What would be the advantages and the disadvantages of becoming a Cyborg?

Answer 1

The advantages of becoming a cyborg:

#1 Returning Function

If you have had parts of you damaged, such as you are blind, you can have to eyes replaced with electromechanical devices that return function.

#2 Increased Strength

Assuming that it is possible to replace or enhance the human endoskeleton with metal and pneumatic/hydraulic pumps, the strength of a cyborg could be drastically increased above a normal human. A metal skeleton would even possibly allow you to even take hits a normal human couldn't survive (eg. A sledgehammer to the chest, or a gunshot to the head)

#3 Added Functionality

A cyborg does not have the limits of a standard human. For example due to increased weight, they could replace or add appendages such as a building a gun inside the arm, that can extend out and shoot, with there being less recoil thanks to weight and strength.

#4 Possibly Longer Lifespan

Because you are replacing a lot of your body parts, you are making some of your organs obsolete and since you aren't relying on them, it doesn't matter if they fail or are taken out. How ever until research into extended or replenishing the state of the brain, you will still only have as long to live as your brain will allow. Unless you could somehow transfer your conscience into the computer that eventually replaces your brain, you are screwed.

#5 Increased Intelligence/Computational Power/Perception

A possibility of a cyborg can be to add microchips to the brain, which would allow your brain to offload commands such as doing calculations to the chip, which could do the calculations instantaneously and return the answers to the brain. Perception could be increased by assisting parts of the brain that deal with awareness.

You could also potentially have microchips installed that make you "high" as if you were suffering from the effects of THC in the brain, but would be able to be turned on and off at will.

The Disadvantages of becoming a cyborg:

#1 Possible loss of humanity

Due to having microchips installed in your brain that can alter your behaviour, it is possible that you would lose or overwrite the parts of you, that make you who you are. When your brain dies, people aren't likely to let your body go to waste and will therefore replace the deceased brain with Artificially Intelligent computers, leading to your body becoming an android.

#2 Expensive

Unless you are being subjected to becoming a cyborg against your will by secret underground science teams, all this tech is going to be coming out of your pocket, and it will not be cheap.

#3 Loss of Acceptable Appearance

Assuming that you had your muscles mostly replaced with pumps, you aren't going to have all that much blood, so there won't be a whole lot keeping your skin (and your member) alive. This could be included under loss of humanity but it is important to know that you won't look the same.

#4 Likely to Die in the Creation Procedures

Adapting to cyborg life wouldn't be even nearly as hard as surviving all the surgery that you would have to go through to have entire parts of your body replaced. Unless research teams develop some way to replace body parts with other things in an instant, you will probably be dead before you know it.

#5 You Are Now Property of a Government

Expanding on the expensive point, now that you have somehow managed to survive the expensive surgery that an underground government has paid for, they basically now own you and you are in their service until your brain dies and they turn you into an android to keep forever.

There's a lot cyborgs don't have to do: they never have to eat, drink, shower, sleep, wear clothes, shave, they never get itchy, sick, tired, have any sort of physical hair, cough, sneeze, choke, etc. They can be programmed to have fun, friends and like people (even those of the human race). They never even feel too cold or too hot, whenever the temperature's either, nor do they have to go to the toilet. Additionally, they can be programmed to have emotions. As there are things they can live without doing, they don't really have to buy things. Oh and guess what - they never have to go to school (or college or university)! As part of them not having to shower (or anything along those lines), they never even smell not nice. They never even have to brush their teeth (meaning they never even have to worry about losing any). Moreover, as implied by the second advantage, they never feel any sores.