Impact

Introduction

In the 21st century, emerging technologies, including biotechnology, nanotechnology, and applications arising from the cognitive and information sciences, will likely penetrate every corner of society, dramatically impacting our daily lives and even, perhaps redefining what it means to be human. Those on the cutting edge of these technologies and the application to humans acknowledge their potential for undesirable results but also expect breakthroughs that are hoped to revolutionize human health and achievement. The difficulty then becomes balancing demands for progress with the potential for disaster, a task that will demand democratic, "upstream" dialogue, widespread consideration of many fundamental ethical questions, close observation of new experiments, and possibly even legal and regulatory reform.

Some Key Social Concerns

Because human "enhancement" research focuses on directly augmenting the human body and mind, any discussion of these new technologies inevitably gives rise to heated discussion. The human race is on the brink of having the ability to eliminate natural processes of life and evolution in favor of personal choice and engineered specificity. This emerging capability raises legitimate ethical concerns of hubris and vanity, causing many to question whether or not "enhancement" will come at too significant a cost to the fabric of human society and the essence of humanity, and will grant humans more power and control than we, as a species, are prepared to manage responsibly. Specifically, fear of a new, privatized eugenics arises as many "enhancement" technologies embrace manipulation of genetic code to the desired specifications of a parent, doctor, or possibly, government.

Additionally, even if individual choice may appear to be a driving force behind human "enhancement," it is likely that people will feel compelled or even forced to subject themselves to these augmentations in order to keep up with and compete in an "enhanced" society, lest they be subject to ridicule, diminished opportunity, and fewer rights. If "enhancement" becomes mainstream, inevitably raising the bar for what is considered "normal" and widening the gap between the technological "haves" and "have-nots," the potential for significant conflict will rise, as well.

Some Looming Legal Issues

Legally, questions will arise regarding how to conform laws and legal standards for those who are augmented, whether to create new laws for such "enhanced" beings, and how to ensure that such hybrid beings conform to existing laws. Because the founders of the United States could not have anticipated a post-human world, the Constitution will be put to the test, and these developments in the area of human "enhancement" will, no doubt, push the judicial process to the limits as the legal and social frameworks are reconstructed to address an "enhanced" society. Additionally, battles over intellectual property rights will inevitably reach a boiling point as new research methods are monopolized and profits are derived from human biological systems.

Conclusion

It is critical to keep a close watch on new developments and to rigorously examine and challenge them through a legal, social, and ethical lens. Only such analysis will ensure that science does not lose sight of the importance of dichotomy, individuality, and non-conformity in the "holy grail-esque" search for happiness, longevity, and achievement. While the potential for positive social contribution is great, the impact of "enhancement" technology will shake the very foundations of human social structures and bring into question what it is to be human.