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More Than Human: Embracing the Promise of Biological Enhancement
WINNER OF THE 2005 H.G. WELLS AWARD
"The Editors Recommend" - Scientific American
What if you could be smarter, stronger, and have a better memory just by taking a pill?
What if we could alter our genes to cure Alzheimer's and Parkinson's?
What if we could halt or even reverse the human aging process?
What if we could communicate with each other simply by thinking about it ?
These questions were once the stuff of science fiction. Today, advances in biotechnology have shown that they're plausible, even likely to be accomplished in the near future. In labs around the world, researchers looking for ways to help the sick and injured have stumbled onto techniques that enhance healthy animals--making them stronger, faster, smarter, and longer-lived--in some cases, even connecting their minds to robots and computers across the Internet.
Now science is on the verge of applying this knowledge to healthy men and women, allowing us to alter humanity in ways we'd previously only dreamed possible. The same research that could cure Alzheimer's is leading to drugs and genetic techniques that could boost human intelligence. The techniques being developed to stave off heart disease and cancer have the potential to slow or even reverse human aging. And brain implants that restore motion to the paralyzed and sight to the blind are already allowing a small set of patients to control robots and computers simply by thinking about it.
Not everyone welcomes this scientific progress. Cries of "against nature" arise from skeptics even as scientists break new ground at an astounding pace. Across the political spectrum, the debate Should we embrace the power to alter our minds and bodies, or should we restrict it?
Distilling the most radical accomplishments being made in labs worldwide, including gene therapy, genetic engineering, stem cell research, life extension, brain-computer interfaces, and cloning, More Than Human offers an exciting tour of the impact biotechnology will have on our lives. Throughout this remarkable trip, author Ramez Naam shares an impassioned vision for the future with revealing insight into the ethical dilemmas posed by twenty-first-century science.
"A terrific survey of current work and future possibilities in gene therapy, neurotechnology and other fields." - Los Angeles Times
"Ramez Naam provides a reliable and informed cook's tour of the world we might choose if we decide that we should fast-forward evolution. I disagree with virtually all his enthusiasms, but I think he has made his case cogently and well." - Bill McKibben, author Staying Human in an Engineered Age
" More Than Human is one of those rare books that is both a delightful read and an important statement. No one interested in the future intersections of science, technology, and medicine can afford to miss this book." - Steven Johnson, author of Mind Wide Open and Where Good Ideas Come From
" More Than Human is excellent - passionate yet balanced, clearly written and rich with fascinating details. A wonderful overview of a topic that will dominate the twenty-first century." - Greg Bear, author of Dead Lines and Darwin's Children
"The future accelerates and change is upon us. The only question - asked cogently in More Than Human - is whether we can learn to ride the waves, or else be swept away. This book is a how-to guide for future-wave riders." - David Brin, author of EXISTENCE and The Transparent Will Technology Make Us Choose Between Privacy and Freedom?
"The Editors Recommend" - Scientific American
What if you could be smarter, stronger, and have a better memory just by taking a pill?
What if we could alter our genes to cure Alzheimer's and Parkinson's?
What if we could halt or even reverse the human aging process?
What if we could communicate with each other simply by thinking about it ?
These questions were once the stuff of science fiction. Today, advances in biotechnology have shown that they're plausible, even likely to be accomplished in the near future. In labs around the world, researchers looking for ways to help the sick and injured have stumbled onto techniques that enhance healthy animals--making them stronger, faster, smarter, and longer-lived--in some cases, even connecting their minds to robots and computers across the Internet.
Now science is on the verge of applying this knowledge to healthy men and women, allowing us to alter humanity in ways we'd previously only dreamed possible. The same research that could cure Alzheimer's is leading to drugs and genetic techniques that could boost human intelligence. The techniques being developed to stave off heart disease and cancer have the potential to slow or even reverse human aging. And brain implants that restore motion to the paralyzed and sight to the blind are already allowing a small set of patients to control robots and computers simply by thinking about it.
Not everyone welcomes this scientific progress. Cries of "against nature" arise from skeptics even as scientists break new ground at an astounding pace. Across the political spectrum, the debate Should we embrace the power to alter our minds and bodies, or should we restrict it?
Distilling the most radical accomplishments being made in labs worldwide, including gene therapy, genetic engineering, stem cell research, life extension, brain-computer interfaces, and cloning, More Than Human offers an exciting tour of the impact biotechnology will have on our lives. Throughout this remarkable trip, author Ramez Naam shares an impassioned vision for the future with revealing insight into the ethical dilemmas posed by twenty-first-century science.
"A terrific survey of current work and future possibilities in gene therapy, neurotechnology and other fields." - Los Angeles Times
"Ramez Naam provides a reliable and informed cook's tour of the world we might choose if we decide that we should fast-forward evolution. I disagree with virtually all his enthusiasms, but I think he has made his case cogently and well." - Bill McKibben, author Staying Human in an Engineered Age
" More Than Human is one of those rare books that is both a delightful read and an important statement. No one interested in the future intersections of science, technology, and medicine can afford to miss this book." - Steven Johnson, author of Mind Wide Open and Where Good Ideas Come From
" More Than Human is excellent - passionate yet balanced, clearly written and rich with fascinating details. A wonderful overview of a topic that will dominate the twenty-first century." - Greg Bear, author of Dead Lines and Darwin's Children
"The future accelerates and change is upon us. The only question - asked cogently in More Than Human - is whether we can learn to ride the waves, or else be swept away. This book is a how-to guide for future-wave riders." - David Brin, author of EXISTENCE and The Transparent Will Technology Make Us Choose Between Privacy and Freedom?
275 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2005
40 people are currently reading
1206 people want to read
About the author
Ramez Naam
22 books1,437 followersRamez Naam was born in Cairo, Egypt, and came to the US at the age of 3. He's a computer scientist who spent 13 years at Microsoft, leading teams working on email, web browsing, search, and artificial intelligence. He holds almost 20 patents in those areas.
Ramez is the winner of the 2005 H.G. Wells Award for his non-fiction book More Than Human: Embracing the Promise of Biological Enhancement. He's worked as a life guard, has climbed mountains, survived dust storms in the desert, backpacked through remote corners of China, and ridden his bicycle down hundreds of miles of the Vietnam coast. He lives in Seattle, where he writes and speaks full time.
Ramez is the winner of the 2005 H.G. Wells Award for his non-fiction book More Than Human: Embracing the Promise of Biological Enhancement. He's worked as a life guard, has climbed mountains, survived dust storms in the desert, backpacked through remote corners of China, and ridden his bicycle down hundreds of miles of the Vietnam coast. He lives in Seattle, where he writes and speaks full time.
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February 19, 2016
Excellent! A great survey of a wide range of recent, current, and near-future-potential advances in, as the title says, the biological enhancement of the human mind and body, especially genetic and cybernetic. This was published in 2005, but I've been seeing a lot of the ideas Naam writes about in stories in Scientific American and other similar sources in the last couple of years (for example, today I read an SA article about injectable brain/computer interfaces that would be smaller but cover more of the brain's surface, do less damage, and connect at the single-neuron level to enable a person to compensate for some disability depending on where in/on the brain it's placed.)
This is deeply researched, well organized, vividly presented, and (I think) very persuasive in setting forth the author's belief that we - universities, businesses, and governments - should actively support advancing our collective knowledge in this field, rather than closing off exploration of some or all of its possibilities.
As Naam points out, many enhancements we now accept, depend on, and take for granted were seen as unnatural and dangerous precedents when first introduced, from vaccines to transfusions to transplants. I'd add the glasses I wear, the knee replacement I have pending (thank you, VA!), the hearing aids I'll probably need soon, and most of all the surgery and chemo that saved my wife from a cancer that would have been a death sentence even a couple of generations ago.
Naam goes on beyond the current state of the art to project possible advances in the early brain-computer interfaces we're seeing used to begin treating blindness, hearing loss, and paralysis to more esoteric ideas about electronic brain prostheses that would enable people to use thought to interact directly with networked computers and even exchange information "telepathically" with others who have similar enhancements. He acknowledges that with new developments will come unforeseen problems, but puts his faith in humanity to find ways to adapt to those problems as we have to those connected to
This is a fascinating book. I recommend it to anyone interested in the future of medicine and human enhancement.
