/r/transhumanism

Photograph via snooOG

This is a community where concepts related to transhumanism can be shared and discussed. Please see our side bar and associated links, if you are not familiar, before posting.

Transhumanism is an intellectual and cultural movement supporting the use of science and technology to improve human mental and physical characteristics and capacities.

Humankind is merging with its machines, combining the best features of biological and electrical systems.


Rules:

  • Be excellent to each other.

  • Memes are Awesome But Not Here

  • Keep politics out of it.


H+Pedia is a Humanity+ project to spread accurate, accessible, non-sensational information about transhumanism and futurism among the general public.







/r/transhumanism

80,176 Subscribers

1

Biotech with AI, HELP

Hello, I'm a 20-year-old young man and I'm studying Political Science. I've dabbled in cybersecurity and python before, but now I want to improve myself in artificial intelligence.

What kind of advice can you give about this roadmap?

Math and Python-> Machine Learning -> Deep Learning to AI Engineering

In the future, I want to start an AI-based biotechnology entrepreneurship. I know it is very, very difficult. What kind of things should I do to improve myself financially in this field?

1 Comment
2024/03/18
17:01 UTC

1

IntelliGenes Accessible AI Software Helps Predict Diseases

To help predict diseases, researchers at Rutgers Health have developed IntelliGenes software, which combines artificial intelligence (AI) and machine-learning approaches.

A study published in Bioinformatics explains how IntelliGenes can be used by a wide range of users to analyze multigenomic and clinical data. It’s accessible by anyone, says Zeeshan Ahmed, lead author of the study and a faculty member at Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research (IFH).
Read more here: https://magazine.mindplex.ai/mp_news/intelligenes-accessible-ai-software-helps-predict-diseases/

1 Comment
2024/03/18
16:39 UTC

1

19.5y Younger Biological Age: My Best Data Yet (31 Tests Since 2018)

1 Comment
2024/03/17
11:15 UTC

37

I am Embracing the Future transitioning from Human to Cyborg

The human body, while remarkable in its complexity, is far from perfect. It is prone to wear and tear, susceptible to disease, and limited in its capabilities. For those of us who have experienced the frustration of CHRONIC PAIN or debilitating injuries, the appeal of transcending our biological limitations is undeniable.

Transitioning from a human to a cyborg offers the promise of enhanced strength, durability. Imagine being able to repair damaged tissues with advanced nanotechnology, or replacing failing organs with cybernetic implants that never tire or degrade. With cybernetic enhancements, we could potentially live longer, healthier lives, free from the constraints of our biological bodies.

But how do we make this vision a reality? The answer lies in the convergence of technologies and artificial intelligence. Advanced prosthetics already offer a glimpse of what's possible, with limbs controlled by neural interfaces and sensors that provide feedback to the user. As AI continues to advance, these prosthetics will become even more sophisticated, seamlessly integrating with our bodies and responding to our thoughts and commands with unprecedented precision.

Beyond prosthetics, AI-powered medical diagnostics and treatments hold the key to addressing health problems before they escalate. Imagine a future where AI algorithms can detect disease at its earliest stages, allowing for timely intervention and treatment. With AI's ability to analyze vast amounts of data and identify patterns that elude human perception, we can revolutionize healthcare and extend lifespans.

Furthermore, AI can play a crucial role in the development of cybernetic enhancements themselves. Through machine learning algorithms, researchers can optimize the design and functionality of implants, ensuring compatibility with the human body and maximizing performance. As AI continues to evolve, we can expect even greater breakthroughs in the field of cybernetics, ushering in an era where the line between human and machine becomes increasingly blurred.

The desire to transcend our biological limitations and embrace the potential of cybernetic enhancements is a natural evolution of human ambition. With the power of AI and technologies, we have the opportunity to redefine to be human, and unlock new levels of strength, and longevity. The future is within our grasp let's seize it and embrace the dawn of the cyborg age.

16 Comments
2024/03/16
22:40 UTC

3

What's your opinion on hyper humanism?

27 Comments
2024/03/16
07:19 UTC

0

Are/can transhumanists be atheists?

Just asking out of curiousity.

84 Comments
2024/03/15
23:30 UTC

12

How to use transhumanism to solve the problem of human sociality

Human beings often love to extol their need for companionship and love as something we should be proud of. I have sincerely never been able to grasp how someone could be proud of something that we need. It is like being proud of the fact that we suffer and die if we do not eat or sleep.

