Transhumanism in the Modern World

 

    Imagine living in a world where our thoughts were only validated as data points that are used as means to an end. Where our bodies had the capabilities to be transformed into supercomputers much like smart phones. Where we gained long lasting autonomy but lost some of what makes mankind, man. This is a posthuman society, this is a transhuman society. 

    Rewinding the clock back to the mid 20th century, British Biologist, Julian Huxley is researching in a post Darwin world. Huxley is among the most decorated evolutionary synthesizers and therefore becomes the first general director of UNESCO in 1946, where he learns of the importance of global education and the present absence of it. It is after this point that Huxley begins to realize how much of societies struggles could be eliminated if mankind used the knowledge they currently possessed to make technology that would eliminate their challenges and only advance over time. This was Huxley's 1957 "discovery" of transhumanism. In today's terminology, transhumanism is described as both a scientific and philosophical movement which advocates for the use of current and emerging technology to augment human capabilities, while improving human condition. After a society has fully transitioned to a transhuman way of life, that civilization is dubbed, posthuman. 

    In a truly posthuman society, the individuals living within it are operating in ways much more mathematical than today. This is because individual thoughts that are shared with policy makers would be complied as pieces to a societal puzzle. These "puzzle pieces" would then be assessed for the path of greatest success and least societal suffering. Urban centers would change shape as we move to greener, more eco friendly solutions, powered by the technology we create. Healthcare would see many advancements as implantable technology would be popularized. These implantables are different from today's pacemakers and defibrillators as they would have capabilities of their own to act on our bodies as they see fit.

This would increase the lifespan of the human subject but also relinquish some personal liberties to the implantable. Implantables with such capabilities would only be possible with advancements to nanotechnology. This is technology which is partly available today, would eliminate the need for routine general practitioner visits, as the device would be able to anticipate what it is the patient needs and control the cellular framework accordingly. With such healthcare it can be theorized that the human population would see the elimination of select cancers and several other chronic conditions that are only treatable with the early detection that would be available. 

    It can be obviously observed that the use of a transhumanistic society would greatly increase the wellness of humans and potentially bring better more equal order to the societies around us. These advantages are then contrasted by the liberties mankind would lose if we were to live in the posthuman. When our thoughts are classified as data points instead of emotional segments, mankind loses our ability to connect with each other as living, breathing, passionate beings. These elements are essential to personhood as we know it and when we take those away, mankind isn't far off from numbers on a calculator, with the only goal of getting the right answer. This is where the problem lies, life is not only about getting it right the first time, rather figuring our challenges out as they arise. Sometimes this means taking the path that might be lesser traveled and appear more difficult, but has the potential for optimal success on the backend. This liberty is what allows humans to prosper together and when we are forced to live an analytical life, free of personhood, the meaning of life is starting to slip away.     

    Whereas healthcare is concerned, the positive implications of transhumanism and its technologies can extend human life far beyond our current means. This extension can be seen as an extraordinary feat as it fends off mankind's ultimate destruction, death. Pushing death to the wayside is only possible when we give parts of ourselves up in return. Implantables powered by nanotechnology will automate our internal functions and will do so without cognition of human desires. This comes under question for elder adults who have court mandated DNR & DNIs. The nanotechnologies would not initially have the intellect to detect when they should and should not save a person's life, instead they will be always "on". This eliminates a human's liberty to choose what happens to them and how they die, something many Americans hold close. The choice will then be up to the individual, whether or not extending their life and increasing their medical autonomy is worth relinquishing some very personal liberties. 

    The socioeconomic situation of a nation or community will greatly affect the rate at which they are able to advance into a posthuman society. In nations of economic stability like those in Scandinavia, the transition will be much easier than for less fortunate middle eastern nations in situations relative to Yemen. Some nations have already privately expressed transhumanism within their societies. In the United States, private companies like SpaceX have taken over select private sectors and express many transhuman values, in their quest to extend human colonization and thereafter life. Moving our world into the posthuman will be different for every individual that lives through it. Many will reject it; some will encourage its spread, but few will feel the same way about this shift. In the end, the outcomes appear to benefit mankind in its longevity and time will only tell how mankind advances.

Living in the Age of AI

 

       What was once only an imagination out of a science fiction film, has become the new reality. A world of artificial intelligence (AI) is one where robotic supercomputers control elements of our lives, develop solutions to the most taxing hurdles, and expand our grasp like never before. AI is one of the most incredible tools we have developed as humans in the modern world. Artificial Intelligence has the power to propel mankind far beyond where we stand today. AI can be described as technology that enables computers and machines to emulate human intelligence and problem solving skills. The infinite number of skills an AI unit can learn allows the systems to evolve as the users' needs change and society demands change.

