, they'll be happy too. :) Obviously, this technology could be dangerous if improperly used, leading to a sort of hive mind. But I think that's unlikely to happen - and anyway, at least it would be a happy hive mind! XD

Really though, that by itself would put a dent in the evils of the world. Obviously it would be a bit more complicated than just feeling others' emotions, as that would not always be appropriate, but I think all such difficulties would be easy to iron out. When neural implant technology is thus implemented, I think war and crime will both be abolished within a century.

Well, we actualy aren't unique with empathy;
our empathy isn't that special, and alot of other intelligent animals posess the same amount of empathy.
Our tool handling and communication of abstract ideas makes it easier for uss to express empathy, but that's about it.

What you said about feelings other's emotions,
that could be really interesting,
but think of the consequences;
it would be like an emotional prison,
because when you feel the emotions of others you won't differentiate between those and your own, which would basicly drive you insane.

[darkangel91]

I meant that we have a unique degree of empathy - in no other species that I know of is one individual ever capable of unconditional love for a complete stranger, but many religious mystics throughout history have done just that.

As for the sharing emotions thing, it wouldn't be hard to enable an individual to recognize who a particular emotion is coming from - just tap into the area of the language centers of the brain that recognizes who said what and why. The pronoun I means something completely different depending on who says it - that same quality could easily be translated to emotion. There are even mental disorders in which the individual is unable to recognize their thoughts and feelings as their own, but rather experiences them as alien, imposed from the outside. Schizophrenics are an example of this.

It is also important that instead of merely giving an individual the same emotions as those around them, the system should - possibly with the aid of their own mental perception of the situation - determine which emotions are actually appropriate, and give them those. A person may know how they ought to feel, but not actually feel that way; they could feel the right emotion to the wrong degree; or they could feel an entirely wrong emotion. This system would solve that problem, interpreting the situation and providing the correct response.

An example would be helpful here. I often know, intellectually, that I ought to feel bad for someone who is in pain. But it's only an idea, not a full emotion. This system could change that, enabling me to feel more empathic. Some people suffer from anger issues - this system could detect how others around them feel when they get angry, and if it scares people, the implant would release hormones or electrical stimulation to calm them. Finally, someone suffering from depression feels little happiness or sense of motivation; a neural implant properly designed could stimulate pleasure centers in the brain when someone nearby is happy, cheering the depressed person up.

These are just a few of the many benefits of neural implants. Emotion control and therapy is only the tip of the iceberg. Imagine a full computer, like that of a cellphone, in your brain, controlled by your thoughts, keeping a journal within it of your every thought, feeling, or experience in any sense, enabling you to telepathically share thoughts and ideas with anyone else who has an implant, and even enabling an artist to transport a picture fully formed from their mind to a computer screen, and from thence to a printer - no Photoshop required! And all this is still only the tip of the iceberg. Skills could be recorded and transferred between people - the implants could generate an algorithm describing, say, how to waltz, and upload that algorithm to everyone with an implant on earth. Suddenly, everyone knows how to dance, from the moment they attain their implants. Need I go on? ;)

[Miserabilia]

I meant that we have a unique degree of empathy - in no other species that I know of is one individual ever capable of unconditional love for a complete stranger, but many religious mystics throughout history have done just that.

As for the sharing emotions thing, it wouldn't be hard to enable an individual to recognize who a particular emotion is coming from - just tap into the area of the language centers of the brain that recognizes who said what and why. The pronoun I means something completely different depending on who says it - that same quality could easily be translated to emotion. There are even mental disorders in which the individual is unable to recognize their thoughts and feelings as their own, but rather experiences them as alien, imposed from the outside. Schizophrenics are an example of this.

It is also important that instead of merely giving an individual the same emotions as those around them, the system should - possibly with the aid of their own mental perception of the situation - determine which emotions are actually appropriate, and give them those. A person may know how they ought to feel, but not actually feel that way; they could feel the right emotion to the wrong degree; or they could feel an entirely wrong emotion. This system would solve that problem, interpreting the situation and providing the correct response.

An example would be helpful here. I often know, intellectually, that I ought to feel bad for someone who is in pain. But it's only an idea, not a full emotion. This system could change that, enabling me to feel more empathic. Some people suffer from anger issues - this system could detect how others around them feel when they get angry, and if it scares people, the implant would release hormones or electrical stimulation to calm them. Finally, someone suffering from depression feels little happiness or sense of motivation; a neural implant properly designed could stimulate pleasure centers in the brain when someone nearby is happy, cheering the depressed person up.

These are just a few of the many benefits of neural implants. Emotion control and therapy is only the tip of the iceberg. Imagine a full computer, like that of a cellphone, in your brain, controlled by your thoughts, keeping a journal within it of your every thought, feeling, or experience in any sense, enabling you to telepathically share thoughts and ideas with anyone else who has an implant, and even enabling an artist to transport a picture fully formed from their mind to a computer screen, and from thence to a printer - no Photoshop required! And all this is still only the tip of the iceberg. Skills could be recorded and transferred between people - the implants could generate an algorithm describing, say, how to waltz, and upload that algorithm to everyone with an implant on earth. Suddenly, everyone knows how to dance, from the moment they attain their implants. Need I go on? ;)

I meant that we have a unique degree of empathy - in no other species that I know of is one individual ever capable of unconditional love for a complete stranger, but many religious mystics throughout history have done just that.

