Category Archives: Transhuman News

Theresa Brown (Abortion and a Womans Centrality, Feb. 26 Forum) uses an ectopic pregnancy to justify any abortion after five months of pregnancy, as if this were a typical reason given for all abortions. It isnt. This would be the equivalent of expelling a thousand high schoolers when one student is caught smoking in the bathroom.

Moreover, she never gives any sources when she states that pro-lifers would want the mother to die to save the child. This is just a false talking point that pro-abortion advocates have been spewing for years in the attempt to paint pro-lifers as against women. In reality, pro-lifers believe in loving the woman and the child, saving the womans life when threatened. Moreover, that does include free prenatal care, expert medical care for both mother and child, and everything from diapers to day care from over 3,200 pregnancy resource centers in America, 22 right here in our area (1.800.712.HELP).

Yes, pregnancy is, in Ms. Browns own words, a mother-child dyad. Its a mother and a child. Only a rigid pro-abortion supporter would deny that two human beings are involved in a pregnancy. Ectopic pregnancies are rare and deserve medical treatment. Killing a preborn child should be just as rare.

E.A. SVIRBEL Whitehall

More:
A pregnancy involves the lives of two human beings | Pittsburgh ... - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Eloi are one of the fictional two post-human races in H. G. Wells' 1895 novel The Time Machine.

By the year AD 802,701, humanity has evolved into two separate species: the Eloi and the Morlocks, whereof the Eloi live a banal life of ease on the surface of the earth, while the Morlocks live underground, tending machinery and providing food, clothing, and inventory for the Eloi. The narration suggests that the separation of species may have been the result of a widening split between different social classes. Having solved all problems that required strength, intelligence, or virtue, the Eloi have slowly become dissolute and naive: they are described as smaller than modern humans, with shoulder-length curly hair, pointed chins, large eyes, small ears, small mouths with bright red thin lips, and sub-human intelligence. They do not perform much work, except to feed, play, and mate; and when Weena falls into a river, none of the other Eloi helps her (she is rescued instead by the Time Traveler). Periodically, the Morlocks capture individual Eloi for food; and because this typically happens on moonless nights, the Eloi are terrified of darkness.

A portion of the book written for the New Review version, later published as a separate short story, reveals that a visit by the Time Traveller to the even more distant future results in his encountering rabbit-like hopping herbivores, apparently the descendants of the Eloi. They are described as being plantigrade, with longer hind legs and tailless, being covered with straight greyish hair that "thickened about the head into a Skye terrier's mane", having human-like hands (described as fore feet) and having a roundish head with a projecting forehead and forward-looking eyes that were obscured by lank hair.

In the 1960 film version of the book, the Eloi are depicted as identical to modern humans but small, blond, and blue-eyed. The Morlocks use an air raid siren to lure them into their caves. One of the Eloi is motivated to beat a Morlock to death when it attacks the Time Traveller.

In the 2002 movie adaptation of The Time Machine, the Eloi are depicted as identical to modern humans, with a hunter-gatherer lifestyle and appear to be an ethnic amalgamation of various indigenous races but maintain the English language as an intellectual exercise.

In Dan Simmons' Ilium novel, "Eloi" is a nickname for the lazy, uneducated, and uncultured descendants of the human race after the post-humans have left Earth. The name is a reference to Wells' Eloi.

Old-style humans and post-humans rule in Simmons' novel, with the Eloi being kept in "zoos" in restricted areas on Earth. The Eloi are technically adept but don't understand the technology; they regress and unlearn millennia of culture, thought and reason, until they are satisfied with the pleasure of merely existing.

https://eloi.co

More here:
Eloi - Wikipedia

Leah Reich was one of the first internet advice columnists. Her column "Ask Leah" ran on IGN, where she gave advice to gamers for two and a half years. During the day, Leah is Slacks user researcher, but her views here do not represent her employer. How to be Human runs every other Sunday. You can write to her at askleah@theverge.com and read more How to be Human here.

Dear Leah,

I was never the best at writing a good beginning for an email, and this sentence only serves to demonstrate the need for asking this particular first question: What's the line between self-confidence and having pride in one's self and achievements, and hubris and arrogance? How can I talk grandly of myself (which seems to be the de facto way of demonstrating self-confidence) without feeling guilty? I especially feel guilty about betraying my own belief that my life and achievements are things I primarily do for me, not to brag about or share constantly with others.

My second question is: How do I get romantically invested or interested in others? I'm around that age where almost everybody is a self-proclaimed expert in relationships, and I fail to be interested in having a relationship (with either gender, and being in a county where queer relationships are legally punishable doesn't help with the whole experimentation part). I mean my crushes were far and between, but it's been so long that I've been romantically interested in someone that I'm starting to wonder if relationships for men (especially those who are seemingly aromantic as myself) are simply about exploiting the other party for leisure, company and "fun" (which sounds rather disappointing considering how grandly everyone seems to think of "love," not to mention quite demeaning and dehumanizing of women)?

