In this blog post, we will examine whether humanity is ready to take on the role of designer of life and become the subject of creation and evolution of superhumans.
Just as the giraffes with long necks survived because they were better adapted to survival, humans survived because they were better adapted to survival, and eventually Homo sapiens, the current human species, became the masters of the Earth. This process was the result of long evolution and natural selection. However, for today’s humans, this natural selection may no longer serve as the absolute law of survival. In the past, humanity believed that the world was created by a creator, but today, science has replaced that belief and explains the world, and now humanity is exploring the role of the creator.
What this change reveals is that new life forms can be created by human beings’ planned design, rather than by natural selection or the result of chance. Current biological experiments are already hinting at this possibility. For example, it has reached the stage where it is possible to create animals with specific traits through genetic engineering, as well as to modify desirable social characteristics. For example, cases such as the “green fluorescent rabbit” created by human hands or the “gentle field mouse” with enhanced social habits show that humans can design not only biological characteristics but also social characteristics. If such technology is applied to humans, superhumans with genius-level intelligence and physical abilities may emerge. Furthermore, if technology advances further, it may evolve to the point where it can design not only the biological boundaries but also the minds and emotions of humanity.
The fields that can be created by mankind through such intellectual design include biotechnology, cyborg engineering, and non-organic engineering. First, through biotechnology, mankind has entered the field of genetic manipulation. In the past, the birth of a cloned sheep called Dolly surprised the world, but we have long since gone beyond this stage. Recently, research has been conducted to restore and revive the genes of extinct mammoths. If such an attempt is further developed, it may not only be possible to restore extinct species, but also to revive the Neanderthals, the ancient human species that disappeared. Although they disappeared without being able to walk the path of modern humans, humans can now take the next step and even imagine reviving the past.
Cyborg engineering has long been a source of inspiration for the human imagination in science fiction novels and films. However, this field is gradually becoming a reality. Technologies such as “bionic ears” for the hearing impaired, “retinal implants” for the visually impaired, and “robotic arms” that can be controlled by thought have already been developed. If these technologies are advanced, humans will be able to combine themselves with machines to supplement their physical abilities and gain new senses and functions. This will not only be a physical extension, but it may also lead to a stage where humans can connect their thoughts and emotions to share each other’s memories and experiences. This also implies the possibility of developing in the direction of creating a kind of “network of the mind,” in which individual identities do not exist in isolation, but form a huge collective intelligence that is connected to each other.
Finally, non-organic engineering aims to create a complete non-living existence. A typical example is a computer virus, which adapts to the environment and gradually becomes stronger, similar to a real virus. This is an artifact created by us, but it mimics some of the characteristics of living organisms, showing the possibility of the evolution of inanimate beings. This possibility means that humanity can move in the direction of creating non-living organisms, and some scholars are conducting research to create artificial intelligence similar to the human brain. This research, which began with computer viruses, may be the catalyst for humanity to create computer humans or artificial intelligence humans in the future. This new being is not simply an extension of humans, but could become another life form with the potential to replace humanity.
In this way, humanity is constantly trying to surpass itself in various ways. The time that Homo sapiens has remained as the current human species through natural selection may come to an end as the efforts to become a superhuman species bear fruit.
