Vital Foresight: The Case For Active Transhumanism

"Masterfully assists you with thoroughly thinking through all that is of vital importance to make today and tomorrow much better for all of us. A must-have companion for any serious change-agent, futurist, transhumanist, singularitarian, and humanitarian" - Philippe van Nedervelde, veteran serial NBIC tech-entrepreneur"David Wood is one of the best informed and most thoughtful people writing about the likely future impact of the exponential growth in the power of our most advanced technologies" - Calum Chace, author of Surviving AIAccelerating technological change threatens to shatter the human condition in multiple ways. We - all of us - face profound questions over the management of artificial intelligence, nanoscale computers, bio-engineering, cognitive enhancements, ubiquitous robots, drone swarms, nuclear power, planet-scale geo-engineering, and much more.What these technologies enable is, potentially, a world of extraordinary creativity, unprecedented freedom, and abundant wellbeing. That's provided we can see clearly enough, in advance, the major disruptive opportunities we will need to seize and steer, so we can reach that destination. And provided we can step nimbly through a swath of treacherous landmines along the way.That's no small undertaking. It will take all our wisdom and strength. It's going to require the very highest calibre of foresight.Happily, assistance is at hand. What this book demonstrates is that vital foresight from the field of active transhumanism can help us all: To resist unwarranted tech hype, whilst remaining aware that credible projections of today's science and engineering could enable sweeping improvements in the human conditionTo distinguish future scenarios with only superficial attractions from those with lasting, sustainable benefitsTo move beyond the inaction of future shock, so we can coalesce around practical initiatives that advance deeply positive outcomes.