Last but not least: How to build empathy? Whether it's in oneself or others, what makes people make the effort to care about others and strive to understand them?

PS: As you might have realized not all these questions have that "one" answer, and to be honest I'm not looking for a perfect answer, just a nudge in the right direction would help, and I really can't think of anyone better on the internet to do so than you.

Sagittaire.

Hey Sagittaire,

What a great letter! I love these questions, and as you probably know, I think about each one of them rather a lot on my own. But three questions are a lot for one column, especially three different questions like this. Heres what Im going to do.

First, Ill start with some news: My column is ending this month. The Verge has decided to bring it to a close, so the next column will be my last one. Ive been thinking about how Id like to end it, and I cant think of a better way than with your last question. Ill answer your first question then, too. This means you get two columns, Sag!

Lets talk about your second question. I dont know how old you are because honestly that age where almost everybody is a self proclaimed expert in relationships could be anywhere from 15 to 105 but Im going to assume youre in your very early 20s. Maybe in your late teens? Its hard to tell, but regardless of how old you are, and despite what you may think about your own knowledge level on the subject, you already have some good insights into human behavior around relationships. Its just a matter of interpreting those insights.

Ive written before about being single and the pressures to find a relationship, and Ive also written about the ways social norms have such an impact on how we feel and behave and on how we think we should feel and behave. A lot of the bluster you hear about relationships from those self-proclaimed experts is probably as much about that pressure and those norms as it is about any actual expertise. Just as youre trying to sort out how you feel, and whether you want a relationship at all with anyone, so too are some of those people trying to do the same thing.

Its uncomfortable to feel like the only one whos inexperienced. Its easier to act like you know everything

For some people, their posturing around relationships is a way to pretend like they want what everyone else does or a way to act like they have the same set of experiences. Its very rare for someone to sit down and be honest and vulnerable like youre doing here, especially with peers and especially when those peers are other young men. So anyone with limited experience which is most of the people you know when youre younger ends up assuming that everyone else knows more, has done more, understands more. And because its uncomfortable to feel like the only one whos inexperienced or nave, its easier to act like you know everything. Its also easier to act like you want same things as everyone else, like a big intense huge love affair or a lot of no-strings-attached flings.

But you know what, Sag? Not everyone wants the same stuff. Not all women want a massive fairytale wedding, and not all men want to punch each other in the locker room as they joke about how many chicks theyre banging. Human experience and desire is so much more varied than that. Social norms and the way we talk about who we are and what we want have all changed a lot in recent years, but we are still a long way from really undoing many of the expectations and rules that have guided our behaviors for a long time. You know this better than many you live in a place where you cant even experiment and better understand your own sexuality because you fear legal repercussions.

Desires and experiences ebb and flow over the course of our lives

This is my way of saying that you cant use everyone else as a way to measure what you should want or how you should feel. I know thats much easier said than done. I myself struggle every single day with this I use my perceptions of what other people are doing, their successes, and where they are in their lives as a way to judge myself and highlight my own failures and shortcomings. But thats a terrible way to live, partly because I have no idea if my interpretation of who or what they are is real. After all, maybe theyre putting on a brave front just like I am. More importantly, though, what they do and how they do it has absolutely nothing to do with how I live my own life and what I want or accomplish. Should I want children just because other people do? Should I feel bad that other people are married but Im not? Should I feel like a failure for not having achieved particular markers of success? Nope!

Just because other people want to be in relationships or at least act like they do doesnt mean you have to. Maybe youre not someone whos really geared toward romantic relationships. Maybe you dont have the same kinds of sexual desires, or maybe you dont have much (or any) sexual desire at all. Maybe you only very, very occasionally find yourself drawn to someone in a romantic or sexual way. Maybe youre not ready. Maybe you havent met anyone who excites you. Maybe casual flings dont appeal to you. Maybe youre gay. Maybe casual flings would appeal to you if they were with men, and not women.

Desires and experiences ebb and flow over the course of our lives. This is another thing we dont talk a lot about. Lots of people go through periods during which they dont have any interest in sex or romance (or both). Sometimes they want to focus on work or on friendships or on themselves, or sometimes they just dont... feel anything? Bodies and brains shift and change, and we all find ourselves faced with new experiences and possibilities from time to time that make us question whatever it was we thought we wanted or desired.

Its absolutely possible to have fun (not just fun) and enjoy someones company (or have sex with them, or both) without having a serious relationship. Its not for everyone, though. Plenty of people of all genders and sexual orientations dont enjoy casual sex, or sex with someone theyre not emotionally invested in.