    The technologies greatest strength, its adaptability also renders its users with its greatest weakness, privacy. For the software to improve as time progresses the hardware must learn its users every move and predict what it will need in the future. This computational ability is unlike anything we have been able to create in the past but what disturbs the most people in the present. When artificial intelligence enters your technological ecosystem, the user has approved access for the program to dive into every element that gives each person their identity. This is often an unknown side effect of the mundane "accept the terms and conditions" boxes that we all select everyday. This data is not only complied to improve the capabilities of the program but also to create sellable data for other corporations to use in targeted advertisement campaigns. 

    Copying the actions of mankind means artificial intelligence can cause real danger, only relative to that of another human. As AI can digest large sums of data at astonishing speeds, the software has become a grave national security threat for U.S. and nations alike. The programs powered by AI are able to study data and outcomes expectancies at speeds unattainable by their human counterparts. This allows for complex informed decision making and precise intelligence gathering all at the same time. The U.S. fears this type of modern warfare could deem current systems useless in an AI attack where the opponent is creating plans on the fly, as situations evolve. In an everyday outlook, the use of AI data scraping is immensely dangerous for the companies we trust with our personal data. The use of AI for malicious cyber acts has skyrocketed in the last several years, making cyber attacks like that of LinkedIn possible.

    While AI is posing a danger on the global front, it is quite literally stealing the lives of people around the globe. This statement is twofold as the software is causing the removal of humans from their jobs. These individuals are being replaced with much more cost effective robotic or algorithmic units. It was described that AI is robbing the women in America of their jobs. This is due to the large portion of women holding less sophisticated occupations that are easily automated. While the companies are saving on their bottom line, women are struggling to put food on the table for their families. In instances where the artificial intelligence does steal the jobs of the individual, the software is known to seal the identities of users. This has been seen around the globe. Since AI knows so much about its users already, hackers have a relatively easy route into their lives. This allows cyber terrorists to manipulate the data into new people with the existing users' credentials, social security numbers, and all other personal identifiable information.

    As the world advances, artificial intelligence has carved out a unique area in society where it will continue to develop. Its development will without a doubt expand human capabilities but will have drawbacks in terms of privacy and everyday encroachment on personal autonomy. The informed knowledge we can gather today will help shape the AI landscape for our future. The quicker we can understand the best ways to control artificial intelligence, the more likely we are to create a space where it can be used as we desire. 

The Price of Connectivity: Privacy, Online & Off

 

    No one knows us better, most of mankind couldn't function without it, we trust it with our most personal information. This type of diction might indicate that I am speaking of a person, however, the "thing" we are discussing is the internet. The World Wide Web has been in use since the early 90's but the idea of keeping an "identity score" has been around since the time of the second world war. The idea that we as humans are being tracked for our every move, our every search, for the places we visit, and the ones we love. Online privacy has come under scrutiny over the past decade for its lack of transparency in the ways the devices, apps, and browsers we trust have collected data points on its users. These services have been collecting pieces to a puzzle about our lives and now know our personalities, families, and goals for the future. 

    On individual and societal levels these safety concerns affect all aspects of the community chain. Several decades ago, internet security was not a problem because it was never as heavily intertwined into our lives, as it is today. The issue was primarily furthered by the invention of Apples iPhone in 2007. This marked the start of the pocket supper computer. Since most of society today uses their smartphone for every aspect of their lives, it allows the devices services to create a permanent tattoo of the person you are.

    When society is trusting sensitive personal information with site operators, the need for strict internet security is ever more crucial. In June of 2021, the professional networking giant LinkedIn was scraped for its personal identifiable data by hacker with the screen name "God User". This individual posted 90% of the platform's user base on a dark web forum. The personal identifiable information exposed included phone numbers, emails, geolocation records, and genders. This breach gave additional hackers a tremendous amount of data to pull from in order to conduct additional fraudulent acts. LinkedIn was not alone; these types of data breaches have happened to almost all social and professional services. This means hundreds of millions of U.S. residents are affected by internet hackers, data breaches, and lack of proper storage of personal information on the web each year.

    With so many data related issues compromising the security of the users each year, the call for sweeping changes to internet privacy regulations have never been louder. Citizens around the world are calling for tech companies to not store or better safeguard the information generated by each user so that no data breach can inflect such serious harm. Such changes will require governmental action to take shape as laws must be passed in order for the most powerful and cunning organizations to comply. While this type of affirmative action will take time, we, as the user do have the capability to protect parts of our digital lives. One simple step each individual can take is to "reject the cookies" on each website they visit. This click of a button will prevent websites and apps from placing small pieces of malware, on your device and tracking your movements across browsing tabs.

