Smithsonian provides an interesting overview of the “transhumanist” movement that suggests we are becoming the engineers of our own evolution through tools such as gene manipulation, nanomedicine and the replacement of body parts with manmade devices.
“Enhanced humans might inject themselves with artificial, oxygen-carrying blood cells, enabling them to sprint for 15 minutes straight,” reports the article. “They could live long enough to taste a slice of their own 250th birthday cake. Or they might abandon their bodies entirely, translating the neurons of their brains into a digital consciousness.”
The article cites a bionic eye and magnetic sensors to augment the sense of touch as examples of technologies that fuel the movement.
Transhumanism is described as largely secular for those who believe technological change will gradually become a part of everyday life.
Others, however, suggest there are religious undertones, especially for those who believe there will come a time when only the humans that can merge their minds with intelligent machines will survive.
“Transhumanists say we are morally obligated to help the human race transcend its biological limits; those who disagree are sometimes called Bio-Luddites,” notes the article.
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