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Category Archives: Transhuman News
Are Scientists ‘Literally Creating Glow-in-the-Dark Trees’ With Firefly DNA? – Snopes.com
Posted: February 6, 2021 at 8:08 am
In a Jan. 30, 2021, TikTok video, user niklongo blew the minds of his collective audience with a purported scientific development by Dutch scientists:
You wanna have your mind blown?
Dutch scientists have located and isolated the gene that makes fireflies able to glow, recombined the DNA, and put that DNA in plants, literally creating glow-in-the-dark trees. Eco-friendly outdoor nightlights!
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Broadly speaking, these claims stem primarily from confused and overhyped reporting that, at the time of the TikTok video, was over six years old. While scientists have inserted genes into plants that create a faint glow, glowing trees remain theoretical. The imagery used in the video stems from artwork inspired by but not created with this largely theoretical technology. Below, we break down all the problems with the assertions in the video:
Two words in, and already we are in trouble. The video asserts that Dutch scientists are responsible for locating and isolating the gene that makes fireflies able to glow. This is incorrect. The videos Dutch connection is an artist and designer named Daan Roosegaarde who did not actually locate or isolate any genes, or put said genes in a tree. Some of the images used in the TikTok video were created by Roosegaarde, but these were created by literally shining lights on trees as part of an art installation called Glowing Nature.
In 2014, Roosegaarde received a splash of U.S. media coverage while promoting his work at that years SXSW festival in Austin, TX. During an interview in which he discussed using biologically inspired technology to solve environmental problems, he explained that the idea of using glowing trees as street lamps was inspired in part by the work of former SUNY Stony Brook professor Alexander Krichevsky, who in 2011 left his academic post to start a company named Bioglow. The company developed the worlds first autoluminescent (light producing) plants, according to an archived version of the companys website.
Bioglow apparently no longer exists, but it did produce and sell a limited run of faintly glowing plants. Unlike the imagery shown in the TikTok, the glowing effect in these plants was significantly more modest. Some people over 40 may not be able to see the glow, explained a Bioglow promotional video from August 2015:
In the 2014 SXSW video, Roosegaarde held one of these early Bioglow plants as an example of biomimicry that inspires his art. Several reporters apparently falsely concluded that the Bioglow plant was an invention that Roosegaarde conceived of and helped to develop. This does not appear to be accurate. While some reports suggested there were or are theoretical plans for the artist and the scientist to collaborate on a really large [autoluminescent plant] like a tree which glows at night instead of standard street lighting, there is no indication anything came of this collaboration, if it materialized at all.
Contact information for Krichevsky was not readily apparent. We reached out to Roosegaardes studio for more information on their work together and will update our piece if we receive new information.
Contrary to the claim in the TikTok video, the creation of genetically modified glowing plants does not, at any point, introduce genes sourced from fireflies. Part of the confusion is that several academic or commercial enterprises are attempting, or have attempted, to create glowing plants. All of these efforts involve, in some way, the chemical luciferase, which reacts with a group of chemicals termed luciferins in a way that generates light. This chemical mechanism, generally speaking, is responsible for bioluminescence in several organisms, including fireflies.
Several glowing plant projects attempt to create luminescence by directly injecting or applying luciferins and luciferase into or on them. One of the most notable efforts using this sort of methodology comes from the laboratory of Michael Strano, a professor of chemical engineering at MIT developing a nanoparticle delivery mechanism. These efforts have also received significant (and more recent) media coverage, but this work is not actually genetic engineering.
As far as we are aware, the only person to attempt to use genetic engineering to create glowing plants is Krichevsky. The central difference in his approach compared to those that apply luciferin-related chemicals is that Krichevskys plants are autoluminescent. In other words, he modified the genes of a plant in a way that allows it to create its own luciferins and luciferase.
However, the genetic material inserted into the plants genome does not come from fireflies. Krichevsky published his methodology for engineering his plants in a 2010 paper. The genes it uses are sourced from the bioluminescent marine bacteria Photobacterium leiognathi. In neither method would it be accurate to say genes are isolated from fireflies.
A commonly invoked vision for people involved in glowing plant research is a future where energy consumption is reduced thanks to glowing trees that could serve as self-powered streetlamps.
Speaking to the outlet Dezeen in 2014, Krichevsky explained, In the long term we see use of glowing plants in contemporary lighting design, namely in landscaping and architecture as well as in transportation, marking driveways and highways with natural light that does not require electricity.
In an article introducing his SXSW interview a few months later, Dezeen introduced Roosegaarde as someone exploring ways of using bioluminescent bacteria found in jellyfish and mushrooms to create glow-in-the-dark trees that could replace street lights.
Our target is to perform one treatment when the plant is a seedling or a mature plant, and have it last for the lifetime of the plant, Strano said in the 2017 MIT Press release. Our work very seriously opens up the doorway to streetlamps that are nothing but treated trees, and to indirect lighting around homes.
In none of these cases, however, did these individuals literally create a glowing tree. The technology simply is not there yet. Krichevskys plants were not trees, but instead modified tobacco plants, which are commonly used in genetic research. The imagery used in the TikTok video comes from either art installations made by Roosegaarde which only mimicked the technology, or from computer-generated concept art, not literal glowing trees. Sadly.
