The human body is a complex entity consisting of four main components:
cells, tissue, organs and systems. The latter can further be divided into ten categories: skeletal, nervous,
respiratory, etc. Given such
intricacy, it’s no wonder the human body is a marvel to many people, even
inspiring art. Whether the
ancient works of Polyclitus, contemporary pieces by Ousmane Sow, or even
exhibits displaying internal organs, the human form has been deified via
sculpture, film and media in general for centuries. But how much is propaganda?
An episode of Seinfeld begins with Jerry lamenting over the amount of
maintenance the human body requires. He goes on to insist “If your body was a car you wouldn’t buy it.” Whether
the writers knew it or not, Jerry’s evaluation was hinting at a futurist
philosophy that stands to alter to the personal experience as we know
it.
Transhumanism
can be described, loosely, as the belief that evolution can be manipulated
using science and technology, with the overall goal of advancing
humanity. In their podcast
Stuff To Blow You Mind, hosts detail how Transhumanism comes in
various ideological flavors, including: democratic, corporate, Christian and
more. Though I can’t confirm
which branch I fall under (nor do I care to) an assertion I stand behind is
that: without a universal reference point, one can’t assume that human
beings are the peak of organic development.
It’d also be unwise to assume
the human body is the optimal medium for rendering consciousness. Supposing these assertions are true, the human body begins to lose its
romantic appeal and areas for improvement become more salient.
Trying to compose a list of the physical aspects of the human body that
need an update may prove difficult, given the subjectivity of the
topic. One could argue our
lack of gills is a hindrance; making a whole environment inaccessible, sans
clunky breathing equipment. Others may prefer the ability to rotate the head 270°, like owls. Though, our
peripheral vision, which owls don’t have, sort of makes that ability
moot.
Nevertheless, there are other shortcomings that make urban living less efficient and even dangerous. For example, driving is most stressful when I’m perpendicular to traffic and can’t safely merge due to my view being obstructed; either by tall landscaping ironically placed at the exit of a business’ property, or even a big ass truck that stops me from seeing oncoming cars.
Granted, this could signal more of a flaw in automobile design, but one
can’t help but question whether the human eye, as it stands, is adequate
for the fast-paced nature of city life. Of course, vision isn’t the only area that leaves something to be
desired.
The endocrine system has especially been a source of criticism during the
quarantine. Given my
commitment to relying on passive air rather than a/c, I’m usually more wet
than dry. While I understand
the importance of sweat to remove toxins from the body, it’s annoying that
leaking water is the only way it can achieve homeostasis after a strenuous
activity.
Appetite, from research, seems to overlap with the digestive and nervous
systems. Further, I don’t
need a dataset to conclude that many people, including me, have a bad
relationship with food. Sure, my junk intake could
be a lot worse, but the fact that so much restraint is required to not
overeat highlights a clear fault in the feedback scheme that occurs
between the brain and other bodily components. Arguing that people should just practice “discipline” is a copout and
merely a defense of shitty architecture.
Similarly, sleep inertia is another example of an inefficient
feedback system. According
to a PubMed article, it is defined as “the grogginess felt upon awakening”
that gradually dissipates (Hilditch). Sleep inertia is problematic because it seems to have no correlation to
how much sleep is needed: it can occur even after a long night’s sleep,
maybe even more-so.
One can reason this inertia is beneficial in situations where we’ve been
suddenly awakened, such as from a phone call.
But I’d say that rebuttal
only highlights another flaw: our inability to instantly fall asleep
without the help of sedatives, which come with their own risks. Overall, sleep is an interesting topic that could be further expanded on.
But the immediate gist is
that it would be better if, rather than a continuous process, sleep were
discrete with an instant start and stop.
Indeed, my biggest gripe with the human design is perhaps the most
controversial but conveys the most promise. I’m referring to the coupling between mind and body, and how there is no
safe way to extract a human’s consciousness and install it in a different
shell. The benefits of such
interchangeability are many, with immortality being the most obvious.
However, as exciting as eternal life is, I feel body swapping would be more applicable to social equality. This assumption is rooted in my observation of how, on Earth, certain physical features are valued more than others. Whether height or bone structure, it’s clear those with desirable physical attributes experience greater social and economic privilege; this obviously affects quality of life. Although the body positivity movement insists the solution is media diversity and representation, the idea that certain features will ever be devalued is naïve.
Fortunately, advancements in genetic engineering could make a
customizable body more reality than fiction. Though, given the collective pushback from scientists and Luddites alike,
research in this field is facing some hurdles; this is in addition to
institutions that want to commercialize technology like Crispr, in a
manner like Monsanto’s patenting of seeds.
Granted, VR is another option to attain social equality. However, unless some major advancement occurs in terms of storage,
bandwidth and haptics, I’d still argue that genetic engineering is a more
feasible solution; not to mention it’s more currently under attack.
Essentially, transhumanism aims to address mankind’s evolutionary
shortcomings via technological advancements. I’ve listed areas that I feel aren’t too niche and that most working
adults can relate to: sight, perspiration, sleep, appetite and physical
features are examples of areas where engineering can and already is being
applied to better the human condition; listed in order of descending
triviality.
Of course, there are other design faults: violent sneezing, hemorrhoids
and male nipples (what’s up with that?) are a few that come to mind. However, this post isn’t exhaustive, and just serves as a topical survey
of transhumanism. My purpose
was mainly to provide context for future content, in which I’ll dive more
into my radical beliefs and the reasoning behind them. Until then, thanks for reading and stay pissed.
References:
Hilditch, C. J., & McHill, A. W. (2019). Sleep inertia: current
insights. Nature and science of sleep, 11, 155–165.
https://doi.org/10.2147/NSS.S188911
Joy, Rebecca. “How to
Identify and Style Your Hair Type” 2019. https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/types-of-hair
SEER Training Modules, Intro to the Human Body. U. S. National Institutes
of Health, National Cancer Institute. 20, June 2020. https://training.seer.cancer.gov/anatomy/body/
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