Here’s a list of enhancements I would appreciate having, and I expect they’ll all be available in my lifetime. I begin with my 10th choice, and conclude with the #1 upgrade that I desire the most. What super-enhancement would you like to have? Do you want what I want, or something even more incredible?
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Complete entry
Posted by
Jomnin on 07/01 at 03:12 PM
Is there any organization focused on the these kinds of technologies that one can invest in, not necessarily for a return investment but for a “dibs” on those technologies when they are developed? I’m thinking about how you can make life insurance payments to Alcor for their cryonic tech when the time comes. Any analogy for other modification technology?
Posted by
Kennita on 07/01 at 06:12 PM
I would like to be able to survive on the Moon or on Jupiter, to lift tons and bend/break steel girders, to play all of the instruments in a symphony orchestra, to fly any aircraft, and to handle any animal. On a separate plane, I would like sufficient mental/emotional control to have no phobias or other irrational fears, and confidence in my own abilities.
Posted by
advancedatheist on 07/01 at 08:16 PM
Eh, so what. I started to read stuff like this before you were born. An article like yours could have come from Bob Ettinger’s writings 40 years ago; from Future Life, Omni or Analog magazines 30 years ago; or from Extropian and cryonicist publications 20 years ago. No one has gotten any closer to “superhuman,” despite all the breathless forecasts over the decades.
How about discussing practical things we can do in the here-and-now which have experimental support in the scientific literature? For example:
Improving fluid intelligence with training on working memory
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2008/04/25/0801268105.abstract
Posted by
Kennita on 07/02 at 03:24 AM
@advancedatheist, plenty of people discuss the here-and-now; that’s not what this article is for. “A man’s reach should exceed his grasp”, and all that. Besides, we actually are closer to a number of these enhancements than we were 20+ years ago. Even the fluid memory training you speak of is a technology that is part of Enhancement 2, and was not known 20 years ago. That we haven’t gotten there doesn’t mean we’re not making progress. It’s like that interminable climb on the rollercoaster; it doesn’t feel like you’ll *ever* go over the top until just before you do. Certainly anything you say that discourages people from working on the future technologies is counterproductive—leave it at “Don’t be disappointed if it doesn’t happen as soon as you expect.”. You’re obviously disappointed; don’t take it out on other people by harshing their mellow (to take a turn of phrase from 40+ years ago). Live long and prosper.
Posted by
Axiom on 07/02 at 08:32 AM
@ advancedatheist
You are ofcourse right that some of these ideas have existed for decades with very little payoff for those who remember their advent. However, the point surely is that much of this stuff IS being done in the here and now, and DOES have experimental support.
Check out Mark Roth’s TED talk on suspended animation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVAaZVz9pDs
or the development of visual implants:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17936302
or MArk Gasson’s infected cybernetics:
http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/man-infects-himself-with-computer-virus/
or Aubrey de Greys regenerative medicine:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgLRhxvRlKg
Proof of concept is often vital to boost necessary funding and development and judging by how much money is being poured into areas like nano-respirocytes and sleep avoidance by militaries around the world it would be very suprising if it was all just a fool’s pipe dream. Having said that there must be a great many ‘practical’ things we can do to boost existing abilities, I doubt anyone is denying that. But Sudoku aside, is envisioning the future really such a pointless pursuit?
Posted by
Shannon Vyff on 07/04 at 05:39 PM
I think it is a great list, good writing and nice graphics added as well.
Even if someone has seen all these before it is a nice refresher with updates. It is an excellent introduction for new people to the topics-I’ll share it just for that reason 
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