Because glowing trees do not (yet) exist, because firefly genes are not used in this area of research, and because the work is falsely attributed to Dutch scientists, the claims presented in niklongos TikTok are False.
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Are Scientists 'Literally Creating Glow-in-the-Dark Trees' With Firefly DNA? - Snopes.com
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Antibody Isotyping Kit Market: Rise in awareness about diseases and improvement in the health care infrastructure is expected to drive the market -…
Posted: at 8:08 am
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Governments of several countries are investing in diagnostic health care. According to the World Bank, global healthcare expenditure was 6% of GDP. In 2016, world health care expenditure was US$ 6.5 Trn. In 2015, health care spending in the U.S. increased by 5.8% to reach US$ 3.2 Trn. The overall share of the U.S. economy devoted to health care spending was 17.8% in 2015, up from 17.4% in 2014. In 2015, total government health care expenditure in Europe was 7.2% of GDP.
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Novavax Announces Start of Rolling Review by Multiple Regulatory Authorities for COVID-19 Vaccine Authorization | Vaccines | News Channels -…
Posted: at 8:08 am
DetailsCategory: VaccinesPublished on Friday, 05 February 2021 11:17Hits: 363
GAITHERSBURG, MD, USA I February 04, 2021 I Novavax, Inc. (Nasdaq: NVAX), a biotechnology company developing next-generation vaccines for serious infectious diseases, today announced the start of the rolling review process for authorization of NVX-CoV2373, its COVID-19 vaccine, by multiple regulatory agencies. The reviews will continue while the company completes its pivotal Phase 3 trials in the United Kingdom (U.K.) and United States (U.S.) and through initial authorization for emergency use granted under country-specific regulations.
The rolling review of our submission by regulatory authorities of non-clinical data and early clinical studies will help expedite the review process and bring us that much closer to delivering a safe and effective vaccine worldwide, said Gregory M. Glenn, MD, President of Research and Development, Novavax. We appreciate the agencies confidence in Novavax based on our early data and the collective sense of urgency to ensure speedier access to much-needed COVID-19 vaccination.
To date, Novavax has begun the rolling review process with several regulatory agencies worldwide, including the European Medicines Agency (EMA), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.K. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), and Health Canada. As part of the rolling review, the company will continue to submit additional information, including clinical and manufacturing data.
Novavax recombinant protein-based vaccine candidate is currently in Phase 3 clinical development in both the U.K. and U.S. for the prevention of COVID-19. It was the first vaccine to demonstrate clinical efficacy against the original strain of COVID-19 and both of the rapidly emerging variants in the United Kingdom and South Africa.
About NVX-CoV2373
NVX-CoV2373 is a protein-based vaccine candidate engineered from the genetic sequence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 disease. NVX-CoV2373 was created using Novavax recombinant nanoparticle technology to generate antigen derived from the coronavirus spike (S) protein and is adjuvanted with Novavax patented saponin-based Matrix-M to enhance the immune response and stimulate high levels of neutralizing antibodies. NVX-CoV2373 contains purified protein antigen and can neither replicate, nor can it cause COVID-19. In preclinical studies, NVX-CoV2373 induced antibodies that block binding of spike protein to cellular receptors and provided protection from infection and disease. It was generally well-tolerated and elicited robust antibody response numerically superior to that seen in human convalescent sera in Phase 1/2 clinical testing. NVX-CoV2373 is currently being evaluated in two pivotal Phase 3 trials: a trial in the U.K that demonstrated 89.3 percent overall efficacy and 95.6 percent against the original strain in a post-hoc analysis, and the PREVENT-19 trial in the U.S. and Mexico that began in December. It is also being tested in two ongoing Phase 2 studies that began in August: A Phase 2b trial in South Africa that demonstrated up to 60 percent efficacy against newly emerging escape variants, and a Phase 1/2 continuation in the U.S. and Australia.
About Matrix-MNovavax patented saponin-based Matrix-M adjuvant has demonstrated a potent and well-tolerated effect by stimulating the entry of antigen presenting cells into the injection site and enhancing antigen presentation in local lymph nodes, boosting immune response.
About NovavaxNovavax, Inc.(Nasdaq: NVAX) is a biotechnology company that promotes improved health globally through the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative vaccines to prevent serious infectious diseases. The companys proprietary recombinant technology platform combines the power and speed of genetic engineering to efficiently produce highly immunogenic nanoparticles designed to address urgent global health needs. Novavaxis conducting late-stage clinical trials for NVX-CoV2373, its vaccine candidate against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. NanoFlu, its quadrivalent influenza nanoparticle vaccine, met all primary objectives in its pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial in older adults and will be advanced for regulatory submission. Both vaccine candidates incorporate Novavax proprietary saponin-based Matrix-M adjuvant to enhance the immune response and stimulate high levels of neutralizing antibodies.
For more information, visit http://www.novavax.com and connect with us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
SOURCE: Novavax
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Uncertain future: Will Europe’s Green Deal encourage or cripple crop gene-editing innovation? – Genetic Literacy Project
Posted: at 8:08 am
The EU Green Deal and its Farm-to-Fork and Biodiversity Strategies stipulate ambitious policy objectives that will fundamentally impact agricultural businesses and value chains. Are these objectives realistic? And how do they fit with the EUs policies on food security, the internal market, international trade and multilateral economic agreements? As significant conflicts of goals become apparent, the discussion on expectations, preconditions and consequences is now underway.
