Superhuman News 🤖 - More human as a cyborg?

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SUPERHUMAN NEWS

More human as a cyborg?

Hi ,

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege to moderate a webinar with three top scientists for
the Dutch Royal Academy of Sciences (KNAW). Usually, I take a walk outside after such mental effort.

But with the current curfew in The Netherlands, that was not possible.

I looked out the window. Despite the restrictions, I realized the silver lining of the pandemic for me as an entrepreneur: in recent months I have been forced to expand my skills. Nowadays I don't just do keynotes and webinars anymore. I also make podcasts for clients and I am a moderator at online events. I must say, I really like the variety.

Are you looking for a moderator for an online event about science or technology? View this page on my website!

And now, enjoy the latest news about human enhancement and biohacking.

– Peter Joosten MSc.

P.S. I wrote a new article on my blog: What is Neuralink? about the technology and ideas by this company, backed by Elon Musk.

"The cyborg was not less human, but more."
- Manfred Clynes

Since I am working on an article about cyborgs, this interview in The Atlantic in 2010 with the then 85-year-old Manfred Clynes struck me. Clynes, along with his colleague Nathan Kline, coined the term cyborg in Astronautics magazine in 1960.

Clynes and Kline based their idea of the cyborg on a seamless feedback loop between man and machine. In this way, according to them, humans could survive in space. The ultimate goal: to increase the human experience. Not less human because of technology, but more human.

A nice starting point, just one that many tech companies seem to have forgotten.

Although the interview was already 11 years ago, let alone the paper from the 1960s, I enjoyed reading it. At the time when Clynes and Kline worked on their article, the impact of space travel on humans was completely unknown. Yuri Gagarin's maiden flight, as well as the moon landing in 1969, were still in the future. Amazing.

🎬 Recently some new videos appeared on my YouTube channel:

In the video Augmented Humans I share my summary of a major international conference on this topic (27 minutes);
In the video Cyberpunk 2077 Review I give an explanation of the genre cyberpunk, biohacking in the game and a review of the game (14 minutes);
Interview with Eben Kirksey, author of the book The Mutant Project. About the genetic modification of the Chinese babies Lulu and Nana (42 minutes).

👂 There are rumors that Alphabet, Google's parent company, is working on a device that will give you super hearing, called Wolverine (after the mutant in X-men). The promise is that you can select very precisely who you want to listen to in a noisy room.

🔋 On NEO.life a piece about microdosing lithium. Studies in laboratory animals and epidemiological studies show positive results: from better mental health to less crime and even a preventive effect against dementia.

👾 Mark Manson shares on his blog what his readers have learned from 2020, 'a long dumpster fire of a year'. Recognizable article with wise lessons and funny memes.

📕 Reinier Ladan recommended the book To be Taught, if Fortunate. A delightful novella about space travel and imaginative biohacks to adjust the body accordingly.

🎧 I usually listen to scientific podcasts. The Wind of Change series is quite different. The maker hears a fascinating rumor: Did the CIA make a music hit that played an important role in the fall of the Soviet Union? Immersive.

🎬 I recently watched the movie Repo Men. Bailiff Remy (Jude Law) hunts for people who cannot afford their artificial organs. Dark science fiction with a deeper layer. With a rating of 6.3 on IMDb the movie is undervalued, as far as I'm concerned.