“Man remaining man, but transcending himself by
realizing new possibilities of and for his human nature.”
The term was first coined in 1957 by a biologist named Julian Huxley. Improvement is one of the basic parameters which has been driving the human race since it came into existence. Transhumanism is a great catalyst to this never-ending race for human improvement, wherein they surpass their biological limitations by means of science and technology. The species into which humanity transforms this way will be named posthuman, or transhuman. This would be something new method to retain mental and emotional nature while crossing the physical human boundaries. Human evolution is a never-ending biological journey where humans adapt themselves to the constantly progressing environment. However, this hypothesis assumes that at one point, we will reach the ultimate limit of evolution; to keep the process continuing, artificial methods need to be brought in. That is where the need for transhumanism arises.
As
human beings, we are obsessed with progressing and improving ourselves.
Whether it be physically or mentally, this idea of ‘being better' constitutes
the central pillar of this journey. Transhumanism is an extreme form of
‘improving oneself. Whether it is by the synthesis and induction of artificial blood or insertion of a microchip into the human brain, transhumanism is about improving the
ordinary and revolutionising the future of the human race.
We are the residents of an era, where the
evolution of technology is remarkably quick. This advancement of technology has
benefited people, especially in the transhumanist area. The future of
transhumanism encompasses a large number of things, one of which is the
invention of artificial blood to improve our stamina. Having a microchip inside
our brain might allow us to communicate telepathically, also helps in becoming smarter passively
by storing information into this chip. The possibilities to the way the study
of transhumanism can benefit us are endless. One such evidence in which
machinery has positively changed a person’s life is the story of a stroke
patient who trialled the BrainGate2 System. A brain-computer interface used a
4mm-wide chip was implanted in the brain. The significance of this chip was
that it has the ability to read signals from neurons which were in charge of
motion controlling (such as muscle movement) and interpret the signals, using a
computer, into a physical movement, such as
a robotic arm and hand. After five years, the chip is still fully working and safe, the
patient is able to carry out daily tasks in a normal way.
Another example is the synthesis of artificial blood.
Approved
by the FDA in 1989, the product was made by
the Japanese and was called Fluosol-DA-20. But due to the substance's side
effects and complexity in uses and limited success, it was withdrawn in 1994. A
lot of research has been undertaken since then to produce safe and commercially
viable forms of the blood. Later, perfluorocarbons were used to make this
blood, which was inert and in fact more effective than blood plasma in
absorbing oxygen. This has also lowered the cost of blood from $5000 to just
around $1000 / unit. It will also serve as a blood donor to all common blood
types.
In conclusion, the study of transhumanism has benefitted
people in this century. Technology is ever-evolving and fitting the needs of
people, like that of a robotic arm. Transhumanism is crossing the boundaries of
people with disabilities, and in this context, closing the moral and physical
gap of inequality that many disabled people feel. However, if this research is mistreated, many people will
get severely hurt, and it can totally flip, and instead, create a larger
inequality between people.
-Liana
Chatterjee & Hritika Ghosh, ChE 2nd
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