The Farm to Fork Strategy concretely foresees a reduction of pesticide and fertilizer use of 50% and 20% by 2030, respectively. In addition, 25% of EUs agricultural land is supposed to be put under organic farming conditions, which generally means a reduction in productivity. Unfortunately, the strategy is less concrete about the important role of innovation in general and plant breeding innovation specifically to compensate for productivity losses and to contribute to a more sustainable agriculture.
On July 25, 2018 the European Court of Justice (ECJ) published its ruling on mutagenesis breeding, including targeted genome editing techniques. This ruling subjected new tools like CRISPR Cas-9 to the EUs strict rules and requirements for GMOs, and with that effectively prohibited European plant breeders and farmers from utilizing these powerful technologies. These regulatory obstacles are not based on evidence showing that genome editing poses a risk to human health or the environment, but rather on political interference in the regulatory approval process. The COVID pandemic made this abundantly clear. In July 2020, for example, the EU suspended some of its excessive genetic engineering rules to facilitate the development of COVID vaccines, and has since celebrated the approval of these important drugs while trying to prevent the use of biotechnology in agriculture.
Since the discovery of the laws of genetics by Gregory Mendel in 1866, plant breeders have continuously integrated the latest plant biology innovations into their toolbox to develop enhanced crops that help farmers sustainably grow the food we all depend on.
Europes seed sector, technology developers and public researchers have always been important actors in this evolving effort and remain global leaders in developing improved plant breeding methods. They work tirelessly to provide farmers with crop varieties that fit the needs of a highly productive and sustainable agriculture system and meet the exacting demands of consumers. It is no secret that these experts understand the value of new breeding techniques (NBTs) like CRISPR and want to employ them.
Contrary to the claim of some environmental groups that genome editing provides new avenues of control through modifying specific plant traits, most notably insect and herbicide resistance, industrial applications of this sort are only one aspect of NBT research, and a minor one at that. Our recent survey of 62 private plant breeding companies, 90% of which are small and medium size firms (SMEs), confirms that EU plant breeders are able and willing to use these technologies to develop a wide range of crop species and traits for farmers. From grape vine to wheat, NBTs can generate innovation to protect Europes traditional crops from pests and diseases and other threats posed by climate change.
Independent of their size, many companies are already using NBTs in their R&D pipelines for technology development, gene discovery and to produce improved plant varieties. These activities cover a wide range of agricultural and horticultural cropsfrom the so-called cash crops like maize and soybean to minor crops like pulses, forage crops and chicoryand span a wide diversity of characteristics, including yield, plant architecture, disease and pest resistance, food-quality traits and abiotic stresses like drought and heat.
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Bayer’s ThryvOn Technology Moves Forward – Southeast AgNet
Posted: at 8:08 am
The U.S. Department of Agricultures (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently announced the deregulation of a cotton variety, designated as MON 88702, otherwise known as ThryvOn Technology. It was developed by the Monsanto Company, which is now owned by Bayer. It uses genetic engineering for resistance to certain insects, primarily tarnished plant bugs.
APHIS considered all public comments and conducted a thorough review of the potential environmental impacts in its final EA pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), reaching a finding of no significant impact. They concluded the MON 88702 cotton variety is unlikely to pose a plant pest risk to agricultural crops or other plants in the U.S. and deregulated it, effective Jan. 19, 2021.
Bayers ThryvOn Technology represents the industrys first cotton biotech trait to protect against feeding damage from key tarnished plant bug and thrips species. These include tobacco thrips, Western flower thrips, tarnished plant bug and the Western Tarnished Plant bug. The technology provides cotton growers an additional tool to manage these damaging pests.
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A Complete Guide to Transhumanism – The Bioneer
Posted: at 8:02 am
Transhumanism is an intellectual and cultural movement that promotes the use of technology in order to advance the human condition. What this essentially means, is that a transhumanist is someone who believes we should use technology in order to give ourselves enhanced abilities higher IQs, greater strength, longer lifespans, sharper senses you name it. Citius, altius, fortius
Transhuman technology meanwhile, is the technology that one might use in order to accomplish this; including things like gene therapy, bionics and artificial intelligence. And someone who has successfully used transhuman technologies in order to enhance themselves? That would be a posthuman.
What makes all this particularly fascinating though and highly relevant, is the fact that many of the technologies we would need in order to start advancing mankind in this way already exist. Either that, or they are on the verge of being developed to a usable condition. Whats more incredible still, is that many of the technologies will one day be simple and affordable enough that they could be carried out in a home-made lab with only a modest investment.
This is a very real ethical and cultural debate that will be coming to the fore over the next decade and probably in the next few years. The question is, where will you stand on all this? Of course its an area that should be of great fascination to anyone interested in self-development, productivity, nootropics, bodybuilding or biohackers
It wouldnt be a detailed guide to transhumanism if we didnt discuss the history at least a little. Going back to the beginning then, the first transhuman proposals were possibly those postulated by the Geneticist J. B. S. Haldane, whose essay Science and the Future discussed some transhuman concepts very early on. Unfortunately, Haldane was also interested in eugenics which is an association that the transhumanist movement generally tries to avoid.
