[ExI] Human Enhancement & Life Extension: Alchemists of the future

[Mike Dougherty]

2011/7/19 Natasha Vita-More <natasha at natasha.cc>:
> How would you link transhumanism to the flavor of Alchemy that ties into
> science, rather than mysticism? In other words, what chemistry is crucial to
> human enhancement that propose extension of life and expansion of personhood
> onto non-biological platforms that was present in the works of protoscience
> and the Alchemists such as Paracelsus and Magnus?

I have a theory about Alchemy that as a science it was an attempt to
create useful metaphors for grounding abstract conversations.  I
imagine that "turning lead into gold" was less about a chemical
reaction affecting nuclear forces and more about taking a common base
metal and turning it into something valuable - the analogy being the
common man's base nature can be treated according to some process that
turns him (or her) into a more noble state of being.  My understanding
of transhumanism is that the goal is the same, though perhaps with a
different working model.  Maybe it was the promise of the mystical
quintessence in the alchemist's/philosopher's stone that kept so many
committed to the pursuit.  Yeah right, perhaps it was the money.
Perhaps the chemistry isn't as important as transmuting the figurative
"gold" back into readily attainable metals the average consumer still
finds valuable?  Life expansion is a good, understandable example.
Non-biological selfhood may be somewhat less approachable right now,
but it'll make sense after "life expansion" is realized as life
extension (in years) and people start looking for increased
depth/resolution of life's moment-to-moment that will probably
facilitate mind-meld with our collective.