What do Jean Grey and Professor Xavier of X-Men, Vulcan “mind-melds” from Star Trek, the Six-Million Dollar Man, Darth Vader and Jedi mind tricks from George Lucas’ Star Wars, The Bionic Woman adapted from Martin Caidin’s Cyborg, Inspector Gadget, Replicants from the 1980’s movie Blade Runner, and Neo (along with his comrades) from The Matrix, all have in common?

If you answered, “Transhumanism”, then you are correct! If you answered “Science Fiction”, then you are also correct! Quintessential themes, within the Sci-Fi genre as a whole, unite this melting pot of Science-Fiction. Such themes as telepathy / telekinesis, bionic body parts, “living robots” (which are different than bionic humans!), and bio-hacking are no longer solely for sci-fi! Science has taken these ideas from fiction and, as Science does, is putting them to the test.

Terms like “Transhumanism” and the “Transhumanist Movement” may seem like completely new ones to you; however, you are probably more familiar with these terms and what they represent than you think. According to Oxford Dictionaries, “transhumanism” is a noun, defined as “the belief that the human race can evolve beyond its current physical and mental limitations, especially by means of science and technology.” The World Transhumanist Association and Humanist+ describe the transhumanism movement as an intellectual and cultural movement, which aims to improve humanity - intellectually, psychologically, and physically. There are many concepts within transhumanism, but the general theory believes that humanity’s improvement can be achieved through the utilization of technology (i.e. biotechnology, nanotechnology, information technology) and science.

This four part blog mini-series will explore transhumanism as it exists today and will explore technologies that enable individuals to experience telepathy-like powers, cloning (on a whole different level than Dolly the Sheep!), and artificial limb technology. This blog mini-series will also discuss the ethics of such technologies and potential threats to such technologies, such as bio-hacking.

 

Stay connected! Part I of this four part blog mini-series includes “Bionic Body Parts”!

 

What are your thoughts, comments, and feedback? I want to know!

-RSpelich ^_^

 

Works Cited

Blade Runner. Dir. Ridley Scott. Prod. Ridley Scott and Hampton Francher. By Hampton Francher and David Webb Peoples. Perf. Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, and Sean Young. Warner Bros., 1982.

Caidin, Martin. Cyborg; a Novel. New York: Arbor House, 1972. Print.

Claremont, Chris, Stan Lee, and John Byrne. The Uncanny X-men: [the Dark Phoenix Saga]. New York, NY: Marvel Comics Group, 1990. Print.

Claremont, Chris, Stan Lee, and John Byrne. The Uncanny X-men: [the Dark Phoenix Saga]. New York, NY: Marvel Comics Group, 1990. Print.

Jahn, Mike. Six Million Dollar Man. London: Star Book, 1975. Print.

Lucas, George, Donald F. Glut, and James Kahn. The Star Wars Trilogy. New York: Ballantine, 2002. Print.

The Matrix. Prod. Andy Wachowski and Larry Wachowski. Dir. Andy Wachowski and Larry Wachowski. By Andy Wachowski and LarryKeanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne Wachowski. Perf. Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne. 1999.

"Mission." Humanity+ Mission Comments. Humanity+, n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2013.

Roddenbury, Gene, prod. "Star Trek: The Original Series." Star Trek: The Original Series. NBC. 8 Sept. 1966. Television.

Howard, Andy, Jean Chalopin, and Bruno Bianchi. "Inspector Gadget." Inspector Gadget. CBS. 12 Sept. 1983. Television.

Johnson, Kenneth. "The Bionic Woman." The Bionic Woman. ABC. 14 Jan. 1976. Television.

"Transhumanism." Def. la. Oxford Dictionary (British & World English). Oxford University Press, n.d. Web. 28 Aug. 2013.

"What Is Transhumanism?" Transhumanism? World Transhumanist Association, n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2013.

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