Updated February 23, 2017 13:17:22 <\/p>\n
Can transhumanists, biohackers and grinders live forever? <\/p>\n
The answer is maybe soon at least according to them. <\/p>\n
Ok. So what's a transhumanist? <\/p>\n
Like some scientists, they believe that ageing is a disease, and they are not afraid of taking human evolution into their own hands by harnessing genetic engineering, nanotechnology and artificial intelligence. <\/p>\n
Sydney-based IT innovation manager and self-described transhumanist Peter Xing says Australians aged in their 20s and 30s could now end up living long enough to live forever. <\/p>\n
It is called \"longevity escape velocity\". <\/p>\n
\"That means staying healthy for as long as you can until such a point that there's the technology to enable you to live indefinitely,\" Mr Xing explains. <\/p>\n
Fellow transhumanist Meow-Ludo Meow-Meow (yes, that's his real name, changed by deed poll) believes he could be one of the first generations of humans to live forever. <\/p>\n
\"I'm 31. I think with technology improving exponentially I have a very good chance of living forever.\" <\/p>\n
\"We know a lot of the causes of ageing and we're actively working on technology to address them. <\/p>\n
\"If we can increase our life span by more than one year for every year of our lives, then we become functionally immortal.\" <\/p>\n
Have you got a question? Join the live QandA with Peter Xing and Margot O'Neill on Facebook tonight at 8:00pm (AEDT). <\/p>\n
In the last couple of years, researchers have extended the life of mice by up to 40 per cent through various means including gene therapies. <\/p>\n
Human trials are a long way off because of tight government regulations, but many researchers have started experimenting on themselves. <\/p>\n
In 2015, American genetics activist Liz Parrish flew to Colombia to avoid US regulatory constraints. <\/p>\n
Once there she says she injected herself with an unproven anti-ageing gene therapy. <\/p>\n
Ms Parrish, the CEO of biotechnology company BioViva, is now known as Patient Zero. <\/p>\n
She says results show the treatment rejuvenated part of her DNA, called telomeres, that shorten with age, and she claims her telomeres have now grown by 9 per cent, or about 20 years. <\/p>\n
Many scientists question her claims. <\/p>\n
Grinders or biohackers are people who augment their bodies with technology. <\/p>\n
This could be as crude as implanting magnets under your skin a procedure that can be done at some tattoo and body piercing studios or slightly more high-tech like getting microchips placed inside your body. <\/p>\n
Mr Meow-Meow has a micro-chip implanted in his left thumb and has downloaded some smartphone functions directly into his body. <\/p>\n
\"I can open doors, authenticate myself to my credit card, activate my phone, activate drones and I can program the chip in my thumb from my phone anytime,\" he said. <\/p>\n
US grinder Rich Lee has more than seven implants, including magnets in his finger tips which twitch in response to electro-magnetic fields. <\/p>\n
\"You can feel it because all those nerves in your fingertips have grown around the magnet and it has a texture and you're feeling this otherwise invisible world,\" he said. <\/p>\n
Mr Lee also has magnets in his ears which serve as earphones: \"being able to hear through walls is cool.\" <\/p>\n
Yes. <\/p>\n
And Mr Meow-Meow warns would-be biohackers against trying to implant themselves with DIY kits. <\/p>\n
\"Anything that's put under the skin provides an environment in which bacteria can grow,\" he said. <\/p>\n
\"This is why it's very important that you go and see a professional.\" <\/p>\n
Hmmm. <\/p>\n
Aside from physical modifications, the race is also on to reach a new, super intelligence. <\/p>\n
Billionaire Elon Musk wants to develop a neural lace which would layer onto the human brain and connect digitally to AI. <\/p>\n
Without it, he says humans will risk becoming like a \"house pet\", because AI will eventually outstrip human intelligence perhaps this century. <\/p>\n
Mr Xing says all this is vital so humans don't lose their jobs to robots and it will also help us adapt to space travel.<\/p>\n
\"The question is at what point does the incorporation of all this technology make us a different species and what are the ethics behind that?\" <\/p>\n
Watch Margot O'Neill's report tonight on Lateline at 9.30pm on ABC News 24 or 10.30pm on ABC TV. <\/p>\n
Topics: science-and-technology, pseudo-science, biology, robots-and-artificial-intelligence, australia <\/p>\n
First posted February 23, 2017 06:02:40 <\/p>\n
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Transhumanists, biohackers, grinders: Who are they and can they really live forever? - ABC Online<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Updated February 23, 2017 13:17:22 Can transhumanists, biohackers and grinders live forever? Continue reading