Haldanes essay prompted a response from a crystallographer from Cambridge, whose essay The World, The Flesh and the Devil discussed how transhuman technologies could aid in space colonization an idea that is generally popular among transhumanists.
The first use of the term transhumanism is generally credited to Julian Huxley, who some consider the founder of transhumanism. In his article, he put forward an argument for human enhancement very similar to the one used by transhumanists today.
Of course, as technology has developed, so transhumanism has become increasingly a relevant discussion while the web has also aided the proliferation of such ideals. This is also why were seeing itreferenced with increasing regularity in fiction.
Interestingly, there are now many currents within transhumanism as different leading thinkers have different things to say on the subject. These schools of thought incude, but are not limited to:
Abolitionism: The idea that we have an obligation to use technology in order to end suffering for all sentient life.
Democratic transhumanism: A political movement emphasizing the use of transhuman technologies in supporting and promoting democracy
Extropianism: Advocates taking a proactive approach to human evolution
Immortalism: The view that we should use technology in order to eliminate ageing and ideally achieve immortality through one means or another
Libertarian transhumanism: The synthesis of libertarianism and transhumanism
Postgenderism: The idea that we should evolve past gender via biotechnology and alternative means of reproduction
Singularitarianism: The belief in and desire for a technological singularity a point in time when technological advancement accelerates so rapidly as to create a kind of utopia
Technogaianism: A movement to use technologies in order to restore the environment transhuman technology included. For instance, we might be able to make ourselves more energy efficient were we to be smaller.
Some transhumanists meanwhile, such as the vocal advocate, designer and author of Primo Posthuman Natasha Vita More, often talk about transhumanism as a form of self-expression as an opportunity to design our own bodies the way we see fit and treat them almost like a canvas.
In many ways, it could be argued that mankind has always had an urge to expand beyond its boundaries and better itself and that this has always been the aim of technology, ever since we first lit a fire. In that way, transhumanism might be considered simply a natural evolution.
While transhumanism has had an interesting past though, it is about to enter its most critical chapter yet as we are on the verge of realizing the technologies that would make posthumanism possible.
Before we go further, lets take a look at some of the top transhuman technologies, where we are with them and what their implications are. Well break these down into some basic categories
One of the most interesting technologies for a transhumanist, is genetic engineering. This is the use of various processes aimed at altering the expression of particular genes or even inserting new genetic material into the genome.
As you probably know, our DNA stored within the nucleus of every cell is the genetic code that tells our body how to build and repair tissue. It contains everything you would need in order to grow a new you, only its a little more complicated than your average flat-pack furniture.
Nevertheless, we have managed now to identify the roles of many genes within the human body which allows us to say with some certainty what inserting new DNA will do, or suppressing particular genes. We have learned this in part by using knockout mice mice with particular genes suppressed so that we can observe the outcome.
The tricky part is inserting said genetic material in to the cell in such a way that it will be likely to be accepted into the genome and then replicated as the cell divides. To do this, we must use a vector which is a transporter. Currently the most popular option involves using a virus such as a retrovirus that has been genetically modified itself, and then getting that to infect the cells and multiply itself. The problem is that this isnt a very accurate method: there is a risk that we could accidentally overwrite important lines of genetic code this way which might lead to tumors and other problems. Furthermore, the use of a virus even a harmless one can trigger an immune response making it dangerous. We are able to modify retroviruses and make knockout mice because the genes are inserted into the germ cell before birth (the sperm or the egg). This is called germ-line therapy as opposed to somatic therapy. Transhumanists are more interested in somatic gene therapy, as it gives the individual the ability to choose their genetic modifications.
For those who see genetic modification as desirable, there is hope. There are other vector options for instance that show promise, such as the use of injections, gene guns, magnetofection or even nanoparticles. Having your DNA altered by nanorobots it sure doesnt get much more science fiction than that. Another option involves treating stem cells from bone marrow and then injecting them back in to the body. This allows for more precision and removes the need for a viral vector. Using different viruses such as lentiviruses also may pose less risk.
Its also possible to inject new DNA into the surrounding membrane of the cell and not into the nucleus itself. This way, the new DNA will be expressed, but it will not be replicated during cell division. This type of non-insertional gene therapy is only temporary, but removes many of the potential risks. Non-insertional gene therapy can also be achieved using adeno-associated viruses. Its worth noting that some cells such as immune cells or liver cells survive for decades.
And despite the current challenges facing genetic modification, the process has been used successfully in a therapeutic capacity in a number of instances.
Possible Transhuman Uses for Genetic Modification
These techniques have been developed primarily in order to treat a number of genetic conditions. Right now they arent 100% safe or effective, but in the next few years they may well be and we could use non-insertional gene doping relatively safely right now.
So what are the transhuman applications for this kind of technology?
Myostatin for Super Strength
One example would be to knock out the myostatin gene. This is a gene responsible as you might have guessed for producing the protein myostatin. Myostatins main role in the body appears to be the suppression of muscles and by removing it, we can see an immediate increase in muscle size and strength.
Whats really interesting though, is that this has already been achieved in mice (1). Thats right, super mice with naturally exaggerated strength and muscle mass have been created through germ-line genetic modification. It led to no negative side effects either.
