#1 Fun With: Trans/Post-Humanity
Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2012 8:10 pm
I'm posting this primarily to explore ideas.
Stipulations for postulations:
1. Which geneological/biological changes would be equivalently phenotypic (limited to that individual), and which would be genotypic (passed along in the genes)
2. Cybernetics or other artificial enhancement (plus what happens when infrastructure for it breaks down)
3. Genotypic changes to human genome (as well as mitochondrial DNA) projected forward for at least one thousand years of uncontrolled conditions (essentially, allowing for genetic drift if the species is left unattended)
For reference, the concepts of "transhumanity" and "posthumanity" I'm using here are the ideas that humanity can enhance itself through its own science, to allow for greater human potential (in terms of lifespan, quality of life, resistance to disease/injury, cognitive ability, etc.). "Transhumanity" is usually the term used for humanity that's still in process of doing so, and "posthumanity" would be the term used for when the process is... mostly done, by whatever criteria you wish to use.
In this case, the idea is that humanity did manage to effectively make a new species of itself, allowing for several enhancements and improvements to the human form and its function. I also have to allow for what might happen if this new species was suddenly cut off from galactic civilization, and essentially re-emerged later as its own civilization.
Stipulations for postulations:
1. Which geneological/biological changes would be equivalently phenotypic (limited to that individual), and which would be genotypic (passed along in the genes)
2. Cybernetics or other artificial enhancement (plus what happens when infrastructure for it breaks down)
3. Genotypic changes to human genome (as well as mitochondrial DNA) projected forward for at least one thousand years of uncontrolled conditions (essentially, allowing for genetic drift if the species is left unattended)
For reference, the concepts of "transhumanity" and "posthumanity" I'm using here are the ideas that humanity can enhance itself through its own science, to allow for greater human potential (in terms of lifespan, quality of life, resistance to disease/injury, cognitive ability, etc.). "Transhumanity" is usually the term used for humanity that's still in process of doing so, and "posthumanity" would be the term used for when the process is... mostly done, by whatever criteria you wish to use.
In this case, the idea is that humanity did manage to effectively make a new species of itself, allowing for several enhancements and improvements to the human form and its function. I also have to allow for what might happen if this new species was suddenly cut off from galactic civilization, and essentially re-emerged later as its own civilization.