Beyond Human by Eve Herold

Published by St. Martin's Press/Thomas Dunne Books on August 16, 2016

The title Beyond Human implies a discussion of posthuman existence, which might be defined as the next stage of human evolution, either naturally or in combination with technology that drastically enhances knowledge or intelligence while eliminating (or drastically altering) the frail and troublesome bodies that humans now inhabit. There’s almost none of that in this book.

The nature and timing of posthuman existence is purely speculative, but in between human and posthuman existence is transhuman existence. Transhumanism generally refers to the nanobiotechnological enhancement of human beings. That ground is partially covered, in cursory fashion, in Beyond Human. Eve Herold’s book should not be confused with other books of the same name (a couple for sale on Amazon seem to have religious or self-help themes), including science fiction author Gregory Benford’s, which is subtitled “Living with Robots and Cyborgs.” Herold’s book is subtitled “How Cutting-Edge Science is Extending Our Lives,” which has precious little to do with the main title.

Herold begins a number of her sentences with phrases like “It may seem like science fiction, but ….” In fact, science fiction fans will be familiar with the more futuristic life-extension and life-enhancement techniques that Herold discusses. Using nanobots to cure disease, augmenting vision with biotechnology, improving memory by wirelessly connecting the brain to the internet, avoiding accidental death with the help of self-driving cars and robotic servants -- it’s all a given to science fiction fans. And while these technologies aren’t all just around the corner, they’re coming. That makes it imperative to think about the practical and ethical problems that the technologies might create, because it’s better to avoid a problem than to contain it after it begins to spread. Unfortunately, Herold’s book doesn’t demonstrate much original thought in those areas.

The first few chapters deal with hearts and other organs. Transplants are nothing new, although Herold finds promise in rapamycin, a drug made from a fungus found on Easter Island that has proven useful in deterring tissue rejection and may soon be used to slow aging and extend lifespans. Herold also talks about artificial organs (again focusing more on current rather than future technologies) and on the medical uses of nanotechnology. The latter is truly a future technology, and one that sf writers have explored in greater depth than Herold manages.

Later chapters discuss anti-aging drugs and gene manipulation and stem cell treatments. Herold again mentions the potential of nanomedicine without providing enough detail to grasp its implications. Herold does recognize that granting immortality to old people (like me) will crowd the planet with seniors yelling “get off my lawn” while limiting the ability of young people to innovate -- a sure recipe for stagnation, followed by disaster.

More interesting are Herold’s summaries of ethical issues surrounding artificial life extension. Some of those issues exist now (when is it ethical to turn off a pacemaker or an implanted defibrillator in a dying patient?) and others will eventually arise. If a failing heart is only beating because hundreds of nanobots have been programmed to emulate heart functions such as oxygenating blood, is it ethical to turn off the nanobots if they are extending the suffering life of a critically ill patient?

Herold also explores brain enhancement, including potential cures for Alzheimer’s and various devices that might improve cognitive ability through brain stimulation. We’re told that “very little is known” about memory-enhancing brain implants so their impact on society can’t be predicted, which seems to defeat the purpose of a book that is predicting the future of life extension and enhancement. Herold nevertheless addresses the future of brain-computer interfaces. She recognizes the Borg problem (talk to a Trekkie if you don’t know what means) that could result from the creation of an artificially intelligent hive-mind, and nods to Ray Kurzweil’s prediction of the Singularity. Readers who really want to understand the risks and benefits of a future in which artificial intelligences develop themselves into a superintelligence should probably read Kurzweil, Vernor Vinge, or other writers who do the concept justice. Herold’s discussion is too superficial to be a useful introduction.

When Herold engages in philosophical discussions of artificial life extension or enhancement, she sometimes draws upon Our Posthuman Future by Francis Fukuyama, which sounds like a deeper and more useful book than Beyond Human. Many interesting questions are posed -- Should we prolong life if we are just prolonging suffering? Shouldn’t aging people just get out of the way of generations that are more capable of producing and reproducing? Does technology replace humanity in transhuman life? -- but Herold’s answers are again superficial. I suspect Fukuyama addressed those questions more meaningfully. I had the same reaction to the provocative material she drew from James Hughes’ Citizen Cyborg.

Herold seems rather dismissive of the concerns addressed by “bioconservatives” but offers little evidence to support her more Pollyannaish take on the future (although she does acknowledge that the gray goo problem is worrisome). The final chapter tells us to embrace transhumanism (at least in the medical field) and to reject the “blind prejudice” of fuddy-duddies like Fukuyama. Get rid of that stinkin’ thinkin’, she seems to say, and everything will be fine. (In that regard, Herold’s tone is similar to that of nonscientists who tell us not to worry about climate change.) I’m not a conservative, bio or otherwise, but I didn’t find Herold’s unsupported optimism to be all that persuasive.

A chapter on social robots is sort of funny, and her discussion of the potential usefulness of robots (particularly as doctors, cars, and soldiers) is straightforward but not particularly illuminating. I did enjoy the discussion of whether robots should have rights, although I have enjoyed pondering that question in decades of sf novels, beginning with my first exposure to Isaac Asimov. I also appreciated the thought that robots should be required to carry insurance. Tons of insurance, since moviegoers all know that robots will eventually run amok and kill lots of people.

Readers who want a very simple overview of how technology can extend and enhance life will find it here. Science fiction readers will have been exposed to more stimulating discussions of the transhuman future and the ethical issues that accompany it. If the book had included more original thinking, it might have been an engrossing read. As it stands, I would recommend it only as a very basic overview for readers who have had little exposure to the subject matter. And even those readers might be better served by reading works of science fiction by Charles Stross, Vernor Vinge, Greg Egan, and dozens of other authors who illuminate the issue more brightly than Herold managed.

NOT RECOMMENDED