    While nothing will keep all of your personal data safe on the internet until companies are forbidden from storing it. The diligence in attempting to protect yourself goes a long way in your personal fight for internet welfare.  

AntiWar Voices in America

 

    Growing up in American schools, it was mundane to hear about the most recent American troop movements or troop confrontations abroad, in our history classes. It was never discussed that we are at "war" with any nations, rather that our troops are fighting for the freedoms of the American people. No teacher ever described our troop movements or actions as a negative either, instead telling the class that international conflicts bring work and industry to Americans in order to provide the materials necessary for battle. This misconception shaped the lives of our earliest teachers who then passed that information off onto my generation over 20 years later. This false narrative stems from decades of government interest in war. 

     When the US government declares they are at war with any nation or group across the globe, the powers that are now at their disposal are considerably more powerful than our founding fathers ever intended for each branch of government to be. When in wartime, the Executive Branch has the power to deploy troops under the War Powers Resolution, without the approval of congress. This gives the government enhanced surveillance privileges both domestically and abroad. The NSA, FBI, and CIA now have the power to monitor threats and gather intelligence with few limitations. This is often seen as a backdoor for the US government to encroach on its citizens privacy and the information they hold close. Wartime powers even reach into the restriction of foundational civil liberties like that of freedoms of speech, press, and assembly. The government and its agencies can now monitor and regulate groups which it deems to be a threat to international security. Just the addition of these three powers is enough to give the US government a much wider look into the lives of its citizens. The increased powers protect government interests and prevent unseen political weapons from arising without prior government knowledge. The interests of the government have colluded with the ways we educate Americans for the past 80 years, causing rapid misconceptions on the true nature of wars on our nation. 

    In today's mainstream media, the broadcasts we often hear explain the "wars" America is in, but never focus on the broad opposition many Americans feel or the negatives it brings along. When first hearing about websites like ANTIWAR.COM and The American Conservative (TAC) it is not surprising that I have never heard of them before. Even after searching "stop war" into Google, these sites don't appear for several pages based on Google's search optimization. The voices of these writers are a strong contrast to both sides of the aisle's views on war. The authors depict war as a recession starting legal manslaughter. Both sites claim to be speaking on what is right for America, not what suits one political party over another. This type of language can pose a threat to American politicians who often act in ways that is not solely the best for our nation, rather for their presidential candidate and their political party. 

    Since it has been known that Google's search engine is highly filtered, aligning with governmental interests. It is now apparent why these sites are buried under hundreds of less strait forward, antiwar voices. Since most Americans will not seek out obscure websites to gain various news perspectives, keeping these sites off the first page of a Google search is a considerable course of action to keep their content from Americans, who are looking for convenient news. If Americans cannot find these sources of news, they will simply never hear about them, as mainstream news sources would never attempt such objections. To be as blunt as the authors of the articles posted on ANTIWAR and TAC requires a publication that does not fear censorship as mainstream news sources do, as the hidden government contracts the big sources hold provide substantial revenue to their bottom line.

    Either way Americans fall on their opinions of war, they deserve to be shown the most unfiltered news. News that does not put the desires of the government before the truth and the opinions of the masses. News that our founding fathers would have been proud to read, that discusses all avenues of disagreement and allows the people to make their opinions up for themselves. 

Communication Technologies - What I learned about YouTube

   

    While Valentine's Day is a day know for love and adoration, in the year 2005 the world was given a very different expression of love. February 14th, 2005, Steve Chen, Jawed Karim, and Chad Hurley released their labor of love, a video streaming platform, YouTube. As the brainchild of three former PayPal employees, YouTube was designed as its name states, with "you" the user in mind. The platform highlights its consumer on both ends of the platform's purpose, with the consumer uploading their own videos and viewing those of others. This was the first time the world had seen a video streaming service and especially one which the user has control over both the content uploaded to the site and the content available to all users. 

    In the months following its official launch in December of 2005, the platform was experiencing about 2 million video views each day. This level of public interaction with the platform brought the company to societies main stage. People were using YouTube, people were talking about YouTube, and people were learning from YouTube. When its founders were searching for the main goals of the platform they knew they wanted global collaboration of content, but they never expected the boom that would follow.