And in case youre still not convinced this would be a viable treatment, consider that animals and humans have been recorded as having this mutation occur naturally. It can also be achieved through selected breading in certain species of animal. The Belgian Blue Cow is a species of cow that all have this mutation. Its even thought possible that some bodybuilders could have the mutation (or a variant on it). Flex Wheeler is reported to have claimed to have such a mutation.
So then bodybuilders, in the near future you could get a 30% boost in muscle mass possibly even permanently from a single injection.
Erythropoetin
Erythropoietin is a hormone responsible for the production of red blood cells. EPO can be used already as a performance enhancer, but using gene therapy it might be possible to provide this extra EPO production endogenously (2). In fact, this one is quite far along as the therapy has already been trademarked by Oxford Biomedica as Repoxygen intended to treat anemia (yeah right). It has also been proven in mice, but has yet to be extensively tested on human subjects.
Using these two methods of gene doping (the term used when gene therapy is used for performance enhancement), it would already be possible to have someone who could lift much heavier items and run for sustained periods. I personally, would be most interested in a therapy to increase the ratio/activation of fast and super-fast muscle fiber which is also very much on the cards.
Telomerase Gene Therapy
Not interested in becoming a super soldier? Then how about just living much longer?
By increasing the production of telomerase through gene therapy, researchers have managed to slow down ageing by 24% for mice from a single treatment (3). Telomerase is an enzyme that is normally only active before birth in most cells and that works by adding to the end of DNA sequences. In effect this means it repairs the telomeres, which are the non-essential ends of DNA. This is important, because a little DNA is lost during mitosis every time a cell splits. For a while, telomeres provide a buffer ensuring no vital data is corrupted, but once the telomeres run out, information starts getting lost and we begin to age.
By increasing telomerase then, we can rebuild the telomeres and thus increase the number of divisions our DNA can go through before getting ground down. In the study, it was found that the treatment was more effective the earlier it was administered. In an earlier 2007 study, it was found that using the same process in germ-line gene therapy could extend the lifespan up to 40%.
This is only one process by which ageing may occur. Our cells are also bombarded constantly throughout our lives by free radicals which can gradually cause them to deteriorate and even damage our DNA. Gene therapy may also be able to defend against this process however, by thickening the cell membranes. This would also make us less susceptible to radiation and even heat!
These are three big possible transhuman applications for gene doping, but there are many other potential uses. For instance, it wouldnt be a big stretch to imagine inserting a gene to increase the production of certain neurotransmitters in the brain (which could be done with non-insertional therapy). Endogenous modafinil anyone?
Bionics, in the transhuman sense, is the use of robotics in order to enhance the human condition. This might mean for instance, swapping out your arm for a robotic arm that can punch through walls Deus Ex Human Revolution style. Already, some bionic limbs are demonstrably superior from the originals in some ways. The blades worn by amputee runners for instance, are in some cases more energy efficient than running on normal legs. Of course theyre inferior in many other ways, but its certainly possible to imagine how this might not be the case in future.
Replacing limbs is only one possible transhuman application of bionics however. At the same time, we might imagine one day being able to upgrade or augment our eyesight. Bionic eyes already exist which (4) work by stimulating the optic nerve in order to create a low resolution representation of the outside world. One day this same technology could actually increase our resolution, allow us to see a greater range of wavelengths, or to experience augmented reality.
Brain chips have already been used in order to stimulate neurons for other aims too. A couple of patients for instance have already received brain chips designed to stimulate the brain in such a way as to combat depression (full store here). We know that suppressing the areas of the brain relating to language can increase maths ability, while stimulating the memory centers can uncover lost memories so imagine what could potentially come from stimulating the brain this way. This wouldnt necessarily need an implant thanks to the possibility of Transcranial Direct-Current Stimulation that can work through the scalp.
Direct brain-computer interfaces are also an area of interest for transhumanists. Already there have been cases of paralyzed patients using brain implants in order to interface with machines and even surf the web, while some companies are already developing crude external brain controllers for computer games and other applications. More life-changing though, might be the ability to implant a harddrive into your brain to gain photographic memory, or even to increase your cognitive skills with some sort of built-in calculator
Other Technologies
Gene doping and bionics are only two examples of transhuman technologies that are in development/already available. Some of these are relatively mundane, while others are insanely ambitious.
It is a desire for many transhumanists for instance to actually upload themselves to the internet by encoding their consciousness. Others would like to have their brains removed and kept alive artificially such that they would be able to control a robotic body. This might sound completely like science fiction, but terrifyingly monkey brains have already been kept alive outside of the body and still shown activity. This is whats known as an isolated brain. One researcher has even managed the successful head transplant of a monkey (though the monkey died after seven days when the body rejected the new tissue). Heres the Wikipedia page of the late neurosurgeon who accomplished this disturbing feat, for your further, morbid reading.
Back to the less disturbing meanwhile, some people consider Iron Man-like endoskeletons (battle armour!) to be examples of transhumanism, while nanotechnology holds many potentials. Virtual reality could be considered almost transhuman and could certainly be used for transhuman applications (Lawnmower Man style!).
AI is also often discussed alongside other topics (read this on the Game of Life, its only loosely related but I think it holds the key to unlocking artificial intelligence). AI is the posthuman that was never human to begin with. Its also AI that might someday lead to the singularity the point where technology begins to accelerate so quickly that the world becomes unrecognizable in no time at all. When you consider the technological advancements that a super-advanced AI would make possible, you can understand how this might happen.
