Human+: The Future of our Species
This was a semi-disturbing exhibition. While I marvelled at how far technology has come, I was also terrified by the lines that they can cross.
The exhibition explores the boundaries of what it means to be human—boundaries of the body, boundaries of the species, boundaries of what is socially and ethically acceptable. Should we enhance ourselves, or seek to modify our descendants? Are we approaching a singularity of human-machine hybridization or de-skilling ourselves through our ever-increasing reliance on technological extensions of the body? Is extended human longevity a wonderful aspiration or a dire prospect for the planet?
First thing that shook me was how an artist surgically implanted an ear into his forearm. Why? I don't know, because my stomach began to churn at a video of the surgical process and had to look away.
Then there was the lineup of babies, each with a surgically implemented body modification. On the wall, we were asked to ponder, "Should parents be allowed to choose their children's genetic traits?"
Terrifying, but all thoroughly fascinating.
On a more light-hearted note, I enjoyed Nadine, the most realistic female humanoid social robot, built right here. While I was there, three tourists took turns talking to her, in various languages, and she answered them all pretty accurately, or at least pretty humanly. It's quite impressive. She's like a human Google.
I was also pretty amused by 'The Afterlife', which suggests that people convert their physical bodies into electrical energy (I hope I'm describing this right; I don't science so well) after death, which they can then transfer into a dry cell battery to run a series of everyday appliances. Items on display were as random as an electric toothbrush to a vibrator. The vibrator one came with a testimony saying along the lines of, "I'd like to be a part of the pleasures of the body."
All in all, Human+ was eye-opening. While technology has its wonders, I would feel terribly less human if cyborgs, automatons, and clones start becoming ubiquitous in this world.
All photos except the official cover photo are taken by me or M.