    After mounting success for the young company in 2005 and 2006, internet giant, Google took interest. With a current valuation of 1.65 billion, Google purchased YouTube from the three founders with the hope of taking a foothold into a region of the internet they had not yet been able to gain traction in, the video sharing side. When Google acquired the startup, YouTube was losing money annually as the main corporate trajectory was to gain users and viewers with less of a financial focus. In the years following the acquisition, Google introduced advertisements within the streaming service. In August of 2007 the first ads were introduced with the buyers being Fox, The Simpsons Movie, BMW, and Hairspray. These 2 years marked the start of YouTubes profitability, which has led to its almost 200 billion dollar evaluation today. The interest from the ad purchasers was that they could create ads from a range of industries that would appeal to the likes of all user demographics, as the platform began to see some of the youngest and oldest in mankind viewing their content.

    Looking back, YouTube has changed global society. What started out with the concept of video online dating, with influence from the website Hot or Not turned into one of the world's first portals of communication. The YouTuber is born! The first YouTuber, co-founder Jawed Karim posted, "Me at the Zoo" on April 23, 2005. As video capabilities have been enhanced, we have seen the rise of content creators like Mr.Breast and DudePerfect. These creators have been able to make a considerable amount of money by way of ad and product deals that was previously only reserved for A class celebrity income.  

    YouTube has transformed the ways everyone, no matter socioeconomic status nor geographical region can learn, share, and experience. The platforms free nature allows for those who cannot afford high ticket streaming services to enjoy a laugh over a funny video and entertain themselves for the simple price of a several second advertisement. This type of accessibility has powered educators and pros to post content onto the platform, encouraging the best form of public information sharing. This has become essential for every DIYer and math student alike, as the free unfiltered assistance makes all the difference. The new experiences YouTube has given mankind can only be compared to the early 20th century when the radio was first introduced. The radio and YouTube both instantaneously connect its user with the world around them as they immerse the user's senses in the information at hand and connect individuals' oceans apart, like never before.

Communication Technology - The Radio

     In a time when communication took days, an invention that bridged the communication gap changed the lives Americans. In 1885 Germany, Heinrich Hertz proved the existence of radio waves through the use of an induction coil. Hertz attached a spark gap to an induction coil, and a separate spark gap to a receiving antenna. As waves were created by the spark gap attached to the coil, small sparks were shows to be "jumping" as waves were received by the antenna. This simple homemade experiment proved to Hertz that radio waves were indeed real and could be transmitted. As his discovery revolutionized communication across the world, the frequency Hertz discovered was accredited with is name. In the time from then until the early 20th century and the use of Nikola Tesla's Tesla Coil, radios were able to be mass produced.

    Before the radio was invented, news our nation was seeking to spread had to be communicated via face-to-face conversations, print messages, and even telegraph messages. These means of communication worked well for their time but had many limitations to their use. Face to face communication worked wonderfully in areas of close proximity to the news source but was limited to the radius those individuals could travel. At the time, print communications were the most popular means of message dissemination, as they provided detailed and accurate transmissions. The drawback came as the mode at which they traveled took days. Telegrams required the least amount of effort but took at least a day for a message to travel from New York to Los Angeles, depending on density of current telegraph communication. These messages were often lack luster as many details were omitted. Before the radio, when news left its source it took hours to days for that news to reach its destination. The time passing as the news traveled proved to be incredibly inefficient in the evolving world. 

     By 1906, the radio had made its way to American society. On Christmas Eve of that year, Reginald Fessenden makes the first radio transmission of both voice and sound. Fessenden preformed an on-air concert to the ships of the United Fruit Company who sailed off the cost of his Brant Rock Massachusetts broadcasting tower. Just a few short days after Fessenden performed his historic on-air concert the radio was further improved upon with the development of the audion vacuum tube. This glass tube, created by Lee De Forest allowed for the transmission of radio waves across any distance, with no limitation as long as its means of transmission ended at an accepting antenna. This addition to the radio solved the limitation of a mile in transmission distance as well as allowed for the instantaneous message transmission our advancing nation required. 

    In the years following 1906, the radio was fully incorporated into American society. By 1920, most towns and cities across the nation had both public and private radios. This allowed for the Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Corporation, known by the callsign KDKA, to transmit the results of the presidential election live to all of America. On November 2nd, 1920, KDKA's Leo Rosenberg was heard across America sharing with all Americans that Warren G. Harding has won the White House over opponent James Cox. This marked the first time in history that all Americans could hear the same news at the same time. This created a shared sense of pride in America as everyone could hear Rosenberg's 18-hour live broadcast. His broadcast not only brought the information directly from the source to its audience, but the radio did so in a speed never before seen. A little over 10 years later, starting in 1933 and taking place until 1944, US president Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) conducted his messages to the American people over radio, these speeches were dubbed the Fireside Chats. The radio gave this US president the first ever opportunity to speak candidly to the American people. Having a radio in your home gave FDR a foothold into your everyday life and listening to any of his 30 speeches calmed the nerves of Americans across the nation during some of America's darkest hours. 

