Ray Moscow
18 Mar 2011, 01:37 PM
Interesting article about how the superheroes The Avengers can help us think about transhumanism:
The Avengers Help You Understand Your Fears About Transhumanism (http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2011/03/17/let-the-avengers-help-you-understand-your-fears-about-transhumanism/)
There you have it: The Monster, The God, The Robot, and The Soldier each represent the fears, hopes, and views of science associated with transhumanism and human enhancement. One archetype alone may not capture your thoughts. Just as the Avengers are a team that “fights enemies no one hero can face,” these different ideas can be mixed and matched. You may fear the God and hope for the Soldier but worry The Monster is reflective of how science might actually be.
The key is that enhancement isn’t itself scary, but the way we think science and society work color our views of progress. Of course, this list isn’t exhaustive, but it gives as a good start. My comics knowledge is limited, so feel free to suggest some others. So the next time you think about genetic engineering or augmented reality goggles and feel a twinge of concern, ask yourself which of the Avengers is framing your thoughts.
The Avengers Help You Understand Your Fears About Transhumanism (http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2011/03/17/let-the-avengers-help-you-understand-your-fears-about-transhumanism/)
There you have it: The Monster, The God, The Robot, and The Soldier each represent the fears, hopes, and views of science associated with transhumanism and human enhancement. One archetype alone may not capture your thoughts. Just as the Avengers are a team that “fights enemies no one hero can face,” these different ideas can be mixed and matched. You may fear the God and hope for the Soldier but worry The Monster is reflective of how science might actually be.
The key is that enhancement isn’t itself scary, but the way we think science and society work color our views of progress. Of course, this list isn’t exhaustive, but it gives as a good start. My comics knowledge is limited, so feel free to suggest some others. So the next time you think about genetic engineering or augmented reality goggles and feel a twinge of concern, ask yourself which of the Avengers is framing your thoughts.