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The Limitless - Ep 2: Transhumanism Guest on 3rd September 2022 07:33:10 PM

**Intro with the Bad Wolf Media Logo fading into the screen as the music rolls up**
"Hi there. I'm Dr. Frank Wolfe, and I have one question for you. Are you awake?"
"Tonight, we're going to talk about the concept of Transhumanism. No, it's not what most of you are thinking, but it's also probably not what the rest of you are thinking either. What does it mean to be a human being, and how much can we change ourselves before we no longer fit inside that definition? We'll find out, on this episode of The Limitless."
"Coined in 1957, transhumanism is the concept of prolonging and enhancing human life and human thought through the application of technology. From this original idea, whole schools of thought, metaphorical and literal, have sprung forth. Our favorite futurist, Ray Kurzveil, even founded a school for forward thinking executives that teaches practical application concepts of these ideas for fun and profit. Therehave been books, studies, radical body manipulations and mutilations in the name of advancing Science and Humanity forward. But is transhumanism all about just putting microchips under our skin so that we never have to pull out a credit card again, or has the definition of transhumanism evolved as much as its devotees' hopes for the future? Let's look beyond the horizon, and see what we can find there."
"The concept of transhumanism isn't a new thing. It's not even a relatively new thing. Well, I mean, I guess if you think about it in terms of geologic time, then yes. It was just invented about 2 seconds ago, right along with humanity itself. And really, from a certain point of view, as Jedi Masters from history have taught us, transhumanism is as old as humanity's capacity to dream and reach for something more. That's the whole point of the concept, of the movement, of the schools. To extend our lives. Extend our minds. Extend our experience as conscious beings. What does that sound like? Oh, yeah. The quest to become Limitless, and it is a well documented quest."
**The show moves forward, taking the viewer through the history of transhumanism, its major contributors and proponents, the reasoning and logic of the movement. It ties it into concepts such as Moore's Law, quantum mechanics, environmentalism, the inadequate rate at which the human body seems to be able to adapt to hostile environments in comparison to the rate at which the human species can create hostile environments.**
**Visually, the show takes the viewer through a number of different charts and graphs, mock up animated scenarios. Wolfe himself is standing, leaning up against a desk that is situated in what looks to be a library of sorts with a fireplace off center in the background. Each time the camera shot comes back to him, he's changed slightly. In one, his skin has taken on a shimmering quality, the hint of circuitry running through him like veins through a leaf. In another, his eyes have been replaced by robotic ones that looks very close to human eyes, but not quite. In another, he is fully machine, though not clunky. Sleek and smart, elegant in his three piece suit and glowing blue eyes. And then back again to his original self except with biocircuitry tattoes on his hands and face, artfully designed but clearly holding some kind of function.**
"But is our definition of transhumanism, or even posthumanism, a complete or correct one? Is it enough to simply extend and enchance life span and intellect? Over the last several years, we as a culture have begun speaking more about emotional intelligence. In the growing voice and acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community, there has been a larger discussion about what it means to be people. In our hearts and thoughts, in our connection to each other, in our ability to look past flesh and configuration and see a sibling standing in front of us rather than a threat. In some ways, while we are looking forward, we've begun to look back for the wisdom that we left behind. To go onward and upward doesn't necessarily mean to leave behind all the best things that we have learned. The lessons that move us up the ladder of evolution, whether natural or self-directed, come with us. Transhumanism espouses the very reasonable idea that the extension of life and intellect are a good thing, but Robert A. Heinlein once wrote in his novel "Stranger in a Strange Land", and I quote "Goodness without wisdom always accomplishes evil". That's not to say that if we aren't wise enough we are immediately, automatically, and irrevocably evil and doomed. It's a sliding scale. It's a spectrum. A field. As most things in life are, as we have come to learn through the expansion of science coupled with wisdom. Perhaps transhumanism needs to also be about the enhancement of the heart. The extension of the soul. As we enhance our bodies and our minds, we also expand and improve the states of how we connect with each other, with our world, and with ourselves. Change yourself, and change the world, right? Be the change? I spent a little time trying to track down the source of that particular thought. The closest I got was Ghandi, and that seemed credible enough for me. He said, "You must be the change you want to see in the world", and what we are is more than just biological processess and firing synapses. Overclocking our intellectual processing speed, and getting to bench press 150lbs when we're 150 years old isn't the end all be all of human existence, is it?"
"In some theorized futures for humanity, we go post-biolgical." He laughs then. "Post what, Frank?? Yeah, yeah. It's a cute way of saying we become robots, or at least, completely artificial in our physical structure. Beings able to exist in any environment with the capability of living possibly forever. In another version, we are post-physical. Beings of pure energy. Thought and Will and Intention made manifest. Sounds like becoming an angel, doesn't it? But again, here we go. If we leave this..." And here Wolfe almost brutally smacks his hand against to top of his desk. He shows it to the camera, and the viewer can see that it's red, already beginning to puff up a little. "If we leave this behind, when so much of what we are is wrapped up in this experiential medium, can we still call ourselves human? I think we can. I think that if we focus on those other aspects of what we are. Heart. Wisdom. Connection. Love. For ourselves and each other, I think that we can. I have hope for it."
Wolfe smiles into the camera, leaning back a little, his eyes gleaming with an easy delight. " It's been great doing this episode. I got a lot out of the research and preparing for it, and I hope you did too. Are you awake? Click all those buttons that keep the show going, and I'll see you soon on the next episode of The Limitless. Thanks, everyone. Goodnight."
***Sponsor promos come up for the ad revenue, followed by the Bad Wolf Media logo***
***Final Rolls***
Production: 14 succs
Content & Message: 11 succs
Marketing/Funding/Click Rate: 16 succs
==============================================================================

Raw Paste

**Intro with the Bad Wolf Media Logo fading into the screen as the music rolls up**

"Hi there. I'm Dr. Frank Wolfe, and I have one question for you. Are you awake?"