    Americas emersion into the possibilities of the radio revolutionized the shared experiences citizens had the privilege of experiencing. No matter the age, when the radio came on people gathered. It became the everyday man's eyes into the world, the central source of accurate, detailed, and reliable information. One

of the greatest benefits of the radio was its ability to actively prevent the spread of disinformation. This was common in the days of person-to-person communication as it was a game of telephone but the radio served as its permanent solution. The newly informed America pulled its citizens into the daily occurrences from around the world, it created political and social awareness not possible before this type of mass communication. The radio transformed the American way, closing its knowledge gap and advancing its citizens for decades to come.

    

Eight Values of Free Expression

The beauty of the United States lies in our unique ability to express our opinions for better or worse, true and untrue. This liberty is created out of the first amendment. The first amendment states that, "congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." Within this amendment, the eight values of freedom of expression are validated as "safe" ways for the people of the United States to convey their feelings on any issue that is brought to the forefront of American society. 

In contrast, North Korean society silences those who wish to speak out against their government, as they must always bit their tongue. If they were to express their thoughts or ideas about the society they reside in, it could cost them their life. Societies like that of North Korean and China prevent their residents from expressing freedom of speech, their governments are dictatorial and communist, meaning the power is held within the highest branches of their government and kept from the people. When the United States was established, our democracy was intended to serve the opposite effect, giving equal power to all branches of government and relinquishing freedoms, like that of freedom of speech, to the people. Ensuring the free speech of the people of the newly formed United States of America was essential for our founding fathers because they believed that their citizens ability to express themselves was indispensable to the free flowing of ideas and the spread of political truths. The idea of freedom is what our nation was founded upon, if we were to lose our first amendment right of freedom of speech and therefore the eight values of free expression, it would alleviate the American spirt that our country holds dear and prevent individual and national growth that comes by way of this liberty. 

Whereas all eight freedoms of expression are in use today, the fourth, individual self-fulfillment seems to be of a heightened emphasis in today's society. Over the past two hundred years, the interpretations of our freedoms have been altered with the times. This has allowed for a rotation of sorts to occur, over the last several decades the eight freedoms continue to rotate in popularity. I see the freedom of individual self-fulfillment at an all time high as we transition into a society that is much more in tune with the individual needs of our people. This is coupled with newfound acceptance of previously taboo societal roles and social norms. This emphasis on accepting all individuals as they are leaves room for all citizens to discover what they love, and how they wish to live their life. I believe this freedom has gained popularity in the most recent decade as Americans are turning less and less to religious institutions where they once looked for guidance. As the separation of religious life becomes even more prevalent, the acceptance of people as they are, has become even more popular. In an evolving society that believes in free flowing of ideas as a means to generate innovation, I believe this freedom is essential because it allows all individuals to know they are accepted and have the ability to discover and share their lifestyle as it may help others around them. This forward-thinking approach has the power to cultivate a more harmonious society, the trouble may become when all individuals do not support this type of personal and societal advancement. 

In the current political landscape, there is an emphasis on degrading and demoralizing comments being passed between political opponents. Their constant quarrel is often very difficult to hear as opponents tear each other apart, going far beyond political purview, and look to cause psychological harm to each other. While it might be uncomfortable to hear, the hate speech they project is protected under the freedom to promote tolerance. This freedom recognizes the fundamental rights of others to speak how they desire and our duty as US citizens to allow them to speak their mind as it allows the rest of society to recognize why a select line can be seen as hateful or personally upsetting. The freedom believes that in a society where the people are taught to be tolerant, they are classified as a better society.

In the current political situation, the most common individual that is classified as inciting hateful speech is republican presidential frontrunner, Donald Trump. Mr. Trumps speech is often seen as vilification by many opponents on both sides of the aisle. Under Trumps freedom of speech, he has no constitutional obligation to change his tone, nor do the people have a constitutional right to ask him to stop. Within the promotion of tolerance, it would be seen that our society is benefiting from his actions as we are learning how to be tolerant with his personally upsetting diction, and we are learning why this type of behavior is inappropriate for the national stage.