This is deeply researched, well organized, vividly presented, and (I think) very persuasive in setting forth the author's belief that we - universities, businesses, and governments - should actively support advancing our collective knowledge in this field, rather than closing off exploration of some or all of its possibilities.
As Naam points out, many enhancements we now accept, depend on, and take for granted were seen as unnatural and dangerous precedents when first introduced, from vaccines to transfusions to transplants. I'd add the glasses I wear, the knee replacement I have pending (thank you, VA!), the hearing aids I'll probably need soon, and most of all the surgery and chemo that saved my wife from a cancer that would have been a death sentence even a couple of generations ago.
Naam goes on beyond the current state of the art to project possible advances in the early brain-computer interfaces we're seeing used to begin treating blindness, hearing loss, and paralysis to more esoteric ideas about electronic brain prostheses that would enable people to use thought to interact directly with networked computers and even exchange information "telepathically" with others who have similar enhancements. He acknowledges that with new developments will come unforeseen problems, but puts his faith in humanity to find ways to adapt to those problems as we have to those connected to
This is a fascinating book. I recommend it to anyone interested in the future of medicine and human enhancement.
February 9, 2014
Really interesting report on ways that scientists are working on enhancing humans--especially their health and longevity, but also their brain. It is all based on current research but with plenty of hopes and predictions for the future.
Naam takes a very positive and hopeful view. I would have liked to see his enthusiasm tempered with some healthy skepticism, but I guess I prefer his optimism to a sky-is-falling fear of technology.
Naam takes a very positive and hopeful view. I would have liked to see his enthusiasm tempered with some healthy skepticism, but I guess I prefer his optimism to a sky-is-falling fear of technology.
January 1, 2022
كنت فتحت الكتاب وقريت منه شوية لقيت الترجمة وحشة جدا فقفلته وركنته على جنب، بعد كام شهر فتحته تانى لقيت الترجمة لسة وحشة جدا برضو بس الكتاب عبقرى...نفسى اتعلم ادى الكتب فرصة تانية بس :' )
September 12, 2011
أحد المواضيع المفضلة إلي هي الكتب التي تتناول القضايا الأخلاقية مع العلم ،فالعلم لا يعترف بوجود خطوط حمراء أو قيود عليه من أي نوع فهو ينطلق مادام توفرت الظروف المناسبة لانطلاقه ، وفي المقابل يوجد أخرون يريدون الوقوف أمام هذا الانطلاق والارتكان علي الماضي وفي الغالب يستندون لأسباب دينية أو أخلاقية يخترعونها هم.
اللطيف في الكتاب أن المؤلف ليس متخصصا في الهندسة الوراثية أو البيولوجيا لكنه متخصص في التكنولوجياأي أن الكتاب مقدم بصورة مبسطة وليس معقدة عسيرة علي الفهم أو غارقة في تعقيدات علمية ،كما أن ترجمة الدكتور الرائع أحمد مستجير طيب ثراه ذلك الأديب المتنكر في هيئة عالم كانت موفقة إلي حد كبير لكن نصيحتي أن تراجع المصطلحات مع القاموس الموجود في آخر الكتاب ففي بعض الأحيان هناك خلل يجعلك ترغب في معرفة المصطلح العلمي باللغة الإنجليزية حتي تفهم بصورة أوضح.
أولا إذا لم تكن مقتنع بالتطور وأن التطور حقيقة علمية لا تقبل الجدال فلا تقرأ هذاالكتاب فسيعتبر وقت ضائع بالنسبة لك ولا تقرأ في الأحياء مرة آخري فبدون التطور لا يمكن أن تفهم علم الأحياء.
هل حلمت أن تكون أفضل من وضعك الحالي أطول عمرا ،أكثر صحة ،أكثر ذكاءا ،أقل خجلا ،.....وغيرها من الكثير من الصفات ؟
لكنك لا تستطيع أن تفعل شئ في هذا مهما أردت كأن هناك قوة جبارة توجهك لاتجاهات معينة وتجعلك ممتازا في اشياء وضعيف في أشياء آخري ،إنها الجينات ،الجينات مفتاح شخصية كل إنسان يحيا علي هذه الأرض.
من منا لا يريد عمرا أطول ؟! ،لكن ما الفائدة من العمر الطويل إذا أصبحنا مجرد عواجيز ،نحن نريد أن نحيا طويلا وبصحة شاب في العشرينات هذا ما نريده ،لكن هل هذا ممكن ؟!
نعم ممكن عن طريق إبطاء انقسام الخلايا وتأخرها نستطيع أن نحيا أطول وأن نموت ونحن في أعمار العواجيز وبصحة الشباب والكتاب يحتوي علي العديد من التجارب التي حدثت بالفعل التي ستمهد الطريق لحدوث هذا بالفعل ،فلاتستغرب بعد عقدين أو ثلاثةأن تجد شخص يدخل الصيدلية يطلب حقنة لتأخير أو منع الشيخوخة ، وقس علي ذلك اشياء كثيرة فالأمراض التي نعتبرها وابلا علينا الآن مثل الزهايمر وغيره سيصبح علاجها يسيرا بل سنتفادي وجودها من جيناتنا وسنحذفها من البداية ،يمكن أن نجعل أبنائنا أفضل ونعالجهم قبل أن يولدوا بل نزود ذكائهم قوتهم البدنية بمعني آخر نحن سنشكل الإنسان كما نريد ،
هناك شق آخر في الكتاب وإن كان أصغر مقارنة بالجزء الخاص بالجينات وهو الجزء الخاص بوضع اليكترودات في الدماغ والذي يتيح استعاد حاسة مفقودة في بعض الحالات مثل البصر او السمع وغير ذلك من الأمثلة المذكورة التي لا أريد أن اتحدث عنها فاحرق الكتاب للقارئ
ما يهمني حقا بعيدا عن هذا التطور الهائل والذي يسير بصورة مرعبة هو المشاكل التي ستطرح نتيجة لهذا الموضوع والذي في اعتقادي الكتاب كتب خصيصا لها ويوجه الحديث لهم في أكثر من جزء عبر الكتاب ،ففي نظري من يستند لأسباب دينية أو يدعي إننا نأخذ دور الاله ،فأعتقد إن الاله إذا كان معترض علي ما يحدث لما يكن سمح بحدوثه من الأساس .
أهم مشكلة في نظري والتي يحاول الكاتب أن ينفيها هي الفجوة التي ستحدث بين الأغنياء والفقراء نتيجة وجود مثل هذه القدرات ،بالإضافة إلي عدم حدوث مساواة،ولأضرب مثال سريع علي هذا فالآن الطالب الذي لا يستطيع أن يحصل علي مجموع يؤهله لدخول كلية يدخل جامعة خاصة في الغد سنجد هذا الطالب يذهب لتعديل ذكائه و لتحسين ذاكرته ويأخذ مكان طالب مجتهد فقير .
طبيعة الإنسان وطبيعة تصرفاته ،الكاتب يريد أن يدخل عامل آخر وهو السلوك والبيئة ويحاول أن يجعلها موازية لتأثير الجينات وإن كنت أشك في هذا ،لكن السؤال الذي يطرح كيف ستكون طبيعة تصرفاتنا بعد تغييرنا ،قد يكون هناك شخص خجول لكنه صاحب شخصية طيبة مرحة ،بعد أن يتخلص من خجله يتحول لسخصية آخري تماما وقس علي ذلك أشياء كثيرة .
هناك كثير من المشاكل التي ستحدث نتيجة هذا التقدم والتطور لكن النتيجة تستحق ،طوال قراءتي لكتاب هناك أمرو اربطها ببعضها من نظم اقتصادية لأفلام شاهدتها مسبقا لكتب قرأتها مسبقا ، لطبيعة الحياة علي كوكبنا ،الكتاب يفتح مدارك كثيرة جدا في العقل أكبر من أن اضعها في تعليق بسيط .
