[extropy-chat] Project on "Facing the Challenge of Transhumanism: Religion, Science, and Technology"

[Neil H.]

The following portion of a press release by the Metanexus Institute may be
of interest:

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060306/phm021a.html?.v=2

The Arizona State University initiative, based at the Center for the Study
of Religion and Conflict, is headed by Dr. Hava Tirosh-Samuelson, Professor
of History. The project, entitled "Facing the Challenge of Transhumanism:
Religion, Science, and Technology," will examine the development and
convergence of genomics, stem-cell research, robotics, nanotechnology, and
neuropharmacology in the transforming and enhancing of human nature, posing
difficult religious and philosophical questions in what some refer to as our
"posthuman" future. In addition to the Principal Investigator, the project
involves nine faculty from a variety of academic disciplines at ASU as well
as a number of research centers and institutes within ASU.

"ASU is committed to addressing the most pertinent issues of our times,"
notes the historian Dr. Tirosh-Samuelson. "In this project we will examine
and evaluate the claims of transhumanism, focusing on philosophical issues;
social, legal, and political questions; environmental issues; and the
religious aspects of transhumanism. This multi-faceted investigation will
take into consideration the entire scope of human evolution and culturally
specific conceptions of humanity. It will illustrate how the humanities can
and should interface with the social and natural sciences, and how
scientific discourses are culturally bound and historically situated."
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