‘What Happens Next?’: Are Humans About to Evolve?
Carland
Technology is advancing at an unprecedented pace, and the line between humans and machines is becoming increasingly blurred.
Transhumanism, a concept in which technology is harnessed to augment human abilities, isn’t new. And these days, the possibilities of a new transhumanist reality seem increasingly possible.
The latest episode of Monash University’s What Happens Next? podcast takes you along for a ride through the fascinating – and slightly frightening – world of transhumanism.
Monash alumna Tan Le, the founder and CEO of bioinformatics company EMOTIV, kicks off the conversation by providing host Dr Susan Carland with an insightful perspective on transhumanism. She defines it as an evolution of humanity itself, where we continuously explore new avenues of augmentation beyond historical methods.
Associate Professor Leah Heiss, the Eva and Marc Besen International Research Chair in Design in Monash’s Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture, discusses our natural drive to create technologies that help us push beyond our biological limits. From the earliest tools, such as walking sticks to modern wearable devices like FitBits, mankind’s quest for augmentation stretches back to the beginning of its history.
Listen: Are Our Machines a Little Too Human?
Associate Professor Karinne Ludlow, from Monash’s Faculty of Law, considers the critical question of where to draw the line between medical assistance and enhancement, raising thought-provoking ethical dilemmas, such as the implications of gene editing and heritable genetic changes.
As human-enhancing technologies emerge, issues of access become another pressing ethical concern. Associate Professor Shaun Gregory, a cardiovascular engineer working out of the Victorian Heart Hospital, highlights the existing disparities in healthcare access, emphasising the need for a fairer distribution of life-altering tech.
If we can live longer lives thanks to technological intervention, what are the implications for resource allocation? What about the potential stagnation of thought? Bioethicist Dr Julian Koplin helps listeners navigate the ethical minefield of transhumanism by discussing the importance of individual moral reflection, government regulation, and the possibility of intellectual inertia.
While transhumanism offers exciting possibilities, it also raises profound ethical, legal and societal concerns. It calls for a critical examination of the path we're embarking on, as we balance progress with responsible innovation. Don't miss this thought-provoking podcast episode that invites you to contemplate the future of humanity.
“We've extended or augmented our capabilities far beyond what they're capable of without those extensions. So we've been transhuman for a long time. We might not identify it as such, but there is a slippery, blurry line between augmenting capabilities and transhumanism.” – Associate Professor Leah Heiss
What Happens Next? will return next week with part two in this series, “Can Tech Unlock Humans’ Full Potential?”. Don’t miss a moment of season eight of the podcast – subscribe now on your favourite app.
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About the Authors
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Susan carland
Director, Bachelor of Global Studies, and Lecturer, School of Language, Literature, Cultures and Linguistics
Susan's research and teaching specialties focus on gender, sociology, contemporary Australia, terrorism, and Islam in the modern world. Susan hosted the “Assumptions” series on ABC’s Radio National, and was named one of the 20 Most Influential Australian Female Voices in 2012 by The Age.
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Julian koplin
Lecturer, Monash Bioethics Centre
Julian is a lecturer in bioethics. His research interests include human tissue ethics, stem cell ethics, and the ethical implications of new technologies.
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Leah heiss
Associate Professor, Eva and Marc Besen International Research Chair in Design, Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture, Monash University
Leah is a Melbourne-based designer and Monash University academic working at the nexus of design, health and technology. Through collaborative projects Leah has brought human centred design to technologies for hearing loss, diabetes and pre-diabetes, cardiovascular disease, gut disease and loneliness. Her wearable technologies include jewellery to administer insulin, cardiac monitoring jewellery, swallowable devices to detect disease and emergency jewellery for times of medical crisis.
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Karinne ludlow
Associate Professor, Law Academic, Victorian Heart Institute (VHI)
Karinne ’s research takes a multidisciplinary approach and focuses on the integration of science, commercialisation challenges and law, particularly regarding biotechnology, genetic technologies and nanotechnology in all their applications, including health, agriculture and industry. A key feature of Karinne's research is its incorporation of law reform recommendations that have been acted on by relevant bodies. Her current projects include a NHMRC-funded project on genomics and mitochondrial disease, a project on regulating genome editing in food and agriculture; as well as ARC Discovery Grant-funded research on inheritable genetic modification of human embryos, including the use of genome editing. Prior to academia, Karinne's commercial expertise was developed through 10 years in private legal practice with major law firms, including three years with legal advisors to CSIRO and cooperative research centres on commercialisation, intellectual property and funding.
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Tan le
Founder and CEO, EMOTIV
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Shaun gregory
Associate Professor and Deputy Head, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Shaun’s research focuses on cardiovascular engineering, with a particular interest in the development and evaluation of devices for mechanical circulatory and respiratory support. This is achieved through his multidisciplinary research group incorporating different types of engineering (mechanical, electrical, materials, and more), biomedical science, IT, design and medicine. He’s Deputy Head of the Department for Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Director of the CardioRespiratory Engineering and Technology Laboratory, Co-Director of the Artificial Heart Frontiers Program, and the founder and Academic Director of the Heart Hackathon international student team competition. He currently holds fellowships with the NHMRC and the Heart Foundation of Australia (Future Leader Fellow).
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