هناك جزء كنت أتمني أن أراه في الكتاب لكن من الواضح أن الكاتب يريد أن يريد علي إدعاءات من يقفون أمام الهندسة الوراثية لذلك لم يتطرق له ،نحن حولنا الاقتصاد إلي استهلاك والعلم الذي وجد لبناء حولناه لتدمير والحرب ،فمثل هذه القوة المتمثلة في الجينات سيتم استخدامها عسكريا قبل كل شئ سنستخدمها في صناعة ما يسمي القنابل الجينية هذه القنابل قادرة علي أن تبيد جنس كامل دون غيره ،ويطرح سؤال عن عواقب هذا واطلق لخيالك العنان فالصور التي في ذهني أكبر من أن توضع في كلمات لكن من الواضح إننا نشاهد آخر صور أصلية لهذا الجنس الإنساني أو نقف في نهاية حقبة تطورية وبداية حقبة آخري فبعد عدة عقود سيكون هناك أجناس عديدة منبثقة مننا
متحورة مننا لكن في هذه المرة ستكون بايدينا نحن وبتوجيه معين لنا كما تفرضه الرؤية علينا في ذلك الوقت
قد يبدو الموضوع غير معقول أو غير قادرين علي استيعابه حاليا أو أكون مغرق في خيالاتي ،لكن يبقي سؤال مهم هل نحن جاهزون للتطور الجيني؟
اترككم مع هذا الفيديو وعذرا لإطالة
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/ara/har...
اللطيف في الكتاب أن المؤلف ليس متخصصا في الهندسة الوراثية أو البيولوجيا لكنه متخصص في التكنولوجياأي أن الكتاب مقدم بصورة مبسطة وليس معقدة عسيرة علي الفهم أو غارقة في تعقيدات علمية ،كما أن ترجمة الدكتور الرائع أحمد مستجير طيب ثراه ذلك الأديب المتنكر في هيئة عالم كانت موفقة إلي حد كبير لكن نصيحتي أن تراجع المصطلحات مع القاموس الموجود في آخر الكتاب ففي بعض الأحيان هناك خلل يجعلك ترغب في معرفة المصطلح العلمي باللغة الإنجليزية حتي تفهم بصورة أوضح.
أولا إذا لم تكن مقتنع بالتطور وأن التطور حقيقة علمية لا تقبل الجدال فلا تقرأ هذاالكتاب فسيعتبر وقت ضائع بالنسبة لك ولا تقرأ في الأحياء مرة آخري فبدون التطور لا يمكن أن تفهم علم الأحياء.
هل حلمت أن تكون أفضل من وضعك الحالي أطول عمرا ،أكثر صحة ،أكثر ذكاءا ،أقل خجلا ،.....وغيرها من الكثير من الصفات ؟
لكنك لا تستطيع أن تفعل شئ في هذا مهما أردت كأن هناك قوة جبارة توجهك لاتجاهات معينة وتجعلك ممتازا في اشياء وضعيف في أشياء آخري ،إنها الجينات ،الجينات مفتاح شخصية كل إنسان يحيا علي هذه الأرض.
من منا لا يريد عمرا أطول ؟! ،لكن ما الفائدة من العمر الطويل إذا أصبحنا مجرد عواجيز ،نحن نريد أن نحيا طويلا وبصحة شاب في العشرينات هذا ما نريده ،لكن هل هذا ممكن ؟!
نعم ممكن عن طريق إبطاء انقسام الخلايا وتأخرها نستطيع أن نحيا أطول وأن نموت ونحن في أعمار العواجيز وبصحة الشباب والكتاب يحتوي علي العديد من التجارب التي حدثت بالفعل التي ستمهد الطريق لحدوث هذا بالفعل ،فلاتستغرب بعد عقدين أو ثلاثةأن تجد شخص يدخل الصيدلية يطلب حقنة لتأخير أو منع الشيخوخة ، وقس علي ذلك اشياء كثيرة فالأمراض التي نعتبرها وابلا علينا الآن مثل الزهايمر وغيره سيصبح علاجها يسيرا بل سنتفادي وجودها من جيناتنا وسنحذفها من البداية ،يمكن أن نجعل أبنائنا أفضل ونعالجهم قبل أن يولدوا بل نزود ذكائهم قوتهم البدنية بمعني آخر نحن سنشكل الإنسان كما نريد ،
هناك شق آخر في الكتاب وإن كان أصغر مقارنة بالجزء الخاص بالجينات وهو الجزء الخاص بوضع اليكترودات في الدماغ والذي يتيح استعاد حاسة مفقودة في بعض الحالات مثل البصر او السمع وغير ذلك من الأمثلة المذكورة التي لا أريد أن اتحدث عنها فاحرق الكتاب للقارئ
ما يهمني حقا بعيدا عن هذا التطور الهائل والذي يسير بصورة مرعبة هو المشاكل التي ستطرح نتيجة لهذا الموضوع والذي في اعتقادي الكتاب كتب خصيصا لها ويوجه الحديث لهم في أكثر من جزء عبر الكتاب ،ففي نظري من يستند لأسباب دينية أو يدعي إننا نأخذ دور الاله ،فأعتقد إن الاله إذا كان معترض علي ما يحدث لما يكن سمح بحدوثه من الأساس .
أهم مشكلة في نظري والتي يحاول الكاتب أن ينفيها هي الفجوة التي ستحدث بين الأغنياء والفقراء نتيجة وجود مثل هذه القدرات ،بالإضافة إلي عدم حدوث مساواة،ولأضرب مثال سريع علي هذا فالآن الطالب الذي لا يستطيع أن يحصل علي مجموع يؤهله لدخول كلية يدخل جامعة خاصة في الغد سنجد هذا الطالب يذهب لتعديل ذكائه و لتحسين ذاكرته ويأخذ مكان طالب مجتهد فقير .
طبيعة الإنسان وطبيعة تصرفاته ،الكاتب يريد أن يدخل عامل آخر وهو السلوك والبيئة ويحاول أن يجعلها موازية لتأثير الجينات وإن كنت أشك في هذا ،لكن السؤال الذي يطرح كيف ستكون طبيعة تصرفاتنا بعد تغييرنا ،قد يكون هناك شخص خجول لكنه صاحب شخصية طيبة مرحة ،بعد أن يتخلص من خجله يتحول لسخصية آخري تماما وقس علي ذلك أشياء كثيرة .
هناك كثير من المشاكل التي ستحدث نتيجة هذا التقدم والتطور لكن النتيجة تستحق ،طوال قراءتي لكتاب هناك أمرو اربطها ببعضها من نظم اقتصادية لأفلام شاهدتها مسبقا لكتب قرأتها مسبقا ، لطبيعة الحياة علي كوكبنا ،الكتاب يفتح مدارك كثيرة جدا في العقل أكبر من أن اضعها في تعليق بسيط .
هناك جزء كنت أتمني أن أراه في الكتاب لكن من الواضح أن الكاتب يريد أن يريد علي إدعاءات من يقفون أمام الهندسة الوراثية لذلك لم يتطرق له ،نحن حولنا الاقتصاد إلي استهلاك والعلم الذي وجد لبناء حولناه لتدمير والحرب ،فمثل هذه القوة المتمثلة في الجينات سيتم استخدامها عسكريا قبل كل شئ سنستخدمها في صناعة ما يسمي القنابل الجينية هذه القنابل قادرة علي أن تبيد جنس كامل دون غيره ،ويطرح سؤال عن عواقب هذا واطلق لخيالك العنان فالصور التي في ذهني أكبر من أن توضع في كلمات لكن من الواضح إننا نشاهد آخر صور أصلية لهذا الجنس الإنساني أو نقف في نهاية حقبة تطورية وبداية حقبة آخري فبعد عدة عقود سيكون هناك أجناس عديدة منبثقة مننا
متحورة مننا لكن في هذه المرة ستكون بايدينا نحن وبتوجيه معين لنا كما تفرضه الرؤية علينا في ذلك الوقت
قد يبدو الموضوع غير معقول أو غير قادرين علي استيعابه حاليا أو أكون مغرق في خيالاتي ،لكن يبقي سؤال مهم هل نحن جاهزون للتطور الجيني؟
اترككم مع هذا الفيديو وعذرا لإطالة
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/ara/har...
