Nov 25, 2014 Credit: Colin Anderson, 2005 (Masterfile)

What do pacemakers, prosthetic limbs, Iron Man and flu vaccines all have in common? They are examples of an old idea that's been gaining in significance in the last several decades: transhumanism. The word denotes a set of ideas relating to the increasing integration of humans with their technologies. At the heart of the transhuman conversation, however, lies the oldest question of all: What does it mean to be human?

When talking about transhumanism, it's easy to get lost because the definition is imprecise. "Transhumanism" can refer to the Transhumanist (with a capital T) movement, which actively pursues a technologically enhanced future, or an amorphous body of ideas and technologies that are closing the bio-techno gap, such as a robotic exoskeleton that enhances the natural strength of the wearer.

What is human?

At Arizona State University, a diverse set of researchers has been critically examining transhumanism since 2004.

Hava Tirosh-Samuelson, a professor in ASU's School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies and director of the Center for Jewish Studies, has been at the forefront of this work. Her research includes a project exploring the challenges of transhumanism in collaboration with ASU's Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict.

According to Tirosh-Samuelson, transhumanists seek to transcend human biology through techno-genetic enhancements. Their ultimate goal is the Singularity a supposedly inexorable turning point after which humans as we understand them will eventually become obsolete, either because super-intelligent machines will replace them or because techno-genetic enhancements will render them unrecognizable. Essentially, it would be a new phase of human evolution driven by exponential technological growth.

"Homo sapiens will give rise to Robo sapiens," Tirosh-Samuelson says.

But Brad Allenby, a professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment at ASU, says the idea that transhumanism will end humanity is just one of many transhumanist narratives.

"That's why transhumanism is so confusing," says Allenby. "Because some of the time people are talking about very normative perspectives on what it means to be human, and some of the time they're talking about specific technologies, or suites of technologies. That makes it very hard to define."

Originally posted here:

Beyond human: Exploring transhumanism