These people who extol sociality seem to forget how human interactions were born. Our ape-like ancestors needed to survive in a harsh environment and lacked proper teeth, nails or strength to defend themselves. They managed to live on by helping each other. Time passed and our nature transformed to make us more sociable. We created morals and standards to regulate our community life. In the process, all individuals who did not conform enough to the standards were severely punished. This is something people who praise sociality often forget: building society was a bloodbath of those who did not conform enough.

We surely learned to create and express thoughts and information more than other animals, but we also built conformism and a psychological void in the human psyche. In order to have free space for morals and social upbringing in the mind of individuals, we needed to remove or repress all instincts we had before. When a human baby is born, it has no instincts but impulses. These impulses are then transformed by society to turn the individual into a member of society. This is done through blackmail. Parents and educators teach the child to appreciate their love and approval, and then threaten to stop loving or approving it if its deeds do not conform to expectations. Love is the blackmail society uses to conform individuals to expectations.

We feel the need to be acknowledged by others because we lost our self in exchange for a social self. In natural selection, those who did not feel the need to conform were not trusted enough by others, so they were often persecuted as enemies. The people who keep some traces of our former unsocial state are the sociopaths, the criminals, the egoists, the arrogant as well as the free thinkers, the hermits and the introverted. They have in common, to various degrees, the capability to find value in themselves and desire independence from morals and conformity. I am not saying these people do not feel any need of human interaction. I am underlining how such people are admirable for being annoyed by human sociality and the need of constantly being acknowledged by others.

Someone may consider me a hypocrite for writing against sociality in a post which is meant to be read by others. I am, in fact, not annoyed by our capability to share information and work together towards a goal. This is a wonderful capability. The problem is, it is not just a capability. It is a need. I hate the fact that we feel the need of being with others and we mostly fail to find value in our life independently from others.

What I dream of is a new humanity who could be able to not suffer loneliness anymore. We could still communicate if we like to, but we would be perfectly able to thrive even if we do not love anyone, even if have no friends. We would not need to rely on the opinion of others to find value in ourselves. We would be the ones who decide our worth.

How will we create this new humanity? By endorsing transhumanism. The transhumanist is the one who wants to fully control itself and break free from bonds and limits of our nature. Please mind that I am not endorsing violence against others nor self-harm. That is just a rough temptation and turns into sterility. If we practice violence, this project will be not trusted and stopped. I have no interest on imposing anything on others, I just want to change my capabilities. As I said, I want to not feel any need for human interaction anymore. I also think anyone would benefit in their individuality by this independence. The best way to implement this project is using neuroscience. Maybe we could build a technology enabled to stop the feelings of depression caused by loneliness. The technology does not necessarily have to be irreversible. We could build a helmet which protects us from negative feelings and breaks the deterrent of pain when it comes to follow our ambitions and desire even if others despise it. We will become Individual Gods if we do so. Like the ancient Greek gods, who did not feel the lack of anything and still did things like eating or talking just for enjoyment, not with need.

I do not hate others for existing. I just realize that only when I am alone, I am able to fully do what I want. In some cases, people are to blame to coerce conformity. If you mock others for what they wear or how they behave, you are contributing to the dictatorship of conformity. In other cases, the simple presence of others creates a boundary for our desires. That is why we should strive to endure solitude more. So that we can build even more our individual identity and make it independent from the external world.

5 Comments
2024/03/15
16:18 UTC

21

Query: the difference between post humanism and transhumanism is the preservation of "humanity". Where do you personaly draw this line? Where does humanity end and non humanity begin?

Query: the difference between post humanism and transhumanism is the preservation of "humanity". Where do you personaly draw this line? Where does humanity end and non humanity begin? I'm interested to hear your response.

19 Comments
2024/03/15
11:13 UTC

6

Best ideas and structures for governance for post Human societies?

Just wondering what kind of new systems would be possible and probably better than what we have now.

9 Comments
2024/03/15
04:10 UTC

1

Ergothioneine Extends Lifespan In Worms, Flies, And Mice: What About In People?