June 13, 2017
This was a fun read. Like a down-to-earth version of The Singularity is Near, with less speculation and a greater focus on contemporary research, mostly in genetics, pharmaceutics and neurology. Naam substantiated all of his claims, made extensive and transparent use of sources, and like I said, he didn't go overboard with his predictions. No cool graphs to prove that we'll be intelligent swarms of nanomachines thirty years into the future. It's all hard science.
The book gets bonus points for addressing the topic of economics and regulations. Naam claims that liberalizing some markets, like for genetic modification, would give a huge boost to the development and spread Of course we need some regulations, he says, but that's a flaw on his part that I can look over. That he didn't present scientific progress as existing in a vacuum outside of economics and took a stand for more freedom is already respectable. Science, Technology, and Government is a great book for further study on this topic.
So, all in all, this book is solid, it's realistic, and it's fun. Naam did a very good job on this.
The book gets bonus points for addressing the topic of economics and regulations. Naam claims that liberalizing some markets, like for genetic modification, would give a huge boost to the development and spread Of course we need some regulations, he says, but that's a flaw on his part that I can look over. That he didn't present scientific progress as existing in a vacuum outside of economics and took a stand for more freedom is already respectable. Science, Technology, and Government is a great book for further study on this topic.
So, all in all, this book is solid, it's realistic, and it's fun. Naam did a very good job on this.
May 20, 2014
This book was, by far, one of the most interesting books I have ever read. When I bought it for my research project I honestly thought it was just going to be a bunch of medical mumbo jumbo and big boring words I didn't want to read. But, it was very clear and easy to follow and gave me a TON of information for my project. It was so interesting to learn about what medical advances there are out there with things like the brain, stem cell research, and embryos. I would recommend this book to any doctor or person interested in the medical field like I am. This book was really cool to read and completely useful.
April 8, 2021
Weird reading a book about things like gene hacking and no mention of CRISPR, but this was written like 15 years ago.
August 20, 2019
Brave new world or genetically-enhanced pipe dream?
The basic thesis of Ramez Naam's book is that with our ability to shape (especially to enhance) our biological nature through the tools of our culture--in particular, genetic engineering--we will transform humanity into "a plethora of forms," which will eventually result in thousands if not millions of new species. Naam contends that we will spawn "a new explosion of life as sudden and momentous as that of the Cambrian explosion" some 570 million years ago. (p. 233)
That's the upside. What is also possible (although Naam does not dwell on this) is that with biological enhancement tools that are presently coming into discovery and use, we may transform ourselves into beings who will have satisfied their every desire, and with that satiation, have put an end to desire. The result may very well be the end of human evolution, biological or cultural. And following that, the end of the species that began as a big-brained walking ape six million years ago.
Or none of the above.
This is the exciting part. We have no idea where cultural evolution is going to take us. We have no idea whether we will develop the ability to stave off natural disasters (rogue comets; nearby supernovae; unstoppable pathogens) or overcome our propensity to self-destruction in the form of perpetual war or the poisoning of our environment. Yet, modern Luddites and social conservatives notwithstanding, we will indeed use the tools we develop to initially prevent and cure ailments and deficiencies, and ultimately to enhance our ability to enjoy and to get the most out of life.
This is what this book is all about. Naam begins with the fuzzy distinction between using genetic engineering to heal or to enhance, and makes two telling points: (1) it is often impossible to distinguish between a procedure done as part of the healing arts, or one done to enhance our abilities; and (2) whether we like it or not, given human nature (as it now exists!) if the enhancement tools are there, promising greater intelligence or greater beauty or longer life, then we humans will inevitably use such tools. If the Bush administration or some other Luddite-mentality government tries to suppress these tools, people will just go elsewhere. And those societies that fall behind will fall very far behind. The genetically enhanced will inherit the earth, and indeed it isn't much of a stretch to imagine a future in which those who have enhanced themselves are so far in advance of those who have not as to constitute superior beings. Will the Luddites become pets?
More immediately--keeping these ideas in mind--will it only be the rich who will benefit? Naam argues--and I think convincingly--that yes, at first only the rich will use the tools to better themselves and their children, but then lagging ten or twenty years behind will come the total mass of humanity. Naam compares this process to that in the present day pharmaceutical environment in which initially the new drugs are very expensive, but after they go generic they become affordable to the masses.
There is so much in the book that I will not be able to get to even a fraction of it. So let me say that Naam has anticipated a lot of the criticism that will be leveled at his position and he has done a good job of answering it. The idea that we can somehow stop genetic engineering to save our human nature is shown as bogus since human nature is an ever evolving, ever changing abstraction. Even the concrete species itself (which is us) has changed mightily over the eons from Australopithecus to homo sapiens. And whether we lift a finger or not, we will eventually change again or go extinct. That is the main point. We cannot stop change. We cannot hope to preserve the present human "endowment." We can only hope to engage change, and with our intelligence make life better for ourselves and those to come, people who will be different from us, and going far enough into the future, very different from us.
For the here and now, Naam sees biotech and neurotech enhancements as "investments in valuable human capital." (p. 76) I believe this is the primary reason the United States must overcome the backward mentality of the Bush administration and support not only more stem cell research, but encourage a greater investment in all forms of biological engineering. If we don't we will fall behind those who do.
For others who see the ghost of eugenics in his position, Naam has an effective answer. He writes, "the only people advocating state control over the genetic makeup of the population are those who would like to see genetic enhancement techniques prohibited. The advocates of human enhancement, on the other hand, are arguing for individual and family choice, the opposite of state control." In other words, "...the prohibitionists are the ones upholding the eugenic side of this debate." (p. 166)
Naam gets very specific about the enhancements possible or at least conceivable, including brain-computer interfaces, brain implants, human cloning, electrical stimulation of the brain, preimplantation genetic diagnosis (which takes in vitro fertilization one step further), etc. Near the end of the book, he sees us communicating not only ideas and words, but thoughts, feelings and emotions to others directly from our brains as one would communicate through a wireless network. Eventually we will have "the flexibility to do what we like with the contents of our thoughts, feelings, and imaginations..."
Since all of this may sound scary (yet exhilarating), Naam adds, "and society will respond with new social norms to guide our choices." (p. 219)
Oh, brave new world that has such things in it!
The book is fascinating. Naam has not only done his homework, he has thought out the consequences of what he has found and provided the reader with some guidance.
--Dennis Littrell, author of “The World Is Not as We Think It Is”
The basic thesis of Ramez Naam's book is that with our ability to shape (especially to enhance) our biological nature through the tools of our culture--in particular, genetic engineering--we will transform humanity into "a plethora of forms," which will eventually result in thousands if not millions of new species. Naam contends that we will spawn "a new explosion of life as sudden and momentous as that of the Cambrian explosion" some 570 million years ago. (p. 233)
That's the upside. What is also possible (although Naam does not dwell on this) is that with biological enhancement tools that are presently coming into discovery and use, we may transform ourselves into beings who will have satisfied their every desire, and with that satiation, have put an end to desire. The result may very well be the end of human evolution, biological or cultural. And following that, the end of the species that began as a big-brained walking ape six million years ago.
Or none of the above.
This is the exciting part. We have no idea where cultural evolution is going to take us. We have no idea whether we will develop the ability to stave off natural disasters (rogue comets; nearby supernovae; unstoppable pathogens) or overcome our propensity to self-destruction in the form of perpetual war or the poisoning of our environment. Yet, modern Luddites and social conservatives notwithstanding, we will indeed use the tools we develop to initially prevent and cure ailments and deficiencies, and ultimately to enhance our ability to enjoy and to get the most out of life.