If you consider anyone who has used a transhuman technology in order to enhance themselves a posthuman (normally we reserve the term for those who have changed a significant amount, but go with it), then there are already transhumans living among us.
One great example is the legendary Kevin Warwick. Warwick is a researcher and figurehead for transhumanism who has used himself as a human guinea pig going as far as to implant a microelectrode array into his own nervous system allowing him to remotely control a robotic arm by moving his own arm and even to achieve a crude form of telepathic communication with his wife who also received implants (5). Its worth noting that the implant was eventually extracted due to mechanical failure nevertheless it was a success in the meantime and a relatively non-invasive procedure.
Meanwhile, there also exists an entire underground movement of grinders who are interested in using available technology to push the limits of the human body using themselves as human laboratories. As they put it on biohack.me they hack [their] bodies with artifacts from the future-present.
Thats right, this is going on right now. While there are some ambitious goals being thrown around on the forums, the most common biohack to be performed effectively is the neodymium magnet implant. Here a magnet is implanted in the nerve-dense tip of one finger and via a small surgical procedure. Because neodymium is such a strong magnet, it will actually vibrate slightly when in an electromagnetic field. This essentially gives the user a sixth sense as they are able to detect the presence of fields which would otherwise be undetectable without external hardware.
In many ways though, you could consider transhuman technology to already be commonplace it all depends on your definition of the word. If you consider transhuman technology to be anything that allows us to subjectively improve the human condition, then really many things we use today could be considered examples.
An obvious candidate would be something like plastic surgery or even tattoos and piercings. If we consider that the people making these changes believe they are improving themselves through technology, then in a way that is transhuman.
Of course we normally reserve the term for less cosmetic changes and more significant alterations to the human skill set. In that case though, we might consider current performance enhancing techniques to be transhuman in a way. What about steroids or even caffeine for instance? Sure, neither of these are permanent, but then neither is non-insertional gene doping which we do generally consider transhuman. And yes, anabolic steroids have side effects that could be considered almost sub-human, but really any improvement is subjective and almost bound to come at some cost. Just try increasing your brains ability to focus for instance, without it also negatively affecting your creativity. Likewise, an increase in fast twitch muscle fibre could theoretically decrease slow-twitch fibre (proportionally at least) thus negatively impacting on endurance. Does that make it not transhumanism?
Some could even look at the web or smartphones as a type of transhumanism. We use them every day almost as an extension of ourselves and in that way a smartphone is almost an exo-cortex. A smartwatch or Google Glass only takes this further. And if an Iron Man suit is transhuman technology, why not shoes that give you extra jumping height?
In general, the weak definition of transhuman technology is likely to cause many debates moving forward and be a limiting factor. This is especially true when you consider the vast differences between proposed transhuman technologies. If you embrace transhumanism does that mean you embrace all of it? Cant you be a fan of gene therapy while not supporting life extension or vice versa? If we tar every technology with the same brush, it may well prevent safer and more viable technologies from becoming available.
With transhuman technologies, ideologies and objectives so varied and disparate, its no wonder that there are so many currents within the larger movement.
This brings us nicely to the small matter of ethics. Transhumanism has always been a divisive subject, owing to the massive implications it has for our entire way of life and the fact that it will impact on nearly every aspect of human existence.
I actually did my dissertation on the Public Perception of the Ethics of Transhumanism which includes transcripts of focus group discussions. So if youd like to see what an in-depth debate on the subject looks like, you can download that here.
As briefly mentioned, a concern for life extension would be the inflation for the population. Where would everyone go? And would we have enough supplies if we all lived 30% longer? One possible answer is space colonization, but we are currently much closer to extending the human lifespan than we are to being able to populate other planets.
Then there is the possibility of a worsening class divide. Imagine if only wealthy people could afford to become immune to disease, to increase the lifespan of their children in-utero, or to enhance their IQ. In such a scenario, you would create a genuine second class citizen.
You also need to think about where these technologies would likely find use first and foremost: the answer being sporting competitions and the military. What are the ethics behind a supersoldier? Perhaps one made not to feel pain? And how will sports cope with gene doping that is almost impossible to detect? Bodybuilders: how would you feel if the general population were suddenly able to get as strong as you with no need to do any actual training? Youd then possibly feel pressured into doing the same just in order to keep up (though this is already a bit of an issue in bodybuilding thanks to anabolic steroids). Again, this isnt science fiction these are questions well be forced to answer in the next few years. Some experts even expected to see gene doping as early as the 2012 Olympics. Weve missed that deadline, but its only a matter of time
Perhaps my biggest complaint with some of the transhuman community is their disinterest in improving themselves through training. I cant understand why someone would express an interest in a myostatin injection, and yet not already be working out. When thats the case, you cant help but wonder if people are looking for an easy solution. And wouldnt that cheapen the journey somewhat? Shouldnt strength be earned? (Ill weigh in with my detailed views on the ethics of transhumanism in a future post).
Then there are questions regarding what it might do to our identity as humans and the religious aspect. What could happen to us were we to start playing God and leave behind our humanity? And while it might sound like the stuff of comic books what if it got into the hands of the wrong people? We could have genuine supervillains.
