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synthetic-biology

The engineering of biological systems and organisms to create novel functions, raising new ethical and societal questions.

4 chapters across 2 books

The Battle for Your Brain (2015)David Eagleman

Chapter 9: Beyond Human 1. Zvonimir Vrselja et al., “Restoration of Brain Circulation and Cellular Functions Hours Post- Mortem,” Nature 568 (2019): 336–343, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1099–1. 2. Nita A. Farahany, Henry T. Greely and Charles Giattino, “Part-Revived Pig Brains Raise Slew of Ethical Quandaries,” Nature , April 17, 2019, https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019- 01168–9. 3. Benjamin D. Ross, “Transhumanism: An Ontology of the World’s Most Dangerous Idea” (PhD dissertation, University of North Texas, May 2019), https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1505282/. 4. Celina Ribeiro, “Beyond Our ‘Ape-Brained Meat Sacks’: Can Transhumanism Save Our Species?,” The Guardian, June 3, 2022, https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/jun/04/beyond-our-ape-brained-meat-sacks-can- transhumanism-save-our-species. 5. Ribeiro, “Beyond Our ‘Ape-Brained Meat Sacks.’” 6. Ribeiro. 7. Raffi Khatchadourian, “The Doomsday Invention: Will Artificial Intelligence Bring Us Utopia or Destruction?,” New Yorker , November 23, 2015, https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/11/23/doomsday-invention-artificial-intelligence- nick-bostrom. 8. Nick Bostrom, “A History of Transhumanist Thought,” Journal of Evolution and Technology 14, no. 1 (April 2005). 9. Khatchadourian, “The Doomsday Invention.” 10. Bernard Marr, “Is Artificial Intelligence (AI) a Threat to Humans?” Forbes, March 2, 2020, https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2020/03/02/is-artificial-intelligence-ai-a-threat-to- humans/?sh=7445a95f205d. 11. Ross, “Transhumanism.” 12. Ross, “Transhumanism.” 13. Bostrom, “History of Transhumanist Thought.” 14. Francis Fukuyama, “Transhumanism,” Foreign Policy 144 (Sept/Oct 2004): 42–43. 15. Francis Fukuyama, Our Posthuman Future: Consequences of the Biotechnology Revolution (New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2002). 16. Michael J. Sandel, The Case Against Perfection: Ethics in the Age of Genetic Engineering (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2009), 26–27. 17. Ross, “Transhumanism: An Ontology of the World’s Most Dangerous Idea.” 18. Calico, “Research & Technology,” Calico Life Sciences LLC, accessed July 14, 2022, https://www.calicolabs.com/research-technology. 19. Maya Kosoff, “Peter Thiel Wants to Inject Himself with Young People’s Blood,” Vanity Fair , August 1, 2016, https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/08/peter-thiel-wants-to-inject-himself- with-young-peoples-blood. 20. Alcor, “Membership,” Alcor Life Extension Foundation, accessed July 14, 2022, https://www.alcor.org/membership/. 21. Khatchadourian, “The Doomsday Invention.” 22. Antonio Regalado, “A Startup is Pitching a Mind-Uploading Service that is ‘100 percent fatal,’” MIT Technology Review , March 13, 2018,

Chapter 9 of 'The Battle for Your Brain' explores the frontier of human enhancement and the ethical, technological, and philosophical challenges posed by transhumanism, brain-computer interfaces, and synthetic biology. It surveys recent scientific advances such as restoration of brain function post-mortem, brain implants enabling communication for locked-in patients, and emerging technologies like mind uploading and AI integration, while critically engaging with debates on the risks and promises of transcending biological limitations. The chapter also addresses societal implications, bioethical concerns, and the cultural discourse surrounding the posthuman future.

The Coming Wave: Technology, Power, and the Twenty-first Century's Greatest Dilemma (2023)Mustafa Suleyman; Michael Bhaskar

CHAPTER 1

Chapter 1 of 'The Coming Wave' introduces the metaphor of waves to describe transformative forces in history, culminating in the current technological wave defined by artificial intelligence and synthetic biology. The chapter outlines the unprecedented potential and risks of these technologies, emphasizing that containing their spread is likely impossible and that their impact will define the 21st century. It also recounts the founding of DeepMind as a pivotal moment in AI development and highlights the dual nature of these innovations as sources of both immense benefit and profound danger.

CHAPTER 5

Chapter 5 explores the rapid transformation of biology from an ancient, unguided evolutionary process into a field of directed engineering through advances in genetic sequencing, editing, and synthesis. It highlights key milestones such as the Human Genome Project and the CRISPR revolution, emphasizing the democratization and acceleration of biotechnology that now enables precise and scalable manipulation of life at the genetic level. The chapter also discusses the emerging field of synthetic biology, which promises to revolutionize manufacturing and medicine by enabling the design and production of organisms with unprecedented precision.

CHAPTER 5: THE TECHNOLOGY OF LIFE

Chapter 5, "The Technology of Life," explores the revolutionary advances in biotechnology, particularly gene editing technologies like CRISPR, synthetic biology, and systems biology, which are transforming medicine, agriculture, and biological research. It highlights the rapid decrease in genome sequencing costs, the development of synthetic organisms, and breakthroughs such as AlphaFold's protein folding predictions, emphasizing the potential to extend human lifespan, cure diseases, and engineer life at a molecular level. The chapter also addresses ethical considerations, emerging bioengineering applications, and the integration of AI with biological sciences.