This is what this book is all about. Naam begins with the fuzzy distinction between using genetic engineering to heal or to enhance, and makes two telling points: (1) it is often impossible to distinguish between a procedure done as part of the healing arts, or one done to enhance our abilities; and (2) whether we like it or not, given human nature (as it now exists!) if the enhancement tools are there, promising greater intelligence or greater beauty or longer life, then we humans will inevitably use such tools. If the Bush administration or some other Luddite-mentality government tries to suppress these tools, people will just go elsewhere. And those societies that fall behind will fall very far behind. The genetically enhanced will inherit the earth, and indeed it isn't much of a stretch to imagine a future in which those who have enhanced themselves are so far in advance of those who have not as to constitute superior beings. Will the Luddites become pets?
More immediately--keeping these ideas in mind--will it only be the rich who will benefit? Naam argues--and I think convincingly--that yes, at first only the rich will use the tools to better themselves and their children, but then lagging ten or twenty years behind will come the total mass of humanity. Naam compares this process to that in the present day pharmaceutical environment in which initially the new drugs are very expensive, but after they go generic they become affordable to the masses.
There is so much in the book that I will not be able to get to even a fraction of it. So let me say that Naam has anticipated a lot of the criticism that will be leveled at his position and he has done a good job of answering it. The idea that we can somehow stop genetic engineering to save our human nature is shown as bogus since human nature is an ever evolving, ever changing abstraction. Even the concrete species itself (which is us) has changed mightily over the eons from Australopithecus to homo sapiens. And whether we lift a finger or not, we will eventually change again or go extinct. That is the main point. We cannot stop change. We cannot hope to preserve the present human "endowment." We can only hope to engage change, and with our intelligence make life better for ourselves and those to come, people who will be different from us, and going far enough into the future, very different from us.
For the here and now, Naam sees biotech and neurotech enhancements as "investments in valuable human capital." (p. 76) I believe this is the primary reason the United States must overcome the backward mentality of the Bush administration and support not only more stem cell research, but encourage a greater investment in all forms of biological engineering. If we don't we will fall behind those who do.
For others who see the ghost of eugenics in his position, Naam has an effective answer. He writes, "the only people advocating state control over the genetic makeup of the population are those who would like to see genetic enhancement techniques prohibited. The advocates of human enhancement, on the other hand, are arguing for individual and family choice, the opposite of state control." In other words, "...the prohibitionists are the ones upholding the eugenic side of this debate." (p. 166)
Naam gets very specific about the enhancements possible or at least conceivable, including brain-computer interfaces, brain implants, human cloning, electrical stimulation of the brain, preimplantation genetic diagnosis (which takes in vitro fertilization one step further), etc. Near the end of the book, he sees us communicating not only ideas and words, but thoughts, feelings and emotions to others directly from our brains as one would communicate through a wireless network. Eventually we will have "the flexibility to do what we like with the contents of our thoughts, feelings, and imaginations..."
Since all of this may sound scary (yet exhilarating), Naam adds, "and society will respond with new social norms to guide our choices." (p. 219)
Oh, brave new world that has such things in it!
The book is fascinating. Naam has not only done his homework, he has thought out the consequences of what he has found and provided the reader with some guidance.
--Dennis Littrell, author of “The World Is Not as We Think It Is”
October 14, 2012
[disclaimer: I know Ramez somewhat as a coworker years ago and still keep in touch peripherally on Facebook. I read his book, though, before I met him.]
I read this book in 2006 or 2005, not long after it came out, and it's still on my bookshelf today. I'm sure many of the details of biological enhancements are dated, as progress in this area has continued to march forward. But even at the time, I didn't value this book for those details; the important thing was to spend the time thinking about what kinds of changes we could and should accept as normal. It was the pauses for reflection between the paragraphs that I found most valuable...We set the rules of sports up so that steroids aren't allowed -- and still only somewhat succeed at creating a playing field where success without drugs is possible (see professional cycling for a notable failure). When drugs or surgery can help in the game of life, what will happen? If you are interested in those kinds of questions, I think this book will likely still be nearly as capable of sparking insight into them (and questions that you likely may not have thought of) as it was when it came out.
I read this book in 2006 or 2005, not long after it came out, and it's still on my bookshelf today. I'm sure many of the details of biological enhancements are dated, as progress in this area has continued to march forward. But even at the time, I didn't value this book for those details; the important thing was to spend the time thinking about what kinds of changes we could and should accept as normal. It was the pauses for reflection between the paragraphs that I found most valuable...We set the rules of sports up so that steroids aren't allowed -- and still only somewhat succeed at creating a playing field where success without drugs is possible (see professional cycling for a notable failure). When drugs or surgery can help in the game of life, what will happen? If you are interested in those kinds of questions, I think this book will likely still be nearly as capable of sparking insight into them (and questions that you likely may not have thought of) as it was when it came out.
April 14, 2022
More than human argues that same urge that took our ancestors through the great leap forward 40,000 years ago to start fashioning tools rather than simply being hunter gathers is the same urge that will push to us an acceptance of biological enhancements to evolve our species. Naam's book is in the vein of Kurzweil's books but I found its content much more intriguing due to concrete examples about what the future will hold that seemed easier to grasp. My favorite quote from the book was "In the real world, contentment is transitory. It comes with each accomplishment. If it lasted too long, it would stunt our urge to grow and change"
October 28, 2007
This eye-opening book addresses issues like reproductive cloning, health enhancement, prolonging lives, choosing the genetic makeup of your child, and more. More Than Human states that a cloned child will be as normal as we are, so there is no reason to ban cloning on moral grounds. I strongly agree with the author.
April 21, 2022
Well, I much prefer his fiction. This was fine, workmanlike journalism about the technology of biological human improvement and enhancement. It was a bit light but still dry. Part of the problem is that the book is now outdated. I'd love to read the 2022 version. I should look for current books on this topic.
April 14, 2019
Sometimes a bit of an extremely techno-optimist viewpoint, but much of it is at least a little bit grounded in facts and current research.
So worth a read, at least for getting an overview of where (bio)technology might be headed in the next 50-100 years
So worth a read, at least for getting an overview of where (bio)technology might be headed in the next 50-100 years
January 10, 2019
If you follow biomedical news in at least a cursory fashion, you may be aware of current work with brain implants. Researchers have proven in laboratories that they can help the blind to see, the deaf to hear, and stroke patients to communicate when they're otherwise unable to do so. But Ramez Naam's More Than Human will give you a sense of what these techniques can do for people who aren't blind, deaf, or locked in to immobility. In his thought-provoking book, Naam lays out the proof that scientists will soon understand how to make humans smarter, stronger, and healthier.
How to make humans smarter, stronger, and healthier
In More Than Human, Naam focuses on recent efforts by "[r]searchers looking for ways to heal the sick or injured or preserve the health of the elderly [that] have stumbled on techniques that might enhance human abilities." For example, contemporary experiments in gene therapy employing Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) are designed to combat Alzheimer's Disease and other diseases. (Alzheimer's afflicts one out of every ten people aged sixty-five or older and almost half of those over eighty-five.) Similar techniques hold promise of boosting learning and memory. Yes, making humans smarter. Similarly, researchers seeking to help patients locked in by stroke to communicate are opening up the possibility of telepathic links among healthy people.
Ultimately, Naam predicts, this research will lead to "new communication abilities [that] could scale . . . to groups . . . When sensations, emotions, and ideas become digital, it's as easy to share them with a dozen friends, or a thousand strangers, as it is to send them to one person. Just as we can email our words, or place them on websites, or send them in instant messages or chat rooms, we'll be able to broadcast the inner states of our minds." Just think for a minute what implications this might hold for actors and singers in our future (let along the rest of us)!
Refuting the critics
Naam is careful to acknowledge the leading critics of the developments he writes about in More Than Human. Among them are environmentalist Bill McKibben, physician Leon Kass, political scientist Francis Fukuyama, and bioethicist George Annas. All their criticism rests on a fundamental conviction that tinkering with our DNA or in any way attempting to make humans smarter, stronger, and healthier disrupts the natural order. Others insist that research along the lines Naam describes constitutes a turn toward eugenics. Yet, as the author notes, "the only people advocating state control over the genetic makeup of the population are those who would like to see genetic enhancement techniques prohibited."
Naam methodically disputes the critics' arguments. He cites the innumerable ways that science has made us smarter, stronger, and healthier with vaccinations, antibiotics, antidepressants, prosthetic limbs, LASIK surgery, and innumerable other changes in the natural order that most of us accept unquestioningly today. More to the point, every one of these scientific advances was reviled when first revealed to the public. In some cases, medical practitioners were unable to implement such advances for years because of the public outcry.
Our universe will be populated by descendants we might not recognize
In the final chapter of More Than Human, Naam steps off into the realm of speculation. There, he will paint you a picture of a future for the human race that is based on contemporary research but will stretch your mind millions of years ahead. Witness: "At some point, one hundred years or one thousand years or one million years from now, our world and perhaps this corner of our universe will be populated by descendants that we might not recognize . . . [T]hese descendants of ours will be fantastically diverse. Where we are all alike in the basic forms of our minds and bodies, they will exist in a plethora of forms. Humanity will have given birth, not to one new species, not to a dozen new species, but to thousands, or millions. We will have spawned a new explosion of life as sudden and momentous as the Cambrian Explosion."
An edition marred by typos and misspellings
Unfortunately, the Kindle edition I read was marred by innumerable typographical errors and misspellings. For me as an editor for several decades, the experience was jarring. Other books I've read on the Kindle display similar problems, but More Than Human is the worst offender I've seen.
About the author
Ramez Naam is a computer scientist, futurist, angel investor, and award-winning author. He has written five books, including the extraordinary Nexus science fiction trilogy. He is a dynamic public speaker, as you can see in this 2014 Ted talk entitled "Linking Human Brains."
How to make humans smarter, stronger, and healthier
In More Than Human, Naam focuses on recent efforts by "[r]searchers looking for ways to heal the sick or injured or preserve the health of the elderly [that] have stumbled on techniques that might enhance human abilities." For example, contemporary experiments in gene therapy employing Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) are designed to combat Alzheimer's Disease and other diseases. (Alzheimer's afflicts one out of every ten people aged sixty-five or older and almost half of those over eighty-five.) Similar techniques hold promise of boosting learning and memory. Yes, making humans smarter. Similarly, researchers seeking to help patients locked in by stroke to communicate are opening up the possibility of telepathic links among healthy people.
Ultimately, Naam predicts, this research will lead to "new communication abilities [that] could scale . . . to groups . . . When sensations, emotions, and ideas become digital, it's as easy to share them with a dozen friends, or a thousand strangers, as it is to send them to one person. Just as we can email our words, or place them on websites, or send them in instant messages or chat rooms, we'll be able to broadcast the inner states of our minds." Just think for a minute what implications this might hold for actors and singers in our future (let along the rest of us)!
Refuting the critics
Naam is careful to acknowledge the leading critics of the developments he writes about in More Than Human. Among them are environmentalist Bill McKibben, physician Leon Kass, political scientist Francis Fukuyama, and bioethicist George Annas. All their criticism rests on a fundamental conviction that tinkering with our DNA or in any way attempting to make humans smarter, stronger, and healthier disrupts the natural order. Others insist that research along the lines Naam describes constitutes a turn toward eugenics. Yet, as the author notes, "the only people advocating state control over the genetic makeup of the population are those who would like to see genetic enhancement techniques prohibited."
Naam methodically disputes the critics' arguments. He cites the innumerable ways that science has made us smarter, stronger, and healthier with vaccinations, antibiotics, antidepressants, prosthetic limbs, LASIK surgery, and innumerable other changes in the natural order that most of us accept unquestioningly today. More to the point, every one of these scientific advances was reviled when first revealed to the public. In some cases, medical practitioners were unable to implement such advances for years because of the public outcry.
Our universe will be populated by descendants we might not recognize
In the final chapter of More Than Human, Naam steps off into the realm of speculation. There, he will paint you a picture of a future for the human race that is based on contemporary research but will stretch your mind millions of years ahead. Witness: "At some point, one hundred years or one thousand years or one million years from now, our world and perhaps this corner of our universe will be populated by descendants that we might not recognize . . . [T]hese descendants of ours will be fantastically diverse. Where we are all alike in the basic forms of our minds and bodies, they will exist in a plethora of forms. Humanity will have given birth, not to one new species, not to a dozen new species, but to thousands, or millions. We will have spawned a new explosion of life as sudden and momentous as the Cambrian Explosion."
An edition marred by typos and misspellings
Unfortunately, the Kindle edition I read was marred by innumerable typographical errors and misspellings. For me as an editor for several decades, the experience was jarring. Other books I've read on the Kindle display similar problems, but More Than Human is the worst offender I've seen.
About the author
Ramez Naam is a computer scientist, futurist, angel investor, and award-winning author. He has written five books, including the extraordinary Nexus science fiction trilogy. He is a dynamic public speaker, as you can see in this 2014 Ted talk entitled "Linking Human Brains."
November 2, 2019
Ramez Naam did a great job at explaining clearly and in an enjoyable manner what to expect of the future in the years to come, and what is already possible now.
The book is already 9 years old, but remains useful today. Experimental drugs mentioned in the book like EUK-8 and EUK-134 are still in the clinical trial phase. It's also interesting to see how some predictions happened so much faster than expected. On p.122, the author says that it will be possible to sequence a whole human genome for $1000 in 2035. This has actually happening this year, in 2014 - 21 years earlier that people thought in 2005. This shows how some technologies progress exponentially rather than linearly, and that the world will change very quickly in the years to come.
I only have two criticism. The first is that there were a bit too many typing mistakes (a dozen), a sign that the editor was not very good. The second is that Ramez Naam spends a bit too much time at the beginning trying to convince his readers that we shouldn't be afraid to embrace new advances in science such as gene therapy. Since I am not a Christian fundamentalist that doesn't concern me, and it probably won't concern most people who buy a book on biological enhancement.
The book is already 9 years old, but remains useful today. Experimental drugs mentioned in the book like EUK-8 and EUK-134 are still in the clinical trial phase. It's also interesting to see how some predictions happened so much faster than expected. On p.122, the author says that it will be possible to sequence a whole human genome for $1000 in 2035. This has actually happening this year, in 2014 - 21 years earlier that people thought in 2005. This shows how some technologies progress exponentially rather than linearly, and that the world will change very quickly in the years to come.
I only have two criticism. The first is that there were a bit too many typing mistakes (a dozen), a sign that the editor was not very good. The second is that Ramez Naam spends a bit too much time at the beginning trying to convince his readers that we shouldn't be afraid to embrace new advances in science such as gene therapy. Since I am not a Christian fundamentalist that doesn't concern me, and it probably won't concern most people who buy a book on biological enhancement.
March 3, 2019
α - I'm a fan of Naam's other work & clearing out some of my back logged books to read.
Ω(~4h) - The information is dated, but its still a decent starting place for a discussion.
Research on caloric restriction has transformed into intermittent fasting - 📘Dr. Jason Fung & 🎤Dr. Rhonda Patrick are good places to get more recent info.
Brain neural lacing is unfortunately mostly proprietary. Dr. Miguel Nicolelis is still doing fascinating research.
I'm slightly curious about Mckibben's Enough argument, but I don't know how much time to spend on it.
⇝ - Methuselah, first genetically modified monkey - ANDi, first gene therapy patients reunion at IDF conference 2013
Ω(~4h) - The information is dated, but its still a decent starting place for a discussion.
Research on caloric restriction has transformed into intermittent fasting - 📘Dr. Jason Fung & 🎤Dr. Rhonda Patrick are good places to get more recent info.
Brain neural lacing is unfortunately mostly proprietary. Dr. Miguel Nicolelis is still doing fascinating research.
I'm slightly curious about Mckibben's Enough argument, but I don't know how much time to spend on it.
