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“Evolution’s next stage?” - Olivia Ward - Toronto Star - 07/25/2004

Transhumanists explore ways to overcome the physical and psychological limitations of the body

Thousands of years ago a primitive man or woman, huddled in a squalid cave, struck sparks from a stone and created fire. The result was so successful that manipulating the environment to meet human needs became the norm, turning night into day with artificial lighting, taming the inhospitable effects of weather, and creating devices that reduced daily drudgery to mere minutes of work.

But now, experts say, another scientific quantum leap has transported us from the human to the transhuman era — a time when humankind itself is being manipulated and enhanced, leading to an unknown future where man, machine and technology will merge with startling results.

“What’s happening in the 21st century is a natural progression of the invention of fire,” says James Hughes, secretary of the World Transhumanist Association. “Human tool use has always extended the capability of doing what we weren’t biologically intended to do. But now the possibilities are infinite, and they’re making some people feel scared.”

Next month, Hughes, a bioethicist at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., will take part in an international conference at the University of Toronto, titled ``TransVision 2004: Art and Life in the Posthuman Era.’’ Sponsored by the transhumanist association and the Texas-based Extropy Institute, the four-day event opens Aug. 8.

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