Includes bibliographical references (pages 265-277) and index.
Contents:
When humans and technology merge -- "Better than the heart I was born with" -- The race to beat kidney, lung, and liver disease -- Got diabetes? There's an app for that -- Jump-started by the U.S. military -- Building a better brain -- The ageless society -- The age of social robots -- Just don't call it transhumanism.
Summary:
" Never before in the history of medicine has mankind faced such hope and peril as those of us poised to embrace the radical medical technologies of today. Beyond Human examines the medical technologies taking shape at the nexus of computing, microelectronics, engineering, nanotechnology, cellular and gene therapies, and robotics. These technologies will dramatically transform our lives and allow us to live for hundreds of years. Yet, with these blessings come complicated practical and ethical issues, some of which we can predict, but many we cannot. Beyond Human taps the minds of doctors, scientists, and engineers engaged in developing a host of new technologies while telling the stories of some of the patients courageously testing the radical new treatments about to come into the market. Beyond Human asks the difficult questions of the scientists and bioethicists who seek to ensure that as our bodies and brains become ever more artificial, we hold onto our humanity. In this new world, will everyone have access to technological miracles, or will we end up living in a world of radical disparities? How will society accommodate life spans that extend into hundreds of years? Will we and our descendants be able to bring about the dream of a future liberated by technology, or will we end up merely serving the machines and devices that keep us healthy, smart, young, and alive? "-- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.