⇝ - Methuselah, first genetically modified monkey - ANDi, first gene therapy patients reunion at IDF conference 2013
July 29, 2019
After reading the way cool Nexus, I was rather disappointed in this book.
There were some good ideas here, but I really had to sift them out from quite a lot of rambling.
There were also a couple things really bothered me about this book. First, Naam approaches this subject and the social implicaitons of biological enhancement with little to no crtiical thinking. For example, in his discussion about introducing wonder drugs, he expresses an almost slavish belief that the market economy will sort everything out and equalize the benefits. Um...what about all the argument I keep hearing about the wealth disparity the market economy has created in the US for example? And why am I being side tracked into a discussion about the market economy in a book about biological enhancement? Not a good sign.
Second, he extensively discusses animal testing in a disturbingly blaze manner. Again, not a good sign.
Like I said, there's some good ideas here, but I'm not sure I would recommend this one.
2/5 Stars
There were some good ideas here, but I really had to sift them out from quite a lot of rambling.
There were also a couple things really bothered me about this book. First, Naam approaches this subject and the social implicaitons of biological enhancement with little to no crtiical thinking. For example, in his discussion about introducing wonder drugs, he expresses an almost slavish belief that the market economy will sort everything out and equalize the benefits. Um...what about all the argument I keep hearing about the wealth disparity the market economy has created in the US for example? And why am I being side tracked into a discussion about the market economy in a book about biological enhancement? Not a good sign.
Second, he extensively discusses animal testing in a disturbingly blaze manner. Again, not a good sign.
Like I said, there's some good ideas here, but I'm not sure I would recommend this one.
2/5 Stars
December 23, 2020
A very comprehensive look at human enhancement, although I think it suffers in quite a few places. This was published 15 years ago so I understand that most of the ideas are not up-to-date considering the fast-moving areas of research the book examines. I learnt a lot from this but wasn't always impressed by Naam's stance on these issues. Throughout the book he returns to the idea that technology isn't the issue but how available it is, and often risks aren't taken into account because Naam trusts that most consumers will use them responsibly.
Another thing that crops up a lot is this idea of profit justifying a technology's development, and the improvements that technology will have on productivity and money-making is venerated while improvements to quality of life are a second thought. I often agree with Naam but I think that his priorities are very different to mine in what potential technologies offer for the future.
Another thing that crops up a lot is this idea of profit justifying a technology's development, and the improvements that technology will have on productivity and money-making is venerated while improvements to quality of life are a second thought. I often agree with Naam but I think that his priorities are very different to mine in what potential technologies offer for the future.
June 11, 2019
A good primer for those interested in understanding the cognitive science, neuroscience and gene therapy aspects of human enhancement. This is best suited for advanced high school or introductory undergraduate discussion. Much of the research presented is now outdated, however, the fundamental explanations of how gene therapy works and the technologies involved remain interesting and relevant. My only criticism is that Naam is an overly optimistic proponent of enhancement. Indeed, it almost reads like the "agree" position of an Oxford-style debate. A disagree conversation is definitely warranted.
May 11, 2018
First of all with speeds of approval in healthcare field cutting edge tech of 2003 is kind of up to date now.
A lot of new for me in biology, genetics and after all in human augmentation and post human from the science not science fiction angle of view :)
The conclusion is totally right as for me but no spoilers here ;)
A lot of new for me in biology, genetics and after all in human augmentation and post human from the science not science fiction angle of view :)
The conclusion is totally right as for me but no spoilers here ;)
September 20, 2022
It came out 17 years ago, it's rather outdated at this point. No mention of CRISPR for example. A lot of it boils down to mouse studies which will never generalize to humans. Section on IQ and heredity kinda weak. And the analysis of the long-term consequences seems rather naive.
January 7, 2018
Good description of past, current and future trends in genetic engineering overlapping to brain-computer interfaces slightly a bit. Good for general understanding of transhumant approaches.
August 21, 2018
الكاتب في الكتاب بيشرح ايه هي الهندسة الوراثية والتحسين الوراثي وبعض التجارب الممتعة كما وانتقاده لفكر المحافظين المنتقدين للتحسين الوراثي اللي اتفق معاه في أغلبه لكن مش كله
November 15, 2018
A great non-fiction book about the possibilities of biological augmentation of humans.
November 30, 2015
I love a lot of the ideas found in this, but am a little worried about how some of them could be misused, despite hating most of the dystopian thinking out there.
The door has clearly been opened to go beyond repairing injuries and diseases to use our knowledge about the human body to enhance our capabilities. This is already happening, and there is no turning back. Policy makers need to think very carefully before trying to impose any kind of ban, regulation, or restrictions, because people will find ways to bypass them if they believe they are beneficial. The author also made an excellent case about how bans or restrictions disproportionately favor elites who can work around them more easily. I really liked a lot of the ideas explored here, and mostly agree that the vast majority of people will use them for good, that it will enrich our lives, and will be used equitably.
But I also think the author is a little bit optimistic about this technology diffusing to popular usage and not just benefit elites. "The Dictator's Handbook" showed how elites throughout human history monopolized things that provided competitive advantage, and even today, much of the world is ruled by people who would prefer to be the one-eyed king in the land of the blind than allow everyone to prosper (and risk losing their status by others rising higher than them). Even many relatively advanced Western countries still have a large portion of their economy run by artisans who produce exquisitely crafted items exclusively for the rich (ex. Ferrari). We shouldn't take it for granted that economies of scale and mass production will lead to declining costs and mass adoption, like iPhones and computers. We should ensure our policies help foster that outcome to prevent capture.
I also wonder who will develop the first anti-virus software and firewalls for mental implants to prevent malicious code from being injected into your thoughts. And what does that even look like from a freedom of speech and freedom of thought standpoint? The author's other works explored the possibility of tyrants or cults misusing implants to control people, so he covers this a bit elsewhere, but there could be a lot of more subtle ways this all could be used to control people while riding in the ethical gray area. Advertising, for example, could be a lot more effective and manipulative by providing them with a very intimate view of what you find persuasive. They could also directly inject manipulative emotions in with ads, or even "help you make up your mind." Policy makers could secretly (or with popular backing) decide to suppress spirituality or root out dangerous thinking following a terrorist attack. Anonymity could be much harder to achieve online, making it easier for totalitarian states to root out the ringleaders of reform movements. Individuals could hack implants to skew individual or group perceptions to achieve anything from getting a date to massive fraud.
While it seems like I focused a lot on the negative here, the book itself makes an excellent case for the benefits more eloquently than I can here. I hope things come to pass the way he predicts, and soon. A passage from this book echoes a quote from Battlestar Galactica that resonated with me: "I don't want to be human! I want to see gamma rays! I want to hear X-rays! And I want to - I want to smell dark matter! Do you see the absurdity of what I am? I can't even express these things properly because I have to - I have to conceptualize complex ideas in this stupid limiting spoken language! But I know I want to reach out with something other than these prehensile paws! And feel the wind of a supernova flowing over me!"
The door has clearly been opened to go beyond repairing injuries and diseases to use our knowledge about the human body to enhance our capabilities. This is already happening, and there is no turning back. Policy makers need to think very carefully before trying to impose any kind of ban, regulation, or restrictions, because people will find ways to bypass them if they believe they are beneficial. The author also made an excellent case about how bans or restrictions disproportionately favor elites who can work around them more easily. I really liked a lot of the ideas explored here, and mostly agree that the vast majority of people will use them for good, that it will enrich our lives, and will be used equitably.
But I also think the author is a little bit optimistic about this technology diffusing to popular usage and not just benefit elites. "The Dictator's Handbook" showed how elites throughout human history monopolized things that provided competitive advantage, and even today, much of the world is ruled by people who would prefer to be the one-eyed king in the land of the blind than allow everyone to prosper (and risk losing their status by others rising higher than them). Even many relatively advanced Western countries still have a large portion of their economy run by artisans who produce exquisitely crafted items exclusively for the rich (ex. Ferrari). We shouldn't take it for granted that economies of scale and mass production will lead to declining costs and mass adoption, like iPhones and computers. We should ensure our policies help foster that outcome to prevent capture.
