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Beyond Human: Living with Robots and Cyborgs
Concepts once purely fiction -- robots, cyborg parts, artificial intelligences -- are becoming part of everyday reality. Soon robots will be everywhere, performing surgery, exploring hazardous places, making rescues, fighting fires, handling heavy goods. After a decade or two, they will be as unremarkable as the computer screen is now in offices, airports or restaurants.
Cyborgs will be less obvious. These additions to the human body are interior now, as rebuilt joints, elbows and hearts. Soon we will cross the line between repair and augmentation, probably first in sports medicine, then spreading to everyone who wants to make a body perform better, last longer, than it ordinarily could. Controversy will arise, but it will not stop the desire to live longer and be stronger than we are.
This book treats the landscape of human self-change and robotic development as poles of the same general phenomenon.
Cyborgs will be less obvious. These additions to the human body are interior now, as rebuilt joints, elbows and hearts. Soon we will cross the line between repair and augmentation, probably first in sports medicine, then spreading to everyone who wants to make a body perform better, last longer, than it ordinarily could. Controversy will arise, but it will not stop the desire to live longer and be stronger than we are.
This book treats the landscape of human self-change and robotic development as poles of the same general phenomenon.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 20, 2014
I was really impressed by Benford's book
Deep Time
, but this subsequent volume on robots and cyborgs did not do much for me.
I expected a robust discussion of not only the current trends in robotics and cybernetics but also their implications for society and the human species; instead I got the usual techno-utopian cheerleading that relies on weak, if not actually false, analogies (e.g., "We've always been tool users, so therefore being cyborgs with implanted/integrated "tools" won't really be anything novel," or "We've always been tinkering with genes through breeding, and so implanting new genes directly into crop species isn't really anything new") and which ignores the history of technoscience's broken utopian promises (flying cars, anyone?) and unintended consequences.
I was also fairly appalled at the implied dismissal of a humanist approach to these technologies, one that adds a nuanced historical perspective (see above re: broken promises and unintended consequences), political economic context, and ethical criticisms of robots, cyborgs, and the possible future of the human species. Bioethicists, the authors argue, find problems whereas engineers find innovative solutions; the point apparently being that humanists are not really necessary, other than as bothersome nags who cannot simply shut up and accept the onward march of technoscientific progress. (That humanists often point out future problems which may be solved by altering present trajectories is ignored, as is the inconvenient fact that technical solutions usually come with a host of new, attendant problems. In the words of Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park, "Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn't stop to think if they should." That whole figuring out if we should or not is the purview of the humanists, if not the human population as a whole.)
Lest readers of this review think Thom a mindless Luddite and pissed off old man who just don't like the newfangled gewgaws and wants the damn kids to stop playing in my yard, they are only partially correct. I've been a fan of science and of science fiction for my entire life, but I've also grown up in a world where science promised more than it was able to deliver, time and again. I often comment (only half-jokingly) to wife, kid, and friends that I would gladly be uploaded into a machine or cyborg, so that I could escape the aches and pains of my weary flesh; luckily one of those friends, who happens to be a humanist medical doctor and chair of medical humanities at a Midwestern medical school, reminded me of context: whomever would pay to have me uploaded probably has an agenda in mind that is entirely different from my cyber-goal of providing for my eternal comfort with an infinite library at my disposal. This book needs a stronger dose of that sort of cold water to temper the authors' enthusiasm.
I expected a robust discussion of not only the current trends in robotics and cybernetics but also their implications for society and the human species; instead I got the usual techno-utopian cheerleading that relies on weak, if not actually false, analogies (e.g., "We've always been tool users, so therefore being cyborgs with implanted/integrated "tools" won't really be anything novel," or "We've always been tinkering with genes through breeding, and so implanting new genes directly into crop species isn't really anything new") and which ignores the history of technoscience's broken utopian promises (flying cars, anyone?) and unintended consequences.
I was also fairly appalled at the implied dismissal of a humanist approach to these technologies, one that adds a nuanced historical perspective (see above re: broken promises and unintended consequences), political economic context, and ethical criticisms of robots, cyborgs, and the possible future of the human species. Bioethicists, the authors argue, find problems whereas engineers find innovative solutions; the point apparently being that humanists are not really necessary, other than as bothersome nags who cannot simply shut up and accept the onward march of technoscientific progress. (That humanists often point out future problems which may be solved by altering present trajectories is ignored, as is the inconvenient fact that technical solutions usually come with a host of new, attendant problems. In the words of Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park, "Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn't stop to think if they should." That whole figuring out if we should or not is the purview of the humanists, if not the human population as a whole.)