Just because other people want to be in relationships or at least act like they do doesnt mean you have to

You are right that a lot of what you hear about this topic is dehumanizing and demeaning toward women. (This is a longer, separate conversation, but its one I hope you do make space for and a topic you learn about.) But I dont think that all men only want relationships that demean women. The many social, cultural, and religious expectations and pressures around masculinity, femininity, marriage, and more make it very hard for people to talk about how they really feel and to pursue what they want. Its very difficult for women. But its also difficult for men! Men are told things like its not manly to talk about your feelings or to say you dont like casual hookups and instead long for an epic romance. Or things like good women dont love sex, so you can treat the ones who do badly. We all hear things like this. Theres a lot we need to rewire in ourselves and in our cultural norms. So I commend you for writing this letter, because I think if more people not just guys but all of us! could be more open like you are here, wed be a lot better off.

My advice to you is this: Dont force yourself to get interested or invested in romantic relationships. Try very hard to not compare yourself to everyone else or to measure yourself by what theyre doing. They might not even be doing what they say they are, or they might not want to be doing it. Instead, keep doing things that interest you and pursuing the types of relationships that fulfill you friends, community, volunteer work, spiritual practice, and so on. Thats going to make you feel much happier and more confident in who you are, and I think that will better allow you to understand yourself and what it is you want. Who knows, maybe along the way youll meet someone and find yourself with a new crush, one you want to pursue. Or maybe youll find that you simply are in fact aromantic or asexual. Any of this is okay. Its more than okay! Its who you are.

Ill see you back here next week for one last column.

Lx

Read the original here:
How to be human: how to be comfortably aromantic - The Verge

In Europe in the 17th century, epileptics drank human blood as a treatment. So popular was this practice, writes Bill Schutt in his new book that public executions routinely found epileptics standing close by, cup in hand, ready to quaff their share of the red stuff.

The topic of cannibalism is one of endless fascination. Just last month, the show Santa Clarita Diet, starring Drew Barrymore as a flesh-hungry American mom, premiered on Netflix. Meanwhile, Cannibal Cop Gilberto Valle returned to the news after admitting his upcoming memoir, Raw Deal, will reveal he still logs onto cannibal-fantasy websites.

But historically, Valles obsession isnt as unusual as you think. As zoologist Schutt writes, the phenomenon occurs in every class of vertebrates, from fish to mammals, as well as in many types of invertebrates. And animals are just like us: Cannibalism has pervaded the human species for centuries, especially (and surprisingly) as a medicinal cure-all.

More than 2,000 years of Chinese historical accounts contain detailed descriptions of the preparation and use of body parts as curatives, Schutt writes. By the end of the Ching Dynasty (1644-1912) ... Chinese medical treatments included the consumption of gall bladder, bones, hair, toes and fingernails, heart and liver.

But the Chinese were hardly alone. From kings to commoners, Europeans routinely consumed human blood, bones, skin, guts and body parts. They did it without guilt, though it often entailed a healthy dose of gore. They did it for hundreds of years.

Patients didnt just drink human blood directly from the source. They also consumed it as a powder or mixed into an elixir with other ingredients, Schutt writes. English physicians were still prescribing it as late as the mid-18th century.

Medical cannibalism became so popular that public executions rose dramatically in the 17th century, with body parts often cut from prisoners while they were still breathing. Over the centuries and throughout societies, sources of human food varied, from criminals to prisoners of war to ones own living relatives. Around the 1500s, Chinese soldiers would seize women and children off the street in order to cook and eat them. Other societies merely helped themselves to parts of their unburied dead.

One bizarre, misguided offshoot of the use of human tissue as medicine was the turn toward pulverized mummies, which were either consumed or applied topically, as an antidote to ailments including epilepsy, hemorrhaging and upset stomachs in 17th century Europe.

But mummy supply was limited, leading to a market for bootlegged mummies from Egypt that were often of such poor quality that they arrived with a rancid odor.

Over the centuries and throughout societies, sources of human food varied, from criminals to prisoners of war to ones own living relative

Today, the consumption of human tissue still happens with the eating of placenta, purportedly to ward off a new mothers postpartum depression and increase breast-milk production. A trend in mid-20th century Poland and 1960s and 70s America, the practice has made a comeback here of late with mothers, including actress Alicia Silverstone, eating their own placenta in the form of pills. (I got to the point that my husband said, Did you have your happy pills today? And I was really sad when they were gone. It really helped me, Silverstone has said.)

According to Schutt, who ate placenta for his research and found it firm but tender with a taste resembling that of organ meat, there are no proven benefits from the consumption of placenta and there may even be ill effects. Studies have shown that a placenta can retain some of the toxic substances and pathogens it had filtered, he writes.

Placenta tasting aside, its fair to say that the tradition of cannibalism as a cure-all has pretty much disappeared from 21st century human society. So what changed?

The rise of Enlightenment attitudes toward science author Richard Sugg says in Schutts book. Plus, he adds, theres one more obvious reason: Disgust.

Go here to see the original:
When people clamored for the ultimate 'cure-all' human flesh - New York Post