I also wonder who will develop the first anti-virus software and firewalls for mental implants to prevent malicious code from being injected into your thoughts. And what does that even look like from a freedom of speech and freedom of thought standpoint? The author's other works explored the possibility of tyrants or cults misusing implants to control people, so he covers this a bit elsewhere, but there could be a lot of more subtle ways this all could be used to control people while riding in the ethical gray area. Advertising, for example, could be a lot more effective and manipulative by providing them with a very intimate view of what you find persuasive. They could also directly inject manipulative emotions in with ads, or even "help you make up your mind." Policy makers could secretly (or with popular backing) decide to suppress spirituality or root out dangerous thinking following a terrorist attack. Anonymity could be much harder to achieve online, making it easier for totalitarian states to root out the ringleaders of reform movements. Individuals could hack implants to skew individual or group perceptions to achieve anything from getting a date to massive fraud.
While it seems like I focused a lot on the negative here, the book itself makes an excellent case for the benefits more eloquently than I can here. I hope things come to pass the way he predicts, and soon. A passage from this book echoes a quote from Battlestar Galactica that resonated with me: "I don't want to be human! I want to see gamma rays! I want to hear X-rays! And I want to - I want to smell dark matter! Do you see the absurdity of what I am? I can't even express these things properly because I have to - I have to conceptualize complex ideas in this stupid limiting spoken language! But I know I want to reach out with something other than these prehensile paws! And feel the wind of a supernova flowing over me!"
November 22, 2020
(uni reading list)
just a bit boring tbh
just a bit boring tbh
August 9, 2010
This book is fascinating. I know I don't agree with everything Naam has to say, as he is PRO everything. and I am not so sure on some of it. But, he does make valid arguments at every step.
I did have a few thoughts as I was reading -
- What about the children and children's children of gene therapy folks? -- he does address this later in the book, if they are given therapy after already a person (ie. born) then the gene therapy does not integrate into every cell, so it would not be passed on -- but the ones who are given therapy in the womb, or the test tube, prior to many of the cells dividing -- then the therapy would be in EVERY cell and would be passed on to future generations -- weird.
- He talks about gene therapy to be able to suppress guilt or empathy -- meaning truly bad guys would be able to take away the "badness" they feel -- however, this could work to give empathy and guilt to the sociopaths out there, and perhaps "cure" them?? an intriguing thought.
- He discusses Calorie Restriction (CR) to live longer. Apparently it works in monkeys -- however, would you really want to live to be 120 if you couldn't eat an eclair? or a piece of chocolate? ever?
-There is a possibility in the future to give an unborn child a gene that would make them immune to most strains of HIV (or any other disease) -- now would this really be an enhancement? or just a step up from vaccination? -- imagine no more vaccination shots, just genes to protect you from polio and chicken pox and HIV and cancer put directly into your body?? and if it were done when you were still in "cells" stage, it could be something you would pass on, effectively breading out disease? hmmmm.
This was a book to make me think. Many of the thoughts that were brought up by this book are interesting, and very scary. Is it because it is "new technology" or is it because it is Wrong? Hmmm, perhaps we need to discuss this with Ian Malcolm (from Jurassic Park -- "Just because you CAN do something doesn't mean you SHOULD do something)
I did have a few thoughts as I was reading -
- What about the children and children's children of gene therapy folks? -- he does address this later in the book, if they are given therapy after already a person (ie. born) then the gene therapy does not integrate into every cell, so it would not be passed on -- but the ones who are given therapy in the womb, or the test tube, prior to many of the cells dividing -- then the therapy would be in EVERY cell and would be passed on to future generations -- weird.
- He talks about gene therapy to be able to suppress guilt or empathy -- meaning truly bad guys would be able to take away the "badness" they feel -- however, this could work to give empathy and guilt to the sociopaths out there, and perhaps "cure" them?? an intriguing thought.
- He discusses Calorie Restriction (CR) to live longer. Apparently it works in monkeys -- however, would you really want to live to be 120 if you couldn't eat an eclair? or a piece of chocolate? ever?
-There is a possibility in the future to give an unborn child a gene that would make them immune to most strains of HIV (or any other disease) -- now would this really be an enhancement? or just a step up from vaccination? -- imagine no more vaccination shots, just genes to protect you from polio and chicken pox and HIV and cancer put directly into your body?? and if it were done when you were still in "cells" stage, it could be something you would pass on, effectively breading out disease? hmmmm.
This was a book to make me think. Many of the thoughts that were brought up by this book are interesting, and very scary. Is it because it is "new technology" or is it because it is Wrong? Hmmm, perhaps we need to discuss this with Ian Malcolm (from Jurassic Park -- "Just because you CAN do something doesn't mean you SHOULD do something)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 30, 2016
Solid forage into genetic engineering topics ranging from inserting gene vectors into human bodies in order to cure diseases to selecting for superior human traits in preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) among others and ultimately the hallmark topic: human-brain interface. I have to say this is a pretty good review book for a geneticist as it covers many biological concepts. The author explains each concept enough for understanding and moves on to the next issue/concept without too much repetitiveness. An important point that convinced me that human enhancement was inevitable was the fact that many genetic approaches to cure diseases also included capabilities to enhance a body function. Thus, one could never, therefore, pursue the treatment of Alzheimer's without unknowingly pursuing memory enhancement methods. In addition, any attempts to regulate these unfair advantages would only worsen safety measures and quality (re: making certain drugs illegal cause people to go through great lengths for drugs that may be poorly made). The final chapter that envisions a scenario in which a human being has essentially a computer interface in their brain sounds incredibly optimistic. While brain-to-brain messaging beats normal human conversation by transporting sensations and experiences without friction, the possible drawbacks such as not being able to filter one's own negative thoughts or negative desires remain completely unmentioned, thus making me doubt the simplistically rosy picture the author has conjured. At last, the author suggests that human beings have always been able to improve its intelligence (through metallurgy, agriculture, knowledge, writing, medicine, etc.) and thus our extension of a computer nests well inside this thesis of "being human means wanting to improve ourselves". I would recommend this book to anybody interested more in understanding the fascinating potential of genetic engineering.
December 11, 2015
Every new technology brings debate. Every move forward has had to face backlash, usually from conservative, religious forces. We now have the possibility to start making changes on our selves, through genetic engineering and/or cybernetic enhancements. Is this good or bad?
I think that depends on exactly what is being discussed and what your personal beliefs are. In this book, Ramez Naam covers a wide range of topics, from the possibility of using genetic engineering to shape people before they're born to implants that let people control machines.
Naam clearly favors going ahead with the possibilities. In my view, he makes some good points. Even if you don't agree with him, he also traces the history of genetic engineering and several other, similar, advances.
This is a rare book that can make you think and educate you at the same time. Recommended for techno-philes, trans-humanists, anyone interested in science fiction slowly becoming real, or anyone concerned with the effect of technology on people.
I think that depends on exactly what is being discussed and what your personal beliefs are. In this book, Ramez Naam covers a wide range of topics, from the possibility of using genetic engineering to shape people before they're born to implants that let people control machines.
Naam clearly favors going ahead with the possibilities. In my view, he makes some good points. Even if you don't agree with him, he also traces the history of genetic engineering and several other, similar, advances.
This is a rare book that can make you think and educate you at the same time. Recommended for techno-philes, trans-humanists, anyone interested in science fiction slowly becoming real, or anyone concerned with the effect of technology on people.
March 19, 2014
Though a bit dated (published in 2005), this is a good survey of the possibilities and research on human enhancement, including genetic, chemical, bio-mechanical, and cybernetic. Naam includes arguments against the new technology and his reasoning for science to pursue these avenues of research. Naam's recent fictional books, Nexus and Crux, deal with these ethical questions and are based on the possibilities inherent in the latest research. There are amazing things on the horizon, great potential as well as possible catastrophes. No matter what, change will be disruptive, but as we have seen in the past couple of centuries disruptive technologies have, in general, improved our lot as humans.
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