On the other hand, a transhumanist might argue that it should be our human right to express and change ourselves in any way we desire. That we could use transhuman technologies to end suffering, lead to greater advancements in other areas, expand into the stars and cure the planet. Some people are concerned that transhumanism would lead to us all looking the same as perfect Ken and Barbie dolls, but transhumanists themselves say the opposite would be true that wed finally be able to change our bodies to demonstrate our personalities and to serve our interests and hobbies. Transhumanism could open us up to whole new experiences and it could actually help us to remove inequality by giving us all the means to be the best versions of ourselves the way we interpret that.
We have always had an urge to expand ourselves and to test our limits and many of the breakthroughs we enjoy today were the result of taking risks. Show a car to someone from the 17th Century and they would probably tell you it was unethical and unsafe. They wouldnt necessarily be wrong either, but does that mean we should have never invented the automobile?
Truth is, I dont know the answer, but if we never try then well never know.
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A New Generation of Transhumanists Is Emerging | HuffPost
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A new generation of transhumanists is emerging. You can feel it in handshakes at transhumanist meet-ups. You can see it when checking in to transhumanist groups in social media. You can read it in the hundreds of transhumanist-themed blogs. This is not the same bunch of older, mostly male academics that have slowly moved the movement forward during the last few decades. This is a dynamic group of younger people from varying backgrounds: Asians, Blacks, Middle Easterners, Caucasians, and Latinos. Many are females, some are LGBT, and others have disabilities. Many are atheist, while others are spiritual or even formally religious. Their politics run the gamut, from liberals to conservatives to anarchists. Their professions vary widely, from artists to physical laborers to programmers. Whatever their background, preferences, or professions, they have recently tripled the population of transhumanists in just the last 12 months.
"Three years ago, we had only around 400 members, but today we have over 10,000 members," says Amanda Stoel, co-founder and chief administrator of Facebook group Singularity Network, one of the largest of hundreds of transhumanist-themed groups on the web.
Transhumanism is becoming so popular that even the comic strip Dilbert, which appears online and in 2000 newspapers, recently made jokes about it.
Despite its growing popularity, many people around the world still don't know what "transhuman" means. Transhuman literally means beyond human. Transhumanists consist of life extensionists, techno-optimists, Singularitarians, biohackers, roboticists, AI proponents, and futurists who embrace radical science and technology to improve the human condition. The most important aim for many transhumanists is to overcome human mortality, a goal some believe is achievable by 2045.
Transhumanism has been around for nearly 30 years and was first heavily influenced by science fiction. Today, transhumanism is increasingly being influenced by actual science and technological innovation, much of it being created by people under the age of 40. It's also become a very international movement, with many formal groups in dozens of countries.
Despite the movement's growth, its potential is being challenged by some older transhumanists who snub the younger generation and their ideas. These old-school futurists dismiss activist philosophies and radicalism, and even prefer some younger writers and speakers not have their voices heard. Additionally, transhumanism's Wikipedia page -- the most viewed online document of the movement -- is protected by a vigilant posse, deleting additions or changes that don't support a bland academic view of transhumanism.
Inevitably, this Wikipedia page misses the vibrancy and happenings of the burgeoning movement. The real status and information of transhumanism and its philosophies can be found in public transhumanist gatherings and festivities, in popular student groups like the Stanford University Transhumanist Association, and in social media where tens of thousands of scientists and technologists hang out and discuss the transhuman future.
Jet-setting personality Maria Konovalenko, a 29-year-old Russian molecular biophysicist whose public demonstrations supporting radical life extension have made international news, is a prime example.
"We must do more for transhumanism and life extension," says Konovalenko, who serves as vice president of Moscow-based Science for Life Extension Foundation. "This is our lives and our futures we're talking about. To sit back and and just watch the 21st Century roll by will not accomplish our goals. We must take our message to the people in the streets and strive to make real change."
Transhumanist celebrities like Konovalenko are changing the way the movement gets its message across to the public. Gauging by the rapidly increasing number of transhumanists, it's working.
A primary goal of many transhumanists is to convince the public that embracing radical technology and science is in the species' best interest. In a mostly religious world where much of society still believes in heavenly afterlives, some people are skeptical about whether significantly extending human lifespans is philosophically and morally correct. Transhumanists believe the more people that support transhumanism, the more private and government resources will end up in the hands of organizations and companies that aim to improve human lives and bring mortality to an end.
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A New Generation of Transhumanists Is Emerging | HuffPost
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transhumanism : The Corbett Report
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This week on the New World Next Week: the NY Times wants Biden to appoint a reality czar; Elon Musk is creating brain-chipped monkey gamers; and Californians fight back against COVID mandates in schools.
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Youve all heard by now that The Great Reset is upon us. But what is The Great Reset, exactly, and what does it mean for the future of humanity? Join James for this in-depth exploration of the latest rebranding of the New World Order agenda and its vision of a post-human Fourth Industrial Revolution.
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Pete Quinones of Freeman Beyond the Wall talks to James Corbett about the Great Reset, the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and the coming biosecurity state.
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It promises a fantastic future in which humans overcome disease, aging, and even death. It just requires us to take the final step and merge fully with machines. But its secret past in crypto-eugenics reveals a darker future, one in which a GenRich elite rule over the GenPoor masses. Are you ready to give up your humanity?
