October 16, 2013
Humanity today faces incredible threats and opportunities: climate change, nuclear weapons, biotechnology, nanotechnology, and much, much more. But some people argue that these things are all trumped by one: artificial intelligence (AI). To date, this argument has been confined mainly … Read More
October 15, 2013
The Journal of Medical Ethics (Volume 39, No. 11, November 2013) is now available online by subscription only. Articles include: “The making of medical ethics†by Kenneth Boyd “Framing patient consent for student involvement in pelvic examination: a dual model of … Read More
October 1, 2013
The Philosophers’ Magazine (Volume 2013, No. 62, 3rd Quarter 2013) is now available online by subscription only. Articles include: “Living on Google earth†by Luciano Floridi “Ethics in the supply chain†by Mohan Matthen “Hypocrisy and abortion†by Wendy M … Read More
October 1, 2013
AI & Society (Volume 28, No. 3, August 2013) is now available online by subscription only. Articles include: “Faust, Freud, machine: encounters and performance” by Karamjit S. Gill “Doctor Faustus in the twenty-first century” by Douglas Schuler “We Can Rebuild … Read More
August 28, 2013
Are humans doomed to a machine-like future of radically-enhanced lifespan and intelligence, but without the intangibles that have made our 200,000 year-old species so unique? Using technology to stave off Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s or other neurological maladies is easy to justify. … Read More
August 16, 2013
In an email interview with Subodh Varma, the 65-year-old Kurzweil throws light on the basics of Artificial Intelligence. (Times of India)
August 13, 2013
Lab-made organs could do more than just serve as ready options for patients in need: with the right blend of biology and materials science, they might even be able to endow people with superhuman abilities. (MIT Technology Review)
July 12, 2013
Cyborgs are gradually working their way into our lives. The general representation of a cyborg is that seen in science fiction films of a fusion between human and machine. (Science Daily)
June 20, 2013
Ray Kurzweil, director of engineering at Google, believes we will be able to upload our entire brains to computers within the next 32 years – an event known as singularity. Our ‘fragile’ human body parts will be replaced by machine … Read More
June 17, 2013
Bertolt Meyer’s amazing bionic hand controlled by an iPhone app is a glimpse of the advances being made in prosthetics. But in years to come, will everyone want one? (The Guardian)
June 7, 2013
It should be within our rights to take our own lives when the circumstances warrant it. That means we must be prepared to accept laws in favor of assisted suicide. This becomes even more important in light of potential technologies … Read More
May 15, 2013
The villain in “Inferno,†Brown’s sixth novel, follows a movement called transhumanism. Brown, 48, who spent more than two years in Florence researching the book, has been interested in the controversial concept of transhumanism for years. (Today)
May 9, 2013
The idea of superintelligent machines may sound like the plot of “The Terminator” or “The Matrix,” but many experts say the idea isn’t far-fetched. Some even think the singularity — the point at which artificial intelligence can match, and then … Read More
May 3, 2013
A breakthrough bionic ear that can ‘hear’ radio frequencies beyond the range of normal human ears has been created by scientists at Princeton University. The researchers used a radical 3D printing technique to create the ear with the electronics of … Read More
April 25, 2013
We’re in the midst of a bionic revolution, yet most of us don’t know it. (CNN)
April 3, 2013
Scientists have rediscovered a centuries-old procedure for supercharging your brain. Depending on how it’s used, it could improve anything from focus to motor control to mathematical or even moral reasoning. It’s simple. It’s relatively cheap. The known side effects are … Read More
March 22, 2013
Is transhumanism—the possibility of enhancing human intellectual, physical and psychological capacities through biotechnology —a brave new world that we should welcome with open arms? (Forbes)
March 15, 2013
Imagine for a moment that you could choose any superpower you wanted. If you’re the demonstrative sort, you might be tempted by something dramatic, such as Hulk-like strength or the ability to fly. Or perhaps you’d prefer something a little … Read More
March 11, 2013
Unless you’re the product of a feral childhood or a member of a hunter-gathering tribe from the third world, there’s a really good chance that you’re familiar with the comic-book legend of Superman. Even 74 years after he made his … Read More
March 5, 2013
It is the “first authoritative and comprehensive survey of the origins and current state of transhumanist thinking, according to the editors, and the anthology includes a roster of leaders in transhumanist thought. (Kurtzweil)
March 5, 2013
Technology is starting to give us superpowers once reserved for comic-book heroes. (Slate)
March 4, 2013
Over the longer term, perhaps in 20 years or more, we could even be talking about something called the “technological singularity,†a point when human history ends, to be replaced by whatever happens in a world run by computers or … Read More
March 1, 2013
A new edition of Bioethics (Vol. 27, Issue 3, March 2013) is now available online and in print. Articles of interest include: Being a Good Academic Citizen by Udo Schuklenk Getting Moral Enhancement Right: The Desirability of Moral Bioenhancement by … Read More
February 18, 2013
Services such as LivesOn and DeadSocial plan to keep your friends and family updated on your Twitter and Facebook pages, even after you have passed away. (The Guardian )
February 7, 2013
The pair behind a new Channel 4 show about a ‘bioinic’ man, say that a future where living flesh and computer chips become one will arrive “sooner” than we expect. (Yahoo News, UK)
