Transhumans H+

Thanks to the poor digital TV reception at my house, I can often only see the Finnish national broadcasting company YLE channels. I've very much grown to like YLE Teema, that advertises to be the alternative option. That they are, and thank you for being just that. Tonight, I watched a documentary on gene manipulation, "helped evolution" and  transhumannists.

Transhumanism is an international intellectual and cultural movement supporting the use of science and technology to improve human mental and physical characteristics and capacities. The movement regards aspects of the human condition, such as disability, suffering, disease, aging, and involuntary death as unnecessary and undesirable. Transhumanists look to biotechnologies and other emerging technologies for these purposes. Dangers, as well as benefits, are also of concern to the transhumanist movement. The term "transhumanism" is symbolized by H+ or h+ and is often used as a synonym for "human enhancement". (Wikipedia)

This reminded me of a conversation I had with one of my favorite people on the planet, David Wood. Recently I got his new business card that had a mysterious title printed on it, UKH+ meeting secretary. We had a quick chat about the topic then, and now, after seeing the documentary today, I understand a bit more what he was talking about.

I haven't changed my mind, David. I still think this is not pressingly important or urgent. In my view, the single biggest problem we have at hand is that people are breeding like rabbits, and the planet cannot feed us all. Us rich westerners consume so much natural resources that just supporting our lifestyle would be a burden. But, we are not only idiots in our own consumption manners, we are idiots in showing the rest of the world that this is the preferred lifestyle. Our example leads to billions of people in developing and underdeveloped countries pursuing our way of living. This is done by unprecedented exploitation of resources everywhere.

We're in a process of eating our home planet away, and helping the richest of us to live healthier and longer is no solution. What's the point of living 150 years if you're breathing manufactured air, all migrated to north and south poles from desert lands, and eating tomatos that are clone of a clone of a clone of a clone of a clone? As rich and clever as we are, I think we should solve first things first.

Well, anyway, I am curious enough to join the UKH+ Facebook group. Let's see if they manage to alter my mind. Maybe the H+ people manage to develop eggs and sperm that will allow each mating couple to reproduce only once during lifetime. A one-child policy by nature, now that's something to think about.



Image from Transhuman-Posthuman-Overman



Posted by Petra S at 11/28/2009 6:13 PM
Categories: Human Stuff
Tags: Innovation
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