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Transhuman | Museum Ulm
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July 11, 2020December 13, 2020
+++ Unfortunately, the exhibition can no longer be visited due to the closure of the museum until at least 20 December 2020 as a result of corona-related measures to contain the pandemic. Due to a lack of planning security, loan contracts and logistical reasons, we are unfortunately unable to extend the exhibition beyond the official end of the exhibition on 13 December 2020. We regret this very much and ask for your understanding.
We also need the exhibition rooms for the rebuilding of our upcoming large annual exhibition 2021 A Woodstock of Ideas Joseph Beuys, Achberg and the German South which is to be shown in the Museum Ulm from 23 January 2021 until 6 June 2021.
What remains. More than little consolation. The beautiful, rich, worth reading and worth seeing exhibition publication designed by our graphic artist Eva Hocke bibliophile and exclusively available in our museum shop.+++
On 24 June 2020, he celebrates his 250th birthday, an inventor who is as brilliant as he is risk-taking: Albrecht Ludwig Berblinger. Better known as Schneider von Ulm, he went down in history with his flight attempt in 1811. The anniversary celebrations under the title Berblinger 2020 will not only pay tribute to his work, but will also focus on innovation, inventiveness, courage and an open urban society.
Almost everyone today is familiar with Albrecht Ludwig Berlingers flight test. However, another invention by the famous inventor is largely unknown: Albrecht Ludwig Berblinger developed movable prostheses for the injured soldiers of the Napoleonic Wars and thus invented the basic design for modern leg prostheses.
This medical-historical success story is the occasion for the Museum Ulm, in the context of the 250th anniversary of the birth of Albrecht Ludwig Berblinger, to devote itself to the complementation, imitation and improvement of human nature, the desirable body and the artificial human being in an exhibition on the history of art, culture and technology.
Historical prostheses and pictorial representations of their applications are juxtaposed with contemporary interpretations and visions of overcoming our physiological limitations through scientific, technological and design disciplines.
In the face of technological progress, current contemporary artistic positions also reflect prosthetics up to the cyborg; the exhibition presents works by:
Kader Attia I Sophie de Oliveira Barata I Anna Blumenkranz I Renaud Jerez I Mari Katayama I Alexander Kluge I Erika Mondria I Aimee Mullins I Miguel Angel Rojas I Martha Rosler I Keisuke Shimakage I Igor Simi I Stelarc
The exhibition is accompanied by a publication (German/English, 264 pages, numerous illustrations, 20 ).
In cooperation with the
Funded by the
German Federal Cultural Foundation
With friendly support
On the anniversary of
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Transhuman | Museum Ulm
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transhuman – Wiktionary
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English[edit]Etymology[edit]
trans- + human, also attested as trans-human in the 1950s. Attributed to Teilhard de Chardin, as French trans-humain (noun, sometimes capitalised as (le) Trans-humain), who used it alongside ultra-humain ("the ultra-human"). As a countable English noun (plural transhumans) introduced by F. M. Esfandiary in the 1960s (here trans- is short for transitional).
transhuman (comparative more transhuman, superlative most transhuman)
Turning fallible human foot soldiers into transhuman machines who need neither sleep nor food, and are incapable of resistance and independent thought, is a Napoleonic dream .
A template for those who will become transhuman.
I believe that this is important, because taken in isolation the kind of enhancements portrayed by transhuman philosophers might seem relatively innocuous.
The transhuman ideal is based upon a reconception of evolution, a perfecting and transcending of the human race through the next step in progress: not through biological mutation but through science and technology.
In a study of transhumanists and video games, fully twothirds of the participants claimed that video games incline players toward a transhuman sense of self.
This "other world" is transcendent because the experience of the sacredan encounter with a reality transcending immanent lifegives birth to the idea that there are absolute, that is, transhuman, realities.
Thus, regardless of whether one prefers to replace the father symbol with other human symbols like mother and maternalor with transhuman and transsexual symbols like first/last realitynone of these images or symbols are really integral to the message of the Gospels.
Subjectivity, as a paradoxically transhuman phenomenon of awareness renderred only in ecologies, is rendered into inscriptions and images even as no self is adequate to the report.
transhuman (countable and uncountable, plural transhumans)
In the same way that a transhuman is a transitional human, Christians are also humans in transition, living in a kingdom that has come and yet is coming, strangers in the world.
On the coffee table rested a sculpture of the fundamental, recombinant DNA of the present transhumans.
In practice, this technological transhumation would wreak havoc on the earth. While modern transhumans are meant to come into being through technology, Augustine offers two models of transhumans made by a divine rather than a human creator -- Adam and Eve in Eden and the resurrected saints in heaven.
Will it happaen again if we transition from human to transhuman?
I bet every critter that thinks it thinkseven the transhumansworry about how to do right for themselves and the ones they love.
Imagine a living computer running a simulation where math functions within the simulation think. Then consider an implication of anthrocosmology: if human consciousness created reality and transhumans can simulate any reality they can imagine, that suggest the physical universe has no special status above any other virtual reality.
Now ask yourself a question, don't these transhumans have as much a right in killing us for food as we do in killing cows?
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transhuman - Wiktionary
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