‘Transhumanism’ may be defining step to our future
<p>What does it mean to be human?<br /><br />In today’s world, the question is no longer a purely philosophical or religious inquiry.<br /><br />The answer may in fact depend more and more on the potential impact of our advancing technological capabilities.<br /><br />What will it mean to the definition of human if new technologies can enhance the abilities of the human body – and mind – to unprecedented levels?<br /><br />And what if such technological enhancements are available to only a portion of the world’s population? <br /><br />The intriguing social, political and ethical questions raised by these fascinating possibilities are explored in an interview with Brad Allenby on the subject of “transhumanism.” <br /><br />Allenby is a professor in the <a href="http://engineering.asu.edu/sebe" target="_blank">School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment</a>, one of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University. He’s also a professor of law and the Lincoln Professor of Engineering Ethics for ASU’s <a href="http://lincolncenter.asu.edu/" target="_blank">Lincoln Center for Applied Ethics</a>.<br /><br />He was interviewed in a production by <a href="http://www.thetriplehelix.org/" target="_blank">The Triple Helix</a>, an organization run by undergraduate students from numerous universities in the United States and other countries.<br /><br />Through the organization, students explore some of the most pressing modern issues “at the intersection of science, technology, society and a law.”<br /><br /><a href="http://asunews.asu.edu/video_20100810_triplehelixpodcast001+#">Listen to Allenby’s interview</a> on a podcast presented by the <a href="http://sols.asu.edu/grassroots/triple_helix/index.php" target="_blank">ASU chapter</a> of The Triple Helix. <br /><br /><br /></p>