Abstract
This paper explores regenerative existence for Human 2.0 – the transhuman. In building this focus, the author addresses the use of emerging technologies as propitious in designing the amended, extended, and suspended human body. Here, a first focus covers emerging biotechnologies for regenerative existence, which play a large role in extreme life extension. A second focus covers the digital technologies for enhancing realities, which will play a vital role in our adapting to immersive environments. In bringing these methods together, this paper concludes that the concept of designing a future human body is not only plausible, but will be in high demand around the year 2025.
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Notes
1. BioArt concepts and Human 2.0 attributes of applied design are described in detail on the website and accompanying writings, located at http://www.natasha.cc
2. Some examples are: BusinessWeek, Cover Story, 13 June 2005: “Biotech, finally”; New York Times magazine, Cover Story by Alex Heard, “They want to live”, 28 September Citation1997; “Bloodless: Technology hits home”, 2003 PBS documentary with partial funding from the Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues of the US Department of Energy Human Genome Program; “Flight from death: The quest for immortality”, 2003, US televised documentary.
3. Morphological freedom” defined by Dr Max More as “[t]he ability to alter bodily form at will through technologies such as surgery, genetic engineering, nanotechnology, uploading” (More, 1992).
4. Dr Anders Sandberg's graphical description located at: http://www.nada.kth.se/~asa/Texts/MorphologicalFreedom.htm
5. The Proactionary Principle is the method for measuring the pros and cons of technological change.
6. The Human 2.0 prototype is known as “Primo Posthuman”. http://www.natasha.cc/primo.htm
7. NBIC+ refers to nanotechnology/nanoscience, biotechnology/bioscience, information technology/information science, and cognitive science, plus other emergent technologies. Additional technologies include cybernetics, robotics, nanomedicine, artificial intelligence, genetic engineering, cloning, prosthetics, telemedicine, microscopic surgery, neuroscience, for example.
8. OPTN is The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, located at http://www.optn.org
9. Research biologist Dr. David Gardiner claims that “[a]ll vertebrates seem to have that ability as embryos. But the salamander's cells are somehow able to go back to that embryonic state and access that process”, says Dr David Gardiner, a research biologist at the University of California, Irvine who is on one of the DARPA-funded teams. “The difference isn't in the genes, but in how we use them – which ones are activated and when.”
10. Bladder tissue grown at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, NC.
11. Alan Russell's talk at the TED 2006 conference.
12. DARPA is said to have donated $15,000,000,000 to Stephen Badylak, DVM MD PhD, professor of surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and director of the Center of Pre-clinical Tissue Engineering, to work on regeneration of limbs.
13. “Spinal cord injury, facts and figures at a glance”, June 2006, the “Fact Sheet” published by National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC) and supported by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, US department of Education, Washington, DC.
14. The Spine Journal™ (TSJ™), North American Spine Society Presents Breakthrough Research in Spine Biologics: The Future of Spine Care. The Spine Journal™ releases “Biologics and Bioactive Materials” supplement.
15. The Polytechnic campus at Arizona State University is working on SPARKy (Spring Ankle with Regenerative Kinetics), a groundbreaking energy-storing transtibial (below the knee) prosthesis. Team includes Assistant Professor Thomas Sugar.
16. Teleology is the study of ends, purposes, and goals.
17. Kevin Kelly's talk at TED Conference and personal telephone conversation in June 2006.
18. Human nature is known as the fundamental nature and substance of humans. This includes a collection of human behaviors which are constant (or fairly constant) over time and across very different cultural contexts. The existence of an invariable human nature is a subject of historical debate, particularly in modern times.
19. Wesley J. Smith, “The Catman Cometh”, 2006, at his blog Secondhand Smoke: http://www.wesleyjsmith.com/blog/2006/06/catman-cometh.html
20. Hurd, Denis. (1997). The monster inside: 19th century racial constructs in the 24th century – mythos Star Trek. Journal of Popular Culture, 31, Summer, 23–35.
21. Quote of John Stuart Mill quote found at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/j/john_stuart_mill.html