2 Comments
2024/03/14
19:19 UTC

3

Decoding The Language Of The Cosmos: The Search For Extraterrestrial Communication

A recent study by Glocalities involving 24 countries revealed that approximately 47% of the world’s population believes in the existence of intelligent extraterrestrial life. This widespread belief underscores our enduring fascination with the cosmos and the potential for life beyond Earth. As we venture deeper into the realm of space exploration, the prospect of communicating with extraterrestrial intelligence becomes more conceivable, raising both exciting possibilities and profound questions.
Read more here: https://magazine.mindplex.ai/mp_community_content/decoding-the-language-of-the-cosmos-the-search-for-extraterrestrial-communication/

2 Comments
2024/03/14
16:12 UTC

6

OpenAI-powered humanoid robot

1 Comment
2024/03/14
12:59 UTC

34

Can’t Exercise? A Protein From Blood Platelets May Rejuvenate Your Neurons

The University of Queensland researchers have discovered that injecting platelets, the blood cells responsible for blood clotting, secretes a protein that rejuvenates neurons in aged mice in a similar way to physical exercise.

This “platelet factor 4” protein could help the very elderly (or someone who has had a brain injury or stroke) improve cognition, said Dr. Odette Leiter, at UQ’s Queensland Brain Institute. The researchers plan to test this response in Alzheimer-diseased mice, before moving towards human trials. If successful, the study could lead to drug interventions. Read more here: https://magazine.mindplex.ai/mp_news/cant-exercise-a-protein-from-blood-platelets-may-rejuvenate-your-neurons/

10 Comments
2024/03/13
13:39 UTC

1

New Cryonics Underground podcast with John Smart: Preserving minds, accelerating progress, and the future of identity

2 Comments
2024/03/12
19:29 UTC

2

Sensing location xg3

5 Comments
2024/03/12
18:42 UTC

0

DIY HRT Implant

Hey guys, hoping for some help as I know implants are semi common here. I am trans and have access to 100mg estrogen pellets, meant for subQ implant, but as of right now, I don't have a doctor who is willing or able to perform the procedure to get it implanted.

From my reading on trans subreddits, I have seen basically everyone say its a bad idea and very unsafe or even impossible, however I have my doubts, knowing that such DIY implants are very much possible. As such, I thought I would ask here, seeing as you guys seem much more open to the possibility of DIYing implants.

So, is it doable? how should I go about performing this procedure? anything worth it for me to know?

33 Comments
2024/03/12
12:33 UTC

5

The Uncanny Valley, featuring Gennady Stolyarov II

3 Comments
2024/03/12
06:53 UTC

9

How do we enhance creativity?

I think that creativity and psychological flexibility are perhaps some of the most useful and valuable traits that humans possess. How might a transhuman future take steps to enhance creativity? In particular, I'm interested in fostering the connection between mini-c and Big-C creativity, as I believe that mini-c is the foundation of all forms of creativity.

  1. mini-c ("transformative learning" involving "personally meaningful interpretations of experiences, actions, and insights").
  2. little-c (everyday problem-solving and creative expression).
  3. Pro-C (exhibited by people who are professionally or vocationally creative though not necessarily eminent).
  4. Big-C (creativity considered great in the given field).

The following provides an operational definition for what makes a solution "creative";

AI researchers Newell, Shaw and Simon developed the combination of novelty and usefulness into the cornerstone of a multi-pronged view of creativity, one that uses the following four criteria to categorize a given answer or solution as creative:

  1. The answer is novel and useful (either for the individual or for society)
  2. The answer demands that we reject ideas we had previously accepted
  3. The answer results from intense motivation and persistence
  4. The answer comes from clarifying a problem that was originally vague

I think that, above all, the goal of transhumanists should be to find ways to enhance the richness and diversity of human experience and our ability to express it. How might biohacking and cybernetics play a role in this effort?

8 Comments
2024/03/11
20:00 UTC

10

Exercise Programs

Inspired by a comment from a little while ago, I'm interested in knowing what sort of exercise/diet regimes people here follow. More specifically, whether anyone is experimenting with anything on the "cutting edge" of the fields. Things like hyperbaric chambers or hormone treatments (yes, I mean steroids), but also thing like periodization or training at specific intensity levels. Just as an example, there appears to be something of a revolution going in in distance running due to new training methods that Norwegian runners have been adopting (link below).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPOtva9QLOM&t=385s

Personally, my sport of choice is bouldering. I find that it hits a number of different fitness areas (strength, muscular endurance, flexibility) while also providing great training in overall body coordination. I also train calisthenics regularly, alternating between strength and power periods. On the diet side, I've been practicing intermittent fasting for almost a year now. Since then, I've finally managed to drop some stubborn weight I've been trying to lose forever, but otherwise I haven't noticed any major effects other than that I don't suffer hunger pains as often as I used to.

