Synopses & Reviews
Transhumanism is an international movement that advocates the use of science and technology to overcome the "natural" limitations experienced by humanity through such developments as:
- the Singularity--the creation of machine intelligences that exceed the capacities of our biological brains
- the ability to replicate individual minds and put them into solid-state bodies or virtual environments
- individual control over mental and emotional states for enhancing functionalities and/or ecstasies
Some of this is happening now. Some of it is still in the minds of dreamers.
In nearly ninety A-Z entries, Transcendence provides a multilayered look at the accelerating advances in artificial intelligence, cognitive science, genomics, information technology, nanotechnology, neuroscience, space exploration, synthetic biology, robotics, and virtual worlds that are making transhumanism a reality. Entries range from Cloning and Cyborg Feminism to Designer Babies and Memory-Editing Drugs. In addition, the book notes historical predecessors and personalities, both in mythology and history--ranging from Timothy Leary to Michael Jackson to Ray Kurzweil. It also introduces the culture around Transhumanism, covering all the geeky obsessions of the Transhumanist movement.
Review
"Being of the same energy field as myself, I now throw a sack full of gold dust into the arena and dare anyone to be either funnier or smarter than this R. U. Sirius." -Andrei Codrescu
Review
"RU Sirius presents us with his own psychedelic guide to the galaxy in this adventurous idea-rich book, bootstrapping on emerging technologies that beckon us to take control of our evolutionary destiny and lead humanity towards radical new landscapes of mind, of dream, of cosmos, of possibility. Metaphors for self-transcendence are 'literalized' as we 'timelapse' our capacity to artfully remake the world and ourselves." --Jason Silva
Review
"Sure-footed guides through the treacherous landscapes of infinite possibility, RU Sirius and Jay Cornell are lucid, witty, and stealthily profound. Transcendence is a refreshingly pro-human report on transhumanism and the 'Rapture of the Nerds.'" --Douglas Rushkoff, author of Present Shock: When Everything Happens Now
About the Author
Jay Cornell is the former managing editor of h+ Magazine, and senior web developer at Landkamer Partners. He is a member of the Board of Advisors of the Lifeboat Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to defending humanity from existential risks.