By Trans I Mean Trans-HUMAN pt2

Where do you plan to insert that?! Con’t

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello, listeners of the Internet. I cannot thank you enough
for stopping by. It is time for another episode of
the Tech Versus Humanity Podcasts, a show dedicated to well
the love and hates with technology. You should be aware
that this is the continuation of last week's episode, where

(00:23):
we started a deep dive into transhumanism and human enhancements.
The good, the bad, and the ugly you will want
to go back. We covered topics like crispurg human augmentation.

(00:45):
We looked at neuroprosthetics, biometric sensors, and artificial intelligence. In
cognitive enhancement, we looked into cybernetic integration. Today's episode, we're
going to pick it up with longevity and anti aging.

(01:12):
People are already working on life extension technologies. Just in
the past few generations, we've seen a noticeable increase in
life expecacy due to better medicine, better qualities of living.
Anti aging technologies aim to slow down or even reverse

(01:35):
the aging process. Researchers focus on various strategies such as
telling me your extension, sentience, sell clearance, and gene therapy,
which target the fundamental biological causes of aging. Cryonics involves

(02:00):
observing a body or brain at ultra low temperatures after
death in hopes of reviving when the future technology can
cure its elements. It raises questions about the nature of
life and death, as well as the possibility of extending

(02:20):
human life indefinitely. Telomeres are protective caps on chromosomes that
shorten as we age. The idea of extending telomeres could
potentially delay aging by preventing cellular damage. Some research is
exploring drugs genetic modifications to extend telomeres and humans, though

(02:44):
the long term safety and efficacy are still unclear. Therapeutic
cloning focuses on creating cloned embryos to harvest stem cells
for medical treatments such as replacing damaged tissue and regenerating organs.
This method could have the potential to treat diseases like

(03:07):
Parkinson's or heart disease, but raises moral questions about the
status of the cloned embryos and the ethics of creating
life solely for research. Human cloning, both reproductive and therapeutic,
raises concerns about whether cloning is morally acceptable. There is

(03:30):
also a risk that cloned individuals might face discrimination or
be viewed as less human, or that cloning could be
used for unethical purposes, such as creating designer clones with
pre selected traits. Next, let's dive into the moral implications

(03:53):
of enhancement and transhumanist ethics. The pursuit of human enhancement
technologies challenges traditional ideas of what it means to be human. Enhancements,
especially those that go beyond medical needs, prompt ethical debates

(04:13):
about fairness, will only the wealthy have access to them,
social justice, will it exasperate inequality, and the natural course
of human evolution. Eugenics is a key concern in transhumanist ethics.
Some argue that enhancing humans could lead to a new

(04:37):
form of eugenics, where certain traits are considered desirable, leading
to societal pressure to conform to those traits. The pursuit
of human enhancement raises questions about the preservation of human identity.

(04:57):
If technology can drast stickly alter the human body or mind,
does it change what it means to be human? Furthermore,
with technology capable of modifying personality, memories, and physical abilities,
autonomy free will come into question. Access to enhancement technologies

(05:25):
is likely to be uneven, creating a divide between the
enhanced and unenhanced populations. This could result in new forms
of discrimination or biological inequality, where people with access to
enhancements enjoy benefits unavailable to those without, further stratifying society.

(05:56):
What about nanotechnology and molecular medicine. Nanotech involves manipulating materials
at the molecular or atomic level. In medicine, nanobots can
be programmed to deliver drugs to specific cells, perform surgeries,
or even destroy cancerous cells. These nanosurgeons could operate within

(06:23):
the human body to fix issues on a molecular level,
dramatically reducing the need for invasive surgery and speeding up
recovery times. Nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes or graphene could
be used to create stronger, lighter, and more durable implants, prosthetics,

(06:48):
and even human tissues. The development of self healing materials
materials that can repair themselves when damaged, could lead to
the creator of more resilient human bodies. Nanobots or smart
materials embedded in the human body could repair tissues, regenerate organs,

(07:13):
or reverse cell damage caused by aging. This technology could
extend the human life span and improve the quality of
life for those with chronic or degenerative diseases. What are
the ethics of digital immortality and digital consciousness? The concept

(07:37):
of transferring human consciousness into a digital form is often
referred to as digital immortality. If successful, this would theoretically
allow a person to live forever in a virtual environment
or a computer, raising profound questions about identity, memory, and

(07:59):
what it means to be human. If consciousness can be uploaded,
it may allow humans to escape the limitations of the
body and live forever in a digital format. But questions arise.
Is the uploaded mind the same as the original person

(08:23):
or just a copy? Would it have the same consciousness, memories,
and identity? What of organ regeneration. Advances in tissue engineering
are allowing scientists to develop bioengineered organs that could replace

(08:46):
those that are damaged or diseased. Stem cells, biolinks, and
three D bioprinting are already being used to create functional
tissues that can mimic the properties of human organs. This
could help with organ shortages by offering alternatives to organ donation.

(09:09):
What about lab grown organs using stem cells? Scientists are
developing lab grown organs like hearts, livers, kidneys, and lungs.
These organs can potentially be grown from a patient's own cells,
eliminating the risk of rejection and making organ transplant more feasible. However,

(09:33):
creating fully functional complex organs remains a major scientific hurdle.
Zeno transplantation involves transplanting organs from animals, typically pigs, into humans.
The idea is to address the shortage of human organs
available for transplant. While advances in genetic engineering or reducing

(09:57):
the risk of organ rejection, ethical concerns about animal rights, safety,
and long term viability are still significant challenges. Bio Artificial
organs are hybrid organs that combine biological tissues and artificial
components to restore organ function. For example, an artificial pancreas

(10:23):
could help regulate insulin production for diabetes patients, and bio
artificial livers can be used to assist patients with liver failure.
These organs provide a temporary solution while waiting for a
more permanent organ transplant, or may even replace the need
for transplants in some cases. Folks, Unfortunately, that's all the

(10:46):
time that we have for today's episode of Techa Versus Humanity,
I hope you've enjoyed this episode, and I can't thank
you enough for listening. Until next time,