"Tonight, we're going to talk about the concept of Transhumanism. No, it's not what most of you are thinking, but it's also probably not what the rest of you are thinking either. What does it mean to be a human being, and how much can we change ourselves before we no longer fit inside that definition? We'll find out, on this episode of The Limitless."

"Coined in 1957, transhumanism is the concept of prolonging and enhancing human life and human thought through the application of technology. From this original idea, whole schools of thought, metaphorical and literal, have sprung forth. Our favorite futurist, Ray Kurzveil, even founded a school for forward thinking executives that teaches practical application concepts of these ideas for fun and profit. Therehave been books, studies, radical body manipulations and mutilations in the name of advancing Science and Humanity forward. But is transhumanism all about just putting microchips under our skin so that we never have to pull out a credit card again, or has the definition of transhumanism evolved as much as its devotees' hopes for the future? Let's look beyond the horizon, and see what we can find there."

"The concept of transhumanism isn't a new thing. It's not even a relatively new thing. Well, I mean, I guess if you think about it in terms of geologic time, then yes. It was just invented about 2 seconds ago, right along with humanity itself. And really, from a certain point of view, as Jedi Masters from history have taught us, transhumanism is as old as humanity's capacity to dream and reach for something more. That's the whole point of the concept, of the movement, of the schools. To extend our lives. Extend our minds. Extend our experience as conscious beings. What does that sound like? Oh, yeah. The quest to become Limitless, and it is a well documented quest."

**The show moves forward, taking the viewer through the history of transhumanism, its major contributors and proponents, the reasoning and logic of the movement. It ties it into concepts such as Moore's Law, quantum mechanics, environmentalism, the inadequate rate at which the human body seems to be able to adapt to hostile environments in comparison to the rate at which the human species can create hostile environments.**

**Visually, the show takes the viewer through a number of different charts and graphs, mock up animated scenarios. Wolfe himself is standing, leaning up against a desk that is situated in what looks to be a library of sorts with a fireplace off center in the background. Each time the camera shot comes back to him, he's changed slightly. In one, his skin has taken on a shimmering quality, the hint of circuitry running through him like veins through a leaf. In another, his eyes have been replaced by robotic ones that looks very close to human eyes, but not quite. In another, he is fully machine, though not clunky. Sleek and smart, elegant in his three piece suit and glowing blue eyes. And then back again to his original self except with biocircuitry tattoes on his hands and face, artfully designed but clearly holding some kind of function.**

"But is our definition of transhumanism, or even posthumanism, a complete or correct one? Is it enough to simply extend and enchance life span and intellect? Over the last several years, we as a culture have begun speaking more about emotional intelligence. In the growing voice and acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community, there has been a larger discussion about what it means to be people. In our hearts and thoughts, in our connection to each other, in our ability to look past flesh and configuration and see a sibling standing in front of us rather than a threat. In some ways, while we are looking forward, we've begun to look back for the wisdom that we left behind. To go onward and upward doesn't necessarily mean to leave behind all the best things that we have learned. The lessons that move us up the ladder of evolution, whether natural or self-directed, come with us. Transhumanism espouses the very reasonable idea that the extension of life and intellect are a good thing, but Robert A. Heinlein once wrote in his novel "Stranger in a Strange Land", and I quote "Goodness without wisdom always accomplishes evil". That's not to say that if we aren't wise enough we are immediately, automatically, and irrevocably evil and doomed. It's a sliding scale. It's a spectrum. A field. As most things in life are, as we have come to learn through the expansion of science coupled with wisdom. Perhaps transhumanism needs to also be about the enhancement of the heart. The extension of the soul. As we enhance our bodies and our minds, we also expand and improve the states of how we connect with each other, with our world, and with ourselves. Change yourself, and change the world, right? Be the change? I spent a little time trying to track down the source of that particular thought. The closest I got was Ghandi, and that seemed credible enough for me. He said, "You must be the change you want to see in the world", and what we are is more than just biological processess and firing synapses. Overclocking our intellectual processing speed, and getting to bench press 150lbs when we're 150 years old isn't the end all be all of human existence, is it?"

"In some theorized futures for humanity, we go post-biolgical." He laughs then. "Post what, Frank?? Yeah, yeah. It's a cute way of saying we become robots, or at least, completely artificial in our physical structure. Beings able to exist in any environment with the capability of living possibly forever. In another version, we are post-physical. Beings of pure energy. Thought and Will and Intention made manifest. Sounds like becoming an angel, doesn't it? But again, here we go. If we leave this..." And here Wolfe almost brutally smacks his hand against to top of his desk. He shows it to the camera, and the viewer can see that it's red, already beginning to puff up a little. "If we leave this behind, when so much of what we are is wrapped up in this experiential medium, can we still call ourselves human? I think we can. I think that if we focus on those other aspects of what we are. Heart. Wisdom. Connection. Love. For ourselves and each other, I think that we can. I have hope for it."

Wolfe smiles into the camera, leaning back a little, his eyes gleaming with an easy delight. " It's been great doing this episode. I got a lot out of the research and preparing for it, and I hope you did too. Are you awake? Click all those buttons that keep the show going, and I'll see you soon on the next episode of The Limitless. Thanks, everyone. Goodnight."

***Sponsor promos come up for the ad revenue, followed by the Bad Wolf Media logo***

***Final Rolls***

Production: 14 succs
Content & Message: 11 succs
Marketing/Funding/Click Rate: 16 succs
==============================================================================