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The Future of Being Human

The Future of Being Human

Anders Sandberg

Should we upgrade our bodies and minds? Fellow at Oxford’s Future of Humanity Institute, Anders Sandberg, investigates the road we must take to reach the mind-boggling possibilities of a transhuman future.

Instructor
  • Anders Sandsberg 1 Day 2
    Anders Sandberg

    Neuroscientist and senior fellow at the Oxford University's Future of Humanity Institute.

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About the Course

 

Since the Ancient Greek legend of Icarus and Daedulus, humans have been fascinated by the potential of technology to transcend our biological limitations - to live longer, think smarter, and experience more. But what exactly could be achieved? Could we really do away with the nuisances of aging and death? Could our neural systems be put online, giving us the wealth of all human knowledge a thought away? Is this something we would even want? What are the dangers involved, and is it even possible to predict them? Are we in a position to even speculate about the effect a transhumanist revolution would have on society, or is the uncertainty too great and risks too unpredictable? In this course, Fellow at Oxford’s Future of Humanity Institute, Anders Sandberg, explains the history, motivations and goals of transhumanism, and offers predictions of what humanity might resemble in a trillion years.

 

By the end of the course, you will have learned:

  • The reasons behind the unprecedented success of our species
  • The classical and religious roots of modern transhumanist thinking
  • The ways amateur transhumanists are modifying themselves today
  • Why we age, and whether we can stop doing so
  • The dangers and costs of progress in genetic engineering
  • Where meaning might be found in a life where anything is possible

 

As part of the course there are in-video quiz questions to consolidate your learning and discussion boards to have your say.

IAI Academy courses are designed to be challenging but accessible to the interested student. No specialist knowledge is required.

 

About the Instructor

  • Anders Sandberg

    “We are smart enough to realize that we are stupid, and stupid enough to make the problem of becoming smarter hard.”

    Anders Sandberg is radical futurist determined to surpass the limitations of the human form. Going above and beyond his visionary research as a senior fellow at the Future of Humanity Institute at Oxford, he is a self-described 'academic jack of all trades', co-founder of and writer for the think tank Eudoxa, and chaired the Swedish Transhumanist Association for 4 years.

    An ardent transhumanist, Anders comes to the festival brimming with innovative ideas about the ethical and social implications of future technologies.

    'He might just be the most interesting academic at Oxford' - Robert Wiblin and Keiran Harris.

Course Syllabus

  • Part One: Transformative Technologies
    What physical and mental feats could enhanced humans achieve, and what has been achieved already?
  • Part Two: Transformed Societies
    What would a transhuman society look like, and when might we expect to see it?