Café Scientifique Success
Date Released: 15 October 2009Dr Wendy Marsden gave a talk on human enhancement to an audience of fifty members of the public at the Café Scientifique held in Waterstones Coffee Shop on Union Street, Aberdeen on 17 September.
Wendy’s talk, ‘Do you want to be enhanced? Future health, future humans’ described the idea of expanded capacities such as living longer (lifespan hundreds of years), being cleverer (cognition) and having more sensitive feelings (emotions). Up to now human evolution has occurred through ‘natural’ selection but - what if we could control it? Should there be restrictions on what we can do to our bodies? Does every individual have the right to choose their own future? Would the future of society be at risk if people were able to enhance their bodies?
There was a lively and wide ranging discussion about the types of enhancement members of the audience would like but also their concerns about issues such as fairness, equity, and the possible costs, both economic and social.
Link to Aberdeen Café Scientifique
Link to Café Scientifique
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