Well maybe some humans do, as a byproduct of increased intelligence, but I think that in general humans and intelligent apes both have empathy, about the same amount.

An example would be helpful here. I often know, intellectually, that I ought to feel bad for someone who is in pain. But it's only an idea, not a full emotion. This system could change that, enabling me to feel more empathic. Some people suffer from anger issues - this system could detect how others around them feel when they get angry, and if it scares people, the implant would release hormones or electrical stimulation to calm them. Finally, someone suffering from depression feels little happiness or sense of motivation; a neural implant properly designed could stimulate pleasure centers in the brain when someone nearby is happy, cheering the depressed person up.

It's a really complicate dthing to do if they would make it someday; but it's a bit cruel, no?
I mean, it encourages empathy, but it also FORCES you to feel certain things, and it takes away the right of controll of your own body.


Imagine a full computer, like that of a cellphone, in your brain, controlled by your thoughts, keeping a journal within it of your every thought, feeling, or experience in any sense, enabling you to telepathically share thoughts and ideas with anyone else who has an implant, and even enabling an artist to transport a picture fully formed from their mind to a computer screen, and from thence to a printer - no Photoshop required! And all this is still only the tip of the iceberg. Skills could be recorded and transferred between people - the implants could generate an algorithm describing, say, how to waltz, and upload that algorithm to everyone with an implant on earth. Suddenly, everyone knows how to dance, from the moment they attain their implants. Need I go on? ;)

Yup all sounds pretty cool , and we are getting there quick enough :D

[darkangel91]

It probably wouldn't be necessary except for people who already have low empathy and are a danger to society, like sociopaths.

[Miserabilia]

It probably wouldn't be necessary except for people who already have low empathy and are a danger to society, like sociopaths.

Yea, I guess.
It's a bit of a dillema.
It seems like justice ( and it is in a way) for alot of people, but it's also taking away a person's freedom to feel themselves and not others, to BE themselves.

[darkangel91]

I don't see the dilemma. Identity is nothing but the result of heredity and experience. There is no free will - people don't "choose" to be who they are; their life experience and genes completely define who they are. And anyway, the welfare of society is much more important than "individual freedom," at least when said freedom is likely to harm others. As I see it, this technology is a win-win. Society is safe from crime. The individual doesn't have to go to jail or feel the guilt of having done something bad. Everyone is better off.

[Miserabilia]

I don't see the dilemma. Identity is nothing but the result of heredity and experience. There is no free will - people don't "choose" to be who they are; their life experience and genes completely define who they are. And anyway, the welfare of society is much more important than "individual freedom," at least when said freedom is likely to harm others. As I see it, this technology is a win-win. Society is safe from crime. The individual doesn't have to go to jail or feel the guilt of having done something bad. Everyone is better off.

I know, I aggree, and I don't beleive in free will.
But I do beleive people should be entitled to their natural rights; controll over their own body, even if an implant like that is all beneficial.
I mean, I'm ALL for it, but society needs time

[darkangel91]

Of course, I'm completely for individuality. The effect would be subtle for most people. It would also, in my plan, extend beyond mere emotions. For instance, let's say a person accidentally walks in on their sister naked. Now, in normal life, that would be horrifying. But with the implants, the computer would simply inhibit portions of the guy's visual cortex in such a way that he is completely unaware of what his eyes are seeing, it simply doesn't register. He would know what was happening because he suddenly would not be able to look directly at her, and even if he did he wouldn't be aware of what he was seeing, sort of like how someone who's totally focussed on a book can look directly at someone and even listen to them, but have absolutely no idea what they're saying.

At the same time, the sister would know what was happening too, but her natural inclination to be embarrassed or angry would be repressed, as there's no point in it. Instead both people just would be mildly flustered as they realize what happened, and the situation would be resolved quickly with no unnecessary unpleasantness.

And no, this example does not come from personal experience. XD

[Miserabilia]

Of course, I'm completely for individuality. The effect would be subtle for most people. It would also, in my plan, extend beyond mere emotions. For instance, let's say a person accidentally walks in on their sister naked. Now, in normal life, that would be horrifying. But with the implants, the computer would simply inhibit portions of the guy's visual cortex in such a way that he is completely unaware of what his eyes are seeing, it simply doesn't register. He would know what was happening because he suddenly would not be able to look directly at her, and even if he did he wouldn't be aware of what he was seeing, sort of like how someone who's totally focussed on a book can look directly at someone and even listen to them, but have absolutely no idea what they're saying.

At the same time, the sister would know what was happening too, but her natural inclination to be embarrassed or angry would be repressed, as there's no point in it. Instead both people just would be mildly flustered as they realize what happened, and the situation would be resolved quickly with no unnecessary unpleasantness.

And no, this example does not come from personal experience. XD

lol :P
yea it's a really interesting concept.
Alot of sci-fi stories about that too, and transhumanism in general