A "Post-Human" Future?
Many observers recognize that human biotechnologies can pose serious risks to individuals and society. Others embrace a vision of a “post-human” or “transhumanist” future where people will be so dramatically transformed that they are no longer human. While this is a marginal view, transhumanist advocates are vocal proponents of “enhancing” physical and cognitive abilities through genetic modification, implants, and other techniques in hopes of transcending aspects of the human condition including death.
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The ethical debate about what is now called “human gene editing” (HGE) began sixty years ago. At the time, eugenicist...
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Bill McKibben and john a. powell came discuss the “Climate Crisis, Designer Babies, and Our Common Future.” The event was moderated by Osagie K. Obasogie, Professor of Bioethics at UC Berkeley.
George Estreich discusses his most recent book Fables and Futures, inspired by his daughter Laura. Estreich goes beyond the personal to describe the ways that genetic technologies affect society and the stories the promoters of such technologies tell about them. The event took place on May 1, 2019 at the San Francisco Public Library.
This webcast explores the new techniques of synthetic biology and gene editing, and their capacity to redesign nature, from seeds to insects to people.
The technologies are being rapidly developed and robustly funded, in most cases well ahead of safety assessments, public engagement, and social oversight. What does this mean for people and the planet – and what can we do about it?
- Dana Perls, Friends of the Earth
- Ricarda Steinbrecher, EcoNexus
- Jaydee Hanson, Center for Food Safety
- Pete Shanks, Center for Genetics and Society
Moderated by Marcy Darnovsky, Center for Genetics and Society
If you were unable to join us, or would like to see the webcast again, click below to watch the event in its entirety.
You can find written replies to some of the questions and comments that were submitted by participants here.