Radical Evolution: The Promise and Peril of Enhancing Our Minds, Our Bodies -- and What It Means to Be Human
Not only will the future be weirder than we imagine, but it will probably be weirder than we CAN imagine. To get a taste of that weird future Joel Garreau (a top-notch journalist) travels across the US interviewing scientists about how their research will change humanity.
From the publisher's description:
"Through advances in genetic, robotic, information, and nanotechnologies, we are altering our minds, our memories, our metabolisms, our personalities, our progeny–and perhaps our very souls. Radical Evolution reveals that the powers of our comic-book superheroes already exist, or are in development in hospitals, labs, and research facilities around the country–from the revved-up reflexes and speed of Spider-Man and Superman, to the enhanced mental acuity and memory capabilities of an advanced species."
Why this is progressive/liberal: In all candor I'm not absolutely sure the transhuman movement IS progressive or liberal. Perhaps it might best be described as techno-libertarian with a dash of secular metaphysics. It's liberal in the sense that liberals are generally supportive of people doing whatever they want to their bodies. Think tattoos, piercings, a woman's right to choose to carry an embryo, and everyone's right to surgically alter their sex. However, there's a weird metaphysical current underlying the transhumanist movement that doesn't really hold up to scientific scrutiny. There's also a strong element of Randian self-importance among many of the acolytes. And, it seems in some ways anti-human. Nonetheless, it's a tremendously attractive idea to many people, and it's a topic that everyone should at least have on their radar. To his credit, Garreau maintains a critical skeptical eye while contemplating what the future may bring.
Buy the Kindle version: Radical Evolution: The Promise and Peril of Enhancing Our Minds, Our Bodies -- and What It Means to Be Human
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