This is an episode about who we are as humans And more importantly where we are going About a future in which technology and biology have merged in ways that are in equal part fascinating and terrifying A future of unparalleled technological ingenuity but one with deeply problematic ethical concerns It s a future that sounds like science fiction because in some ways it is But it s a world that s being designed right now Transhumanism is a social movement which aims to use technology to push out the boundaries of the human condition It aims to move humanity beyond what we are today It takes in a huge range of ideas from the wildly speculative like uploading our consciousness to computers to the more low tech like DIY tech implants and biohacking It s a movement which tries to transcend the human condition and ultimately to achieve immortality It s also a movement which has been heavily influenced by a century of science fiction writing about these ideas In this episode I talk to Dr Mark O Connell author of To Be a Machine a fascinating new book which explores the world of transhumanism The book as its subtitle outlines is about O Connell s Adventures Among Cyborgs Utopians Hackers and the Futurists Solving the Modest Problem of Death I also chat to Dr Thomas Connolly who helps situate the transhumanist movement in the context of a long history of science fiction writing We talk about genetically engineered mice scifi dystopias Silicon Valley immortality human consciousness and quite a bit in between For more details links and more head to the Words To That Effect website http wttepodcast com transhumanism Click here to visit this podcast episode