Transhumanism is an international movement that advocates the use of science and technology to overcome the “natural” limitations experienced by humanity, through such developments as:the Singularity—the creation of machine intelligences that exceed the capacities of our biological brainsthe ability to replicate individual minds and put them into solid-state bodies or virtual environmentsindividual control over mental and emotional states for enhancing functionalities and/or ecstasiesSome of this is happening now. Some it is still in the minds of dreamers. In nearly ninety A-Z entries, Transcendence provides a multilayered look at the accelerating advances in artificial intelligence, cognitive science, genomics, information technology, nanotechnology, neuroscience, space exploration, synthetic biology, robotics, and virtual worlds that are making transhumanism a reality. Entries range from Cloning and Cyborg Feminism to Designer Babies and Memory-Editing Drugs. In addition, the book notes historical predecessors and personalities, both in mythology and history—ranging from Timothy Leary to Michael Jackson to Ray Kurzweil. It also introduces the culture around Transhumanism, covering all the geeky obsessions of the Transhumanist movement.
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