Lest readers of this review think Thom a mindless Luddite and pissed off old man who just don't like the newfangled gewgaws and wants the damn kids to stop playing in my yard, they are only partially correct. I've been a fan of science and of science fiction for my entire life, but I've also grown up in a world where science promised more than it was able to deliver, time and again. I often comment (only half-jokingly) to wife, kid, and friends that I would gladly be uploaded into a machine or cyborg, so that I could escape the aches and pains of my weary flesh; luckily one of those friends, who happens to be a humanist medical doctor and chair of medical humanities at a Midwestern medical school, reminded me of context: whomever would pay to have me uploaded probably has an agenda in mind that is entirely different from my cyber-goal of providing for my eternal comfort with an infinite library at my disposal. This book needs a stronger dose of that sort of cold water to temper the authors' enthusiasm.
October 26, 2018
We already have androids living among us known as many names: Soulless ones, NPCs, robots, clones, zombies,and etc. It's now 2018 and if you haven't noticed that yet...you are asleep!
This book is very very subtlety revealing the truth to the point that unawaken readers will brush it off as something that hasn't happened yet and is in the future.
When I first read this book in 2010, I was a newbie in Transhumanism. In 2018, since a lot of truth has been released about our world and etc. I've realized Transhumanisim is to imprison you further in this 3D Matirix hell earth. If you want that...then go along with their agenda.
Also, I don't know what the soul is, but I do know it is highly prized and wanted by those (non-humans, and fake humans) who don't have it. Too many books fiction and non-fiction have spoken about the quest of attaining a soul or stealing one. So I'm not fooled by Dr. Anne Foerst from MIT who said in the book that "soul is not something you have, but something you participate in".
She is mixing the notion of soul with person-hood in the philosophical sphere.
I came to the conclusion that this flesh body suit we are wearing is an advanced technological costume built perhaps by some evil race in the distant past to imprison our Soul and Real Self.
We are living in a society with those who don't have a Soul and are an empty container to host whatever entity takes over their shell body, or living as a programmed living doll.
This book is very very subtlety revealing the truth to the point that unawaken readers will brush it off as something that hasn't happened yet and is in the future.
When I first read this book in 2010, I was a newbie in Transhumanism. In 2018, since a lot of truth has been released about our world and etc. I've realized Transhumanisim is to imprison you further in this 3D Matirix hell earth. If you want that...then go along with their agenda.
Also, I don't know what the soul is, but I do know it is highly prized and wanted by those (non-humans, and fake humans) who don't have it. Too many books fiction and non-fiction have spoken about the quest of attaining a soul or stealing one. So I'm not fooled by Dr. Anne Foerst from MIT who said in the book that "soul is not something you have, but something you participate in".
She is mixing the notion of soul with person-hood in the philosophical sphere.
I came to the conclusion that this flesh body suit we are wearing is an advanced technological costume built perhaps by some evil race in the distant past to imprison our Soul and Real Self.
We are living in a society with those who don't have a Soul and are an empty container to host whatever entity takes over their shell body, or living as a programmed living doll.
June 29, 2012
This book brings up the possibilities of the relationship between humans and technology. Conflict of emotion and logic, religion and evolution; sadly even in the last chapter all conflicts never really were settled by the author. Yet I guess it is the trouble of adding ethics to the subjects adds more problems/questions!
I am very interested in investigating the source material, for I felt (besides the interviews)a lot of the material was based on fiction and I still crave for my concrete or historical context.
I am very interested in investigating the source material, for I felt (besides the interviews)a lot of the material was based on fiction and I still crave for my concrete or historical context.
May 28, 2010
Filled with information and ideas to jump-start the imagination of a fiction writer. It's difficult to publish anything in this arena and remain on the cutting edge of the moment, but Benford manages to discuss a variety of ideas and scenarios provoked by the subject matter.
Along with the changing news we see every day, I'd consider this an invaluable resource to anyone interested in the topic.
Along with the changing news we see every day, I'd consider this an invaluable resource to anyone interested in the topic.
August 20, 2008
Fascinating and solidly grounded, filled with interviews with scientists, engineers, ethicists, and others actually doing the work in the fields discussed. Not only interesting as a look at some ways life may be different for future generations, but great as a source of plot elements or background details for science fiction writers. Highly recommended!
Want to read
March 31, 2012A Tor book
April 1, 2009
Interesting discussion set in the framework of popular media.
August 12, 2009
very weird!
March 27, 2010
Interesting, but the authors are clearly scientists, not writers.
May 5, 2010
Not a bad read, per se, but a bit bland. Heavier on philosophy than hard science, and I've no use for that.
January 4, 2012
This isn't great literature. But if you like to stay abreast of the latest technology, especially regarding human/tech interaction or even symbiosis pick this book up.
November 9, 2011
If you're all familiar with anything technology, just skip to Part 3
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews