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“The artificial womb is born and the world of the Matrix…”
– Karen Meimandi –
“…From the Social Predestination Room the escalators went rumbling down into the basement, and there, in the crimson darkness, stewing warm on their cushion of peritoneum and gorged with blood-surrogate and hormones, the fetuses grew and grew or, poisoned, languished into a stunted Epsilonhood. With a faint hum and rattle the moving racks crawled imperceptibly through the weeks and the recapitulated eons to where, in the Decanting Room, the newly-unbottled babes uttered their first yell of horror and amazement.” (Source: ‘Brave New World’ by Aldous Huxley) One of the negative effects of AWT is as with all pioneering enterprises including amphibious landings in wars the ‘first wave’ usually gets slaughtered upon hitting the beaches. Pity the first babies developed via AWT.
Many argue there’s a high probability of this new breed of babies developing a variety of abnormalities upon birth. As AWT progresses technological refinements would be made over time that babies born through AWT will perhaps be superior to those born in natural wombs. The ‘master race’ or superman/woman will not be the dark Hitlerian dream based on race but a new man/woman birthed completely free from genetic abnormalities, disease, and other ill affects prone to children born the ‘old fashion’ way. How do you build an artificial womb? What are the steps involved? Reader here’s how:
* An AW machine must be built to resemble a human uterus. The space within a human womb provides the ideal growth climate and is perfect in design. In AWT the inner lining of a faux womb should also resemble the human female’s uterus.
* The growing fetus will need to develop in an environment that allow for the delivery of nutrients, provide for the elimination of waste, and a faux placenta that will connect it to the rest of the AW system. All this is to be done within the AW machine.
* A synthetic fluid to fill the amniotic space that will change as the pregnancy progresses in amount and composition is a must. The development of an AW amniotic fluid is critical to fetal health. Reader you screw this up the kid will come out looking like the Quasimodo’s ugly twin.
* A device within the AW that regulates fetal temperature (+/- 0.3 to 0.5 Celsius higher than the child’s mother) must be constructed as part of the overall AWT network.
* An apparatus that provides sensorial stimulation within the womb is vital for the growing baby. This means that the AW must imitate a natural mother’s movements (walking, standing, sitting, lying down, etc.) This should be done 24/7 in order that the growing baby won’t feel alone and isolated. A sense of touch also must be factored in AWT development. Sounds should also be employed since pre-borns hear.
* Babies within artificial wombs need microbiome stimulation or exposure to an assortment of microbes. Once inside the AW device this mix will help the babies with digestion, bowel movements, and in immune system development needed to protect them against infection. This fluid must be developed externally though ideally it should come from bio-mothers.
* For a glimpse of a fully constructed AW machine refer to the picture in part one.
There are other arguments I didn’t mention in part one that favor artificial womb technology ergo women with damaged wombs, failed fetal ‘experiments,’ infertile, or afraid of entrusting their future offspring to paid/volunteer surrogates who may at a later time refuse to surrender their newborns. AWT would shield women from spousal abuse, drug/alcohol abuse, smoking, STD’S, inadequate nutrition, and related destructive lifestyles.
Many people view pregnancy termination as a necessary evil. Pregnant women who don’t want children, changed their minds mid-pregnancy, or prefer having them at later dates could donate their fetuses to state-run facilities. Couples desperately seeking children could adopt them from these facilities after intensive screening. Once ectogenesis or developing children via AWT becomes a reality the question of bonding between parents and children becomes a key issue. Every living entity needs love.
Reader, would you like to eliminate the middle-woman in child nurturing? Would you as parent want your child develope in an alien environment instead of inside your body? Some women could care less; however the more traditional method of pre-natal development is the majority method of choice. Some commentators cite the social issues involved with adopted children. Your writer doesn’t have any issues with AWT so long as artificial womb technicians adhere to sound moral/ethical guidelines. There are numerous arguments on both sides of the AWT equation. Word space and time don’t permit me to go in to them.
Unlike PC’s subject to frequent breakdowns, artificial wombs must function perfectly. We’re dealing with something infinitely more valuable than coils of wires and quirky programs; we’re dealing with precious human beings. AWT has the potential of creating an environment that will impact a preborn child’s good genes while erasing the bad ones.
It’ll take scientists an estimated 50 years before a comprehensive birthing machine is operational. The construction steps I’ve mentioned are theoretical. We have drawings of what people think artificial womb machines will look like. These machines currently reside within the realm of science fiction. Aforementioned a lot of kinks need to be ironed out before risking valuable human beings. Barring PETA’S oft times outrageous demands upon society, the only way this vital technology could be worked and perfected is through the humane use of lower animals primates in particular. Horror stories of mistreated/tortured animals proliferate. Animal rights organizations should monitor experiments to insure humane treatment of test animals.
The AWT argument remind me of my current mentor/former freshman high school Disciplinarian/Mathematics/Moral Theology instructor once told our class, “its’ not the use of something that render it good or bad but the abuse.” Will artificial wombs be people friendly environments or sterile robot controlled birthing centers graphically illustrated in the hit movie trilogy ‘The Matrix?’ Food, religion, sex, science, literature, liquor, sports, art, and other things are good in and of themselves if used conscientiously; AWT no exception.
To read more on this subject please consult: Batul Nasfisa Baxamusa at Buzzle: www.buzzle.com.articles/artificial-womb, ‘How to build an artificial womb’ by George Dvorsky, ‘The Artificial Womb’ by Joseph Bennington-Castro. For pictures of artificial womb prototypes search: ‘Artificial Wombs Technology-Image Results.’ This page has many AWT related articles, pictures of human/animal fetuses gestating in these devises and an array of related materials you’ll find informative. The Age of the Matrix is rapidly approaching. To see an actual full-color AW machine at work search: ‘The artificial womb is born and the world of the Matrix…’ a major source for both articles. We can’t stop the inevitable nor can we postpone it; however we can do our best to humanize and use it for the benefit, preservation and extension of human society. Technology no matter how advanced can never dehumanize our species; only we can do that.
Certain operatives within the human family appear to have God complexes. In ‘The world De-Americanized’ Philippine Adventures will explore the necessity for former subjugated peoples to liberate themselves from the prevailing Caucasian-colonialist mind-set.
Peace be with you.