4 Comments
2024/03/11
01:39 UTC

13

Is udeath possible or even worth it?

In a lot of stories, you have the concept of someone becoming an undead creature to gain new abilities and a longer life, like liches. I've always wondered about how a corpse that thinks and walks would actually work in real life, and if it was possible to be one without magic, what advantages/disadvantages there would be.

31 Comments
2024/03/10
21:40 UTC

0

Uric Acid: What's Optimal For Health?

1 Comment
2024/03/10
11:19 UTC

0

Why isn't WBE more discussed ?

I think, like Sebastian Seung from the MIT, or M.S. Graziano from Princeton, that our connectome is really what we are.

Proof of concept has been made recently for fruit flies https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.05.02.539144v1.full.pdf and the rest is just a matter of scale and scanning capacity. Easy task for a bunch of AGI. Keep in mind that destructive scanning is needed, so there won't be any "killing the original me after the procedure" dilemma.

Waking up in a computer or robot body will feel, after some retraining, like waking up from a short coma. Some details might change but we'll feel similar. And at this point the San Junipero sim will be so convincing that it'll feel even better than your bio body.

Now what will happen ? Some disabled or terminally ill people will be early adopters.

When their families and the media get that it works and that Emulated peoples or Ems can retrieve real memories (credit car code...), that's gonna be huge.

People won't even think twice : live in secure environment without pain, aging or accidents, or stay in flesh. I'll choose Em.

We will all migrate to data centers like we migrated from farmland to cities in the 20th century.

Not saying that it will be an easy ride nor eternal bliss. Safety checks and ASI battles will still be needed. But I can't imagine the next decade without massive WBE.

Given all that evidence, why isn't the topic more widely discussed ? AGI is advancing very fast and the timelines are crunching. I can't understand why people, even in transhumanist circles, are so afraid of the "broken continuity illusion" and the end of the body.

8 Comments
2024/03/10
11:11 UTC

12

Paths To Transhumanism

There are two main routes to transhumanism; The Artificial/Technological & The Biological. (There is also a hybrid aproach, but we will not be discussing this today)

The Artificial aproach sees us incorporating inorganic (non living or made of cells) components into our body. Augmentations in this group would include but are not limited to: limb replacements, artificial organs, optical enhancments, neural chips, sensor attachments, etc.

In contrast The Biological aproach seeks to enhance humans in a more organic way, such as: limb & tissue regeneration, bone density augmentation, size increases, muscle efficiency enhancements, stronger and more adaptable immune system, augmentations that would allow for underwater breathing, night vision, etc.

Basically think [artificial path - deus ex] & [organic path - captain america/spartan]

Both are paths to transhumanism, they share the same end goal, but through different means.

The late stages of the artificial path would see humans having eliminated all organic matter from there being, either through putting our bodies into completely mechanical or synthetic bodies, or abandoning the physical world all together by uploading our minds.

The final fase of the synthetic path would look something like a swarm or cluster of super computers orbiting a star.

As for the organic path, the late stage would see us having extreme physical durability, regenerative abilities, as well as immunity to all known and unknown disease. We would be able to think extremly fast, and possibly comunicate non verbally. We would be stronger, faster, and smarter, while still remaining fully organic.

What The end stage of the organic path would look like is up to debate.

Now, with all that layed out, what aproach do all of you perfer, and why?

30 Comments
2024/03/10
00:12 UTC

12

I'm afraid of dying

Since I was a child, I have been afraid of death. I remember that at the age of 6, I thought we were immortal, until my brother explained the reality to me. Since that day, I wanted to change the life of humans.

Now, at 16 years old, I have developed some ideas about it. I know many will doubt the possibility of achieving immortality, but I believe it is possible if we explore new avenues. Although I admit that some of my ideas may sound crazy.

I remember a movie called "Chappie" where a robot manages to transfer its consciousness to another body to avoid death. This made me reflect on the possibility of doing the same in real life. However, after researching, I discovered that it is not as simple as it seems.

