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If ever there was a category of technology that seemed almost like science fiction, then it would no doubt have to be transhumanism. Essentially the concept behind transhumanism is to try and expand the capabilities of the human form through the use of technology – that means making people smarter, faster stronger, smarter and generally capable of more. Often this would use the same kind of technologies that we would previously associate with the medical industry – things like bionic limbs, gene therapy, or thought-controlled interfaces – but the big difference here is that the technology is now aimed at making those using it ‘better than well’. Medical technology takes people who are unwell and then helps them to regain their lost mobility and health – transhumanism takes things further than that base level.

While it may sound like science fiction though, transhumanism is already very much upon us. Scientists have already discovered how to increase an individual’s muscle-mass permanently through the use of just a single gene-altering injection, while bionic limbs are now able to be controlled entirely by thought and to grant the user with increased strength and speed. Even if government regulation attempts to prevent these technologies from becoming mainstream, it is only a matter of time until we see a black market for ‘human augmentation’. And then the entire world as we know it will change…

The Potential for Positive Change

But before you assume that this is going to spell doom for humanity and bring about a global apocalypse, it’s worth noting that transhumanism actually has great potential when it comes to solving many of the issues we currently face as a race – it may be that by embracing this next step in human evolution that we could create a paradise-like world to live in.

Take global warming for instance. You might not see immediately where a connection between posthumanism and global warming lies, but actually this kind of technology could just provide the answer that everyone has been looking for.

Transhumanism and Global Warming

For instance, one way in which transhumanism could help us to live ‘greener’ lives could be by increasing night vision and enabling us to see more accurately in the dark. All this would require would be some genetic or bionic modifications to the human eye, and immediately we would find there was less need for street lights or lights in our own home. This simple change to our biology could help us to use drastically less energy as a race.

Similarly, we could use these techniques to increase our resistance to the cold. By giving humans a coat of fur again, or by adding a layer of fat, we could potentially survive colder conditions and thus have less need for central heating.

Another popular idea among transhumanist thinkers is that we could reduce our size. This would then mean we’d require less food and less energy in order to ‘run’ our bodies, and that would help us to place less strain on the environment through farming and other processes. Even by increasing running speed, we might be able to reduce the need for cars and thereby reduce traffic. More drastically, we might even one day consider imbuing humans with the ability to reduce carbon dioxide naturally. Or if you want to take another tact entirely, it could be that cognitive enhancements are what eventually give us the means to find a simpler solution.

Implications and Considerations

Though transhumanism is quite possibly an issue we are going to have to start dealing with over the coming decades, these kinds of changes are still probably a long way off. Transhumanism is still a highly controversial topic, and it’s an idea that’s going to take a long time to real catch on and gain mass acceptance.

In order for these kinds of changes to make any real impact on the environment they would need to be carried out on a massive scale which would demand government regulation. Hopefully then it never comes to the point where this is our only option. Or more to the point, let us hope that we never find ourselves forced to embrace transhumanism as the only means to adapt and survive in a new, harsher environment.

Author Byline:

The author of this post, Gemma Hastings, is an environmentalist and a technology enthusiast. She is a full time blogger and writes blog posts for www.solarpanelgrants.org to create awareness about various environmental issues.

About the author
Andreas co-founded Xavier Media® in 1996 and has since been involved in all kinds of development, marketing and making money online.