Prospects for a transhuman mind?Prospects for a transhuman mind?
All In The Mind
Transhumanists are hell-bent on extending their lives beyond the current limits of the flesh, by exploiting cutting-edge genomics, stem-cell research, robotics and nanotechnology. Engineering evolution is their goal. But can they re-engineer our Darwinian mind? Leda Cosmides, renowned pioneer of the controversial field evolutionary psychology, asks, 'Are We Already Transhuman?' Don't miss this Templeton Research Lecture recorded for All in the Mind at Arizona State University.
30:08•10 Mar 2007
Are Humans Already Transhuman? Leda Cosmides on Minds, Tech and Human Nature
Episode Overview
- Transhumanists aim for "better minds, better bodies, and better lives" through technologies like genomics, nanomedicine and brain–computer interfaces.
- Cosmides argues that human minds consist of many finely tuned, evolved mechanisms, rather than a blank slate that can be easily rewritten.
- Modern environmental changes such as constant food availability and close-up visual work already show how small shifts can produce serious side effects.
- Memory and emotion are specialised, functional systems that support decision-making and social life, not just neutral storage or pleasant experiences.
- Genetically altering moral or cooperative instincts, such as punishment of free riders, could unintentionally undermine trade, teamwork and social stability.
“"My point being that messing with these social instincts... could end up with consequences that are vastly different than anything you ever intended to do."”
Ever wondered what it takes to radically stretch the limits of the human mind and body? This episode of All In The Mind heads straight into that debate, asking whether, in some ways, humans might already be "transhuman". Host Natasha Mitchell introduces evolutionary psychologist Professor Leda Cosmides, recorded at Arizona State University for the Templeton Research Lecture.
Cosmides isn’t for or against transhumanism; instead, she coolly sizes up its bold promises against what science currently knows about how minds are shaped by natural selection. As she puts it, transhumanists want "better minds, better bodies, and better lives" and "view human nature as a work in progress" – but she challenges the idea that our brains are just simple, tweakable machines.
Cosmides explains that our mental programs evolved over thousands of years in small hunter‑gatherer groups, making them deeply specialised and tightly interconnected. She uses vivid examples – from dung flies and glasses as "sensory prostheses" to McDonald's and "diseases of civilisation" – to show how small shifts in environment can produce massive, unintended consequences.
You’ll hear how memory isn’t one big storage bank but a collection of specialised systems, and why emotions are more than pleasant feelings: they regulate social life, cooperation and fairness. That leads to some unsettling questions. What happens if genetic engineering changes our instincts to punish free riders, or alters our tendency to cooperate? Could well‑meant upgrades to our emotional or moral makeup quietly undermine trade, teamwork and even future technology itself?
With contributions from philosopher Nick Bostrom and transhumanist Joseph Bloch, the episode blends big‑picture speculation with grounded cognitive science. It’s ideal for anyone curious about how far we can push the brain with technology, and what might be at risk if we tamper with the very instincts that make human societies function. How much of our "improvement" can we handle before we stop being us?
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