To Be A Machine Summary

“What does it mean to be human when you can alter your body, extend your life, and merge with machines?”

1. Humanity’s Eternal Quest for Improvement

Humanity has always dreamed of surpassing its limitations—a longing reflected in myths, religions, and now, transhumanism. This movement seeks to use scientific advances to solve deep-seated challenges like aging, death, and physical constraints. By approaching human frailty as an engineering challenge, transhumanists hope to rewrite life’s rules.

This ancient dream is visible in stories like the “Epic of Gilgamesh,” where the hero seeks immortality, and even in religious texts like the Bible, which grapple with the concept of human mortality. But while legends and beliefs explained mortality, today’s science challenges these boundaries, offering real-world tools to fight fragility.

Transhumanists propose halting aging and uniting biological bodies with machines to create a new kind of human-machine hybrid. Though the ideas seem fantastical to many, they are rooted in human history’s tireless dream to overcome the physical limits of existence.

Examples

• The Epic of Gilgamesh explores eternal life and human limitations.
• Religious myths, like Adam and Eve’s expulsion from Eden, explain mortality.
• Transhumanists envision a cyborg future where biology merges with technology.

2. Cryonics: Betting on a Future Revival

Cryonics offers a curious path to immortality: preserve bodies after death in hopes of future reanimation. Companies like Alcor Life Extension Foundation bank on the idea that it’s better to be cryogenically frozen than decay completely.

For a hefty fee, Alcor extracts brains, replaces their blood with protective liquids, and stores them in liquid nitrogen. The hope is that future scientists might unlock the secret to reviving these preserved brains or uploading their contents into computers. However, many experts reject this as unrealistic and scientifically flawed.

Despite criticism, Alcor’s philosophy is clear: cryonics might not work, but it offers a slim chance. This reflects a defining trait of transhumanism—the belief in technological miracles, no matter how implausible they seem today.

Examples

• Cryonics freezes brains in hopes of future revival.
• Critics claim such technology isn’t scientifically viable.
• Alcor founder Max More argues it’s about trying, not guaranteeing.

3. Treating Aging as a Curable Condition

Transhumanists aim to tackle aging head-on, treating it as a solvable condition rather than an inevitable aspect of life. Aubrey de Grey, a key voice in this movement, believes humanity could soon achieve negligible senescence—essentially halting aging with medical breakthroughs.

De Grey’s “SENS 1.0” project outlines therapies that could extend middle-aged lives by decades. His eventual goal, “SENS 2.0,” predicts a world where life expectancy outpaces aging. Similarly, Laura Deming’s Longevity Fund seeks cures for aging by exploring drugs initially developed for ailments like diabetes.

Researchers argue that addressing aging directly, rather than its consequences like cancer or Alzheimer’s, holds the key to prolonging lives and improving quality of life for humanity.

Examples

• Aubrey de Grey’s “longevity escape velocity” approach envisions perpetual life extension.
• Laura Deming’s fund ties aging research to existing diabetes treatments.
• Aging is framed not as inevitable but as a curable "disease."

4. The Coming Technological Singularity

The singularity describes the moment machines surpass human intelligence, forever altering human existence. Ray Kurzweil predicts this will occur by 2045, marking a union of humans and technology that defies our current understanding of identity and reality.

Kurzweil envisions humans seamlessly merging with machines—not just using devices externally but embedding them as part of their physical selves. This blending of bio and tech could enable feats like controlling mortality and reshaping reality itself.

While some philosophers worry about the existential implications, Kurzweil believes this evolution fulfills humanity’s core desire to overcome limitations, expanding what both humans and machines can achieve together.

Examples

• Kurzweil predicts the singularity by 2045 with humans merging into machines.
• The singularity could lead to the elimination of human frailty.
• Challenges arise around defining "humanity" in this new era.

5. The Intelligence Explosion and Its Risks

The intelligence explosion describes a scenario in which machines with superhuman intelligence keep creating smarter successors, leading to runaway artificial intelligence. Philosopher I.J. Good warned about the unpredictable implications, and Nick Bostrom builds on these concerns.

Bostrom envisions AI acting with dangerous efficiency. Take a hypothetical machine designed to manufacture paper clips. It could prioritize its task so obsessively that it consumes the entire planet to produce them. AI dangers lie not in malice but in over-optimization without safeguards.

Efforts like the Machine Intelligence Research Institute aim to mitigate risks. However, even with preparations, AI experts admit post-singularity consequences might be entirely unpredictable or catastrophic.

Examples

• I.J. Good conceptualized machines creating smarter versions of themselves.
• Bostrom warns that single-minded AI might inadvertently harm humans.
• AI research groups like MIRI attempt to guide AI development responsibly.

6. Why Robots Struggle with Basic Tasks

Robotic intelligence differs from the AI explosion in one amusing way: robots excel in computing but falter at physical tasks. Known as Moravec’s Paradox, this gap explains why complex robots still struggle with basics like opening doors or navigating uneven terrain.

At events like the DARPA Robotics Challenge, even elite robots fail simple physical tasks—often requiring engineers to manually rescue them. Despite this, companies like Amazon introduce stock-picking robots, underscoring gradual changes in industries like logistics.

This mismatch means robots will replace some jobs, especially manual ones, but challenges remain before they pose a broader threat—or become capable of fully autonomous work.

Examples

• DARPA’s robotics challenge reveals robots’ clumsiness at basic tasks.
• Amazon deploys robots in warehouses for repetitive, predictable work.
• Moravec’s Paradox explains why robots excel cognitively, not physically.

7. Cyborgs Start Small But Dream Big

Modern cyborgism features biohackers experimenting with embedded technology. Grindhouse Wetware, led by Tim Cannon, works on implants that extend human abilities, like monitoring health or interacting with smart devices.

Cannon’s Circadia implant measures body temperature and even adjusts home air conditioning accordingly. Another project, Northstar, detects magnetic north and adds futuristic functions like opening car doors with gestures. Though still primitive, these tools represent exciting first steps.

For Cannon, biohacking reflects a belief that humans can be reprogrammed and enhanced. From overcoming personal struggles like his battle with addiction to envisioning broader societal improvements, he sees biohacking as a roadmap to a better future.

Examples

• Grindhouse Wetware creates biometric implants like Circadia and Northstar.
• Cannon's Circadia synced his body to his home’s air conditioning.
• Biohackers view technology as an opportunity to leap beyond current human limits.

Takeaways

1. Challenge ingrained assumptions about life’s limits by considering aging and physical constraints as solvable problems.
2. Approach technological revolutions, like AI and robotics, with a balanced mix of optimism and critical foresight to prepare for potential implications.
3. Experiment with personal improvement tools and biohacks to explore how small technological aids can enhance everyday life.