One of my ideas is to develop a vaccine that modifies human DNA to stop aging, inspired by organisms like the immortal jellyfish Turritopsis dohrnii and long-lived turtles. I also considered the possibility of a capsule where people can sleep for long periods to avoid aging.

I know these concepts may sound fantastical, but I believe it is important to explore all possibilities. I am willing to do everything possible to make my dream of human immortality a reality, even considering the help of others and fundraising.

I do not force anyone to donate, but if someone wants to support my cause, they can do so through my PayPal account. I appreciate any support and understanding I may receive on this journey towards realizing my dream.

Note: I want to emphasize that I am not very intelligent, but I am doing my best with your help. Together, I hope we can make this a reality. Thank you!

33 Comments
2024/03/09
23:29 UTC

0

A Talking Cat? Neuralink's Latest Breakthrough

1 Comment
2024/03/09
14:23 UTC

6

This tech still exists

2 Comments
2024/03/09
12:31 UTC

50

Help me not give into hopelessness.

Hi everyone. To introduce myself, I'm a biochemist from Toronto, about to finish my PhD, and I've had a lifelong fascination and deep commitment to longevity and transhumanism. I suppose the two main drivers behind this commitment are the following two deeply-held personal beliefs:

  1. Everyone deserves the right to live life in a body that they feel comfortable and fulfilled within, facilitated through the tools of modern biotechnology.
  2. There is no evidence of life after death. The atheistic case is that death is nothingness, a kind of deletion of everything that makes you, you. Everyone deserves the right to decide to postpone that for as long as they choose, or even indefinitely.

However, the difficult part of the conversation is that I'm having trouble holding onto hope, and a part of me wants to give up and throw in the towel. The truly sad part is that I think it ultimately comes down to money, more than anything else, and I'd like to explain why. I need some guidance.

I'm very, very burnt out, tired, and in pain. Much of that is because I have a chronic medical condition affecting my spine, and it requires surgical correction, but no one in my country (Canada) does this particular surgery on adults. I've seen a surgeon in the US that could fix me, but the surgery is considered experimental by the Canadian government because even though Americans have had access to it for over a decade, it's 'new' to Canada. Our healthcare system is completely and utterly fucked, and I want to take this opportunity to warn anyone thinking about coming to Canada to maybe think twice about that.

It would cost me somewhere in the region of US$140K (CA$190K) to pay for the surgery out of pocket, and unsurprisingly, I don't have that kind of money. I do have a house, and I could get a loan for it because I have a lot of equity - my mortgage is about $280K and my house is worth about $700K, so it's about 60% equity. But I would need to be able to afford the payments if I rolled some surgical debt into my mortgage - and I can't afford that.

In terms of income, I'm pretty poor. My fiancee and I live on about CA$2,500/month, supplemented by dipping into some of my fiancee's inheritance savings, which amounts to a reservoir of around CA$25K. But here's the kicker - I'm only going to have my stipend for maybe 3 more months until I finish my dissertation and thesis defense, and then that's it. So we have to live on that CA$25K reservoir until I can find a job, and in this market, good fucking luck.

I want to make an actual difference in the movements I care about - transhumanism, futurism, and longevity science. But as far as I know, those sectors don't really exist in the Toronto area. To make matters worse, I realistically can't work in the laboratory until I have my spine fixed, because standing for more than 10-15 minutes is excruciatingly painful. Although for what it's worth, most of my expertise are in computational biology, with a sprinkling of wet lab work to actually collect data to train my models, so it's fairly conceivable that I could do research in a work-from-home or hybrid environment.

I can't realistically move, although I'm open to frequent travel if it helps. I have a lot of family ties in my area; my fiancee is an MSc student at a local university, and my parents are ageing, so I need to be around to take care of them.

I'll be honest - I'm absolutely lost. Because of my financial fears, I would probably accept basically any job in my sector. But in truth, I want to contribute to transhumanist causes and/or longevity biotech, and I just don't have the networking connections to actually make that happen. I'm losing hope, and I feel myself sinking into a depressive hole that I do not want to be in.

So I'm making a plea to the community. I need to find a role where I can put my scientific skills to use for the cause, while simultaneously earning enough of an income to make the payments for the surgery to fix my spine. I'm humbly asking for guidance as a lost scientist trying to find a path.

40 Comments
2024/03/09
02:39 UTC

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