TRANSHUMANISM BY MATTHEW GIBSON WHAT IS TRANSHUMANISM Transhumanism

TRANSHUMANISM BY MATTHEW GIBSON

WHAT IS TRANSHUMANISM? • Transhumanism is the belief that humans can develop and evolve further with the help of science and technology. • Australia has a community that encourages research into Transhumanism called Transhumanism Australia.

CHEMICAL ENHANCEMENTS IN REAL LIFE • Humans have been using drugs to boost their performance, both physical and mental aspects for over two millennia. • The Drug Somatropin increases aerobic endurance and muscle strength at the cost of joint pains and carpel tunnel syndrome. • Ancient Romans used stimulating and hallucinogenic drugs on themselves, and on their horses, just before a gladiatorial arena fight.

DESIGNER BABIES IN REALITY • Designer Babies are babies who had their genetic make up altered by a combination of in vitro fertilization and genetic engineering. • This can change the traits of; intelligence, gender, personality, appearance, and disease. •

BIONIC IMPLANTS/LIMBS • The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory developed a Modular Prosthetic Limb attached to a implant at the skeleton. The device is controlled by using a wireless ‘Bio-Band’ that transmits muscle activity to the prosthetic. • https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=sk 1 Nk. Wl_W 2 Y •

HOW IS TRANSHUMANISM PORTRAYED IN POPULAR MEDIA?

HOW IS TRANSHUMANISM PORTRAYED IN MEDIA • • • Mobile Suit Gundam (TV Series) Case Study Star Wars (Movie Franchise) Pacific Rim (Movie) Freezing (Manga) GATTACA (Movie) Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger (Song) Anything regarding Superheroes (especially Spider-man and X-Men) Doctor Who (TV Franchise) And so many to list!

CASE STUDY: MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM • Mobile Suit Gundam is an anime series about war using Mobile Suits, giant war machines. • Nearly every series have had teenagers as pilots • A diverse range of aspects relating to transhumanism are investigated in the Mobile Suit Gundam series

LIST OF TRANSHUMAN ELEMENTS NAMED IN GUNDAM • Newtypes and Cyber-Newtypes (Main Gundam Series and After War Gundam X Series). • Coordinator and the SEED factor (Mobile Suit Gundam SEED-SEED Destiny Series). • Innovator (Anno Domini (Gundam 00)) • Alaya-Vijnana System (Post Disaster (Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron. Blooded Orphans))

CYBER-NEWTYPE/BIOLOGICAL CPU • Cyber-Newtypes are artificial Newtypes created by using drugs and stimuli in order to compete against Newtypes. • Biological CPUs in Gundam SEED/SEED Destiny are enhanced people that can fight toe to toe against Coordinators. • They both have unstable personalities and they have their memories wiped.

COORDINATOR – GENETIC MANIPULATION • “People paid a great price for this dream so of course they wanted it to come true. No one wants to have their dreams shattered. ” Rau Le Creuset (Mobile Suit Gundam SEED PHASE #45: The Opening Door) • Coordinators are humans that have had their genes altered in their embryotic state. • They can learn faster and hold more knowledge than humans who were born naturally. • Genetic Manipulation in Mobile Suit Gundam SEED and SEED Destiny was used to create the perfect child you dream of with; the gender, eye and hair color you want. Popularly known in reality as “Designer Babies”

INNOVATOR • Two types of Innovator in Mobile Suit Gundam 00. One is called Innovade and the other is called a pure bred type. • Innovade: An artificial human with Innovator qualities. • Pure Bred Type: A human that has evolved through GN Particles. • Innovators can use ‘quantum brainwaves’ to communicate, via thought, to other innovators. • Innovators age very slowly and can possibly live for centuries.

ALAYA-VIJNANA SYSTEM • A organic system that creates a pseudo brain lobe, using nanomachines, to feed mobile suit data into the pilot’s brain. • The system is usually implanted on the spine on children because they are developing. • If the surgery is a failure then the child becomes paralyzed. • The Alaya-Vijnana system has a drawback as while it can surpass human limitations it causes a great strain on the brain.

NEWTYPES • Naturally evolved humans who can feel other’s intentions. • Decreased reflex reaction time by having aa advanced version of Spatial Awareness.

CONCLUSION • What I believe is that regardless of what people say Transhumanism is already happening. • Can we overcome discrimination if we go down this path?

REFERENCE • http: //gundam. wikia. com/wiki/Post_Disaster_Technology • Morosawa, C. (Writer), Fukuda, M. (Director). (2003). Mobile Suit Gundam SEED [Television series episode]. In PHASE #45: The Opening Door. Japan: Sunrise. • Kuroda, Y. (Writer), Mizushima, S. (Director). (2009). Mobile Suit Gundam 00 [Television series episode]. In Season Two Episode #24: Beyond. Japan: Sunrise. • http: //aminoapps. com/page/space-warfare-rp/218443/alaya-vijnana-system • https: //www. transhumanism. com. au/ • Pro. Con. org https: //sportsanddrugs. procon. org/view. timeline. php? timeline. ID=000017 • Bloomberg - https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=sk 1 Nk. Wl_W 2 Y • https: //www. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/pmc/articles/PMC 2563415/ • https: //moodle-sae-au. axis. navitas. com/mod/page/view. php? id=254804

REFERENCE • https: //ebookcentral. proquest. com/lib/saemulti/detail. action? doc. ID=681317 • http: //www. wired. co. uk/article/chemical-enhancement • https: //ezproxy. saeaustralia. edu. au: 2430/lib/saemulti/reader. action? doc. ID=3 011089&ppg=13 • https: //existenz. us/volumes/Vol. 8 -2 Ferrando. pdf • http: //jetpress. org/v 25. 1/sorgner. htm • http: //www. futureforall. org/bioengineering/designer-babies. html