Sunday, June 3, 2012

More than Human (Ramez Naam): Part 3

Finished the book. It is well worth reading, as a "This is where technology is right now and here are some ideas of where it could go, as our knowledge of how things work and precision increases." As most of this knowledge is going to arrive owing to solving diseases, it is a very small step from there to applying it to enhancements. If the state of drugs are any indication, once a thing is possible, it will happen even if it must happen at first by illicit means and it is better to accept that and prepare for it than to deny it. The author does not address moral questions in this book beyond that point. At some point, some of the authors of books decrying enhancements' moral depravity will stop focusing on why we shouldn't move forward and start focusing on ways we can mitigate negative effects/magnify positive effects. In the meantime, science is slowly chugging along.

As a parting comment, a rather odd video by one of the researchers who is cited in the book on the technology and its implications:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pgmoz4f8LA4

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