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Revision as of 00:04, 29 August 2010


Transhumanism, broadly speaking, is a set of beliefs with a common theme of there being an evolutionary plateau beyond the current Homo sapiens. Such a belief, particularly in a negative form, is a common theme in science fiction, especially movies such as The Matrix or the Terminator series, where humanity has been essentially replaced by machine life, or TV shows such as Babylon 5, where humanity itself evolves beyond the need for physical bodies as we know them.

While frequently laughed off as speculation at best by most rationalists (especially in light of the many failures of artificial intelligence), transhumanism is a strongly-held belief among many computer geeks, notably such alpha geeks as synthesizer and accessible computing guru Ray Kurzweil (a believer in the "technological singularity", where technology evolves beyond humanity's current capacity to understand or anticipate it) and Sun Microsystems founder and Unix demigod Bill Joy (who believes the inevitable result of AI research is the obsolescence of humanity).

The promise of transhumanism

Certain recent technological advances are making the possibility of the realization of transhumanism appear more plausible: Scientists funded by the military have recently developed an implant that can translate motor neuron signals into a form that a computer can use, thus opening the door for advanced prosthetics capable of being manipulated like biological limbs and producing sensory information.[1] This is on top of the earlier development of cochlear implants, which translate sound waves into nerve signals; they are described on Wikipedia as being often called 'bionic ears'.[2]

Even DIY transhumanism is becoming an option, with people installing magnetic implants, allowing them to feel magnetic and electric fields.[3] Others have taken to wearing belts of magnets, in order to always be able to find magnetic north.

In July, 2009, Stephen Hawking came out as a proponent of transhumanism,[4] which of course means we must all bow down and accept the concept as fact, being as we are devout atheists.

The woo of transhumanism

Sadly, a lot of the underpinnings of transhumanism are based on a sort of blind-men-at-the-elephant thinking -- people assuming that because it can be imagined, it must be possible. Transhumanism is particularly associated with figures in computer science, which is a field that is in some ways more math and art than a true experimental science; as a result, a great many transhumanists tend to conflate technological advancement with scientific advancement; though these two things are intimately related, they are separate things.

The example of the Singularity is instructive; for a great many people, at least part of the Singularity hinges on being able to create a true artificial intelligence. While it's reasonable to contend that the complexity inherent in the human brain is within our technological reach, singularitarians tend to assume that having the capacity to emulate human intelligence means having the ability to. However, singularitarians hit the wall when confronted with the realities of brain development research -- though a true AI may in fact be possible, there simply is not enough known about the brain to understand its functions to the degree necessary to create a workable emulation, meaning a prediction of such a creation is meaningless at best, dishonest at worst.[5] In fact, though transhumanists strenuously deny it, a great number of their arguments are strongly faith-based -- they assume because there are no known barriers to their pet development, that it's inevitably going to happen. (Seldom is the issue of unknowns -- known or otherwise -- factored into the predictions.)

Worst of all, some transhumanists outright ignore what people in the fields they're interested in tell them; a few AI boosters, for example, believe that neurobiology is an outdated science because AI researchers can do it themselves anyway. Debates with such people can take on the wearing feel of a debate with a creationist or climate denialist, as such people will stick to their positions no matter what.

So now what?

The important thing about transhumanism is that while a lot of such predictions may in fact be possible (and may even be in their embryonic stages right now), a strong skeptical eye is required for any claimed prediction about the fields it covers. When evaluating such a claim, you'll probably need a trip to the library (or Wikipedia, or a relevant scientist's home page) to get up to speed on the basics. [6]

See also

  • Cryonics, which tends to form a belief cluster with transhumanism and belief in the Singularity.

External links

Footnotes

  1. http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/508399/scientists_race_to_create_biological_prosthetic_arm_for_wounded_soldiers/index.html
  2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochlear_implants
  3. [1]
  4. http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2009/07/stephen-hawking-the-planet-has-entered-a-new-phase-of-evolution.html
  5. It's a little like watching a blackjack player double down on a hard 20 with a full shoe -- although there's a small-but-nonzero chance it'll pay off, there's never a good time to hit on a 20 to begin with, but especially at a point in the game where you don't have a useful card count. That player would be either an idiot or an adrenaline junkie, or both.
  6. Of course, you should do this any time you can when it comes to extraordinary claims.