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Healthcare, Technology, Transhumanism, and a Garlic: A Deep Dive into the Future of Healthcare and Humanity | A Carbon, a Silicon, and a Cell walk into a bar... | A Redefining Society Podcast Series With Recurring Guest Dr. Bruce Y. Lee
Description
Book: The Singularity Is Nearer: When We Merge with AI by Ray Kurzweil (Author) https://amzn.to/3Zk7CTa
Guest: Dr. Bruce Y Lee, Executive Director of PHICOR (Public Health Informatics, Computational, and Operations Research) [@PHICORteam]
On LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/bruce-y-lee-68a6834/
On Twitter | https://twitter.com/bruce_y_lee
Website | https://www.bruceylee.com/
On Forbes | https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/
On Psychology Today | https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/contributors/bruce-y-lee-md-mba
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Host: Marco Ciappelli, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine [@ITSPmagazine] and Host of Redefining Society Podcast
On ITSPmagazine | https://www.itspmagazine.com/itspmagazine-podcast-radio-hosts/marco-ciappelli
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Episode Introduction
Hello, everybody. Welcome back to another episode of the Redefining Society Podcast. This episode also marks the return of the series "A Carbon, a Silicon, and a Cell Walk Into a Bar," wherein I'll be joined by my good friend and co-host, Dr. Bruce Y. Lee. Today, we're diving into a topic that perfectly aligns with the ethos of our series – transhumanism.
Setting the Stage
In our chat, Bruce and I discussed various facets of transhumanism, from its historical roots to the ethical dilemma it poses today. I opened the conversation by expressing how delighted I was to have Bruce, a man of many talents, join me. I emphasized his diverse background in journalism, medical expertise, and his strange affinity for avocados – a passion that I certainly share with him. We started by noting the sheer breadth of transhumanism – a term encompassing everything from genetic manipulation to uploading our brains to the cloud.
Human History Meets Future Potential
Bruce brought up a thought-provoking point about how humanity's journey with technology is not new. Even something as ancient as the wheel fundamentally altered what humans could accomplish. The act of inventing the wheel allowed humans to do things they couldn't do before, much like what transhumanist technologies promise today. However, Bruce and I quickly recognized that more complex technologies, like genetic manipulation and AI integration, bring forth a host of ethical and practical questions.
Confronting Ethical Questions
We moved on to discuss the ethical implications of transhumanism. Where does one draw the line between necessary medical interventions and unnecessary enhancements? For example, medical implants that help people with degenerative diseases are widely accepted. Yet, when technology is used to enhance human abilities – making one faster or smarter – the ethical waters become murkier.
Balance of Benefits and Risks
Bruce highlighted how societ