Does Iron Man represent the future? "[Will] Homo sapiens ... give rise to Robo sapiens?".

• Author: Barton, Erin
• Position: Science & Technology

WHAT DO pacemakers, prosthetic limbs, Iron Man, and flu vaccines all have in common? They are examples of an old idea that has 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 is 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 biotechno gap, such as a robotic exoskeleton that enhances the natural strength of the wearer.

Hava Tirosh-Samuelson, a professor in the School of Historical, Philosophical, and Religious Studies and director of the Center for Jewish Studies at Arizona State University, maintains that Transhumanists seek to transcend human biology through technogenetic enhancements. Their ultimate goal is the Singularity--a supposedly inexorable turning point after which humans as we understand them eventually will become obsolete, either because super-intelligent machines will replace them or because technogenetic 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."

However, Brad Allenby, a professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment at ASU, indicates the idea that transhumanism will end humanity is just one of many Transhumanist narratives. "That's why transhumanism is so confusing--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." Allenby describes transhumanism as either being a superficial cultural meme or a suite of technological projects. Views supporting the cultural meme of transhumanism see human enhancement as inherently good. They disregard the fact that enhancing, say, a murderer, might have negative consequences. This view also tends to overlook the fact that one person's enhancement impacts others. Allenby uses test-taking enhancements as an example: "Let's say you and I and 100 other people are taking the SAT and you take an attention deficit disorder drug to improve your performance. No biggie, right? I mean it's just you, but let's...