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by Karen Rommelfanger I recently sat on a panel discussion for an early screening of the movie Self/less . I'm quoted (mostly correctly) with my name (mostly) spelled correctly here . In Self/less , an aging business tycoon with a terminal illess (played by Ben Kingsley ) pays to "shed" his skin for a new, younger, fitter body (played by Ryan Reynolds ). See trailer above. The film, despite the futuristic theme, revisits mundane themes of the Faustian tradeoff or a deal with a devil, ultimately conveying the message that the costs, even for the rich, are too high when trying to cheat death. The title of the movie implies that for the greater good the selfless thing to do is to just die as nature intended. While the film would surely be categorized as science fiction, there are entrepreneurs quite dedicated to making such a possibility a reality. For example, the 2045 Initiative promises, for the starting price tag of $3 million, that your brain can be downloaded and that...

By Neil Levy, PhD Neil Levy is the Deputy Director of the Oxford Centre for Neuroethics , Head of Neuroethics at Florey Neuroscience Institutes , University of Melbourne, and a member of the AJOB Neuroscience Editorial Board. His research examines moral responsibility and free will. The most hotly debated topic in neuroethics surely concerns the ethics of cognitive enhancement. Is it permissible, or advisable, for human beings already functioning within the normal range to further enhance their capacities? Some people see in the prospect of enhancing ourselves the exciting prospect of becoming more than human; others see it as threatening our humanity so that we become something less than we were. In an insightful article, Erik Parens (2005) has argued that truthfully we are all on both sides of this debate. We are at once attracted and repulsed by the prospect that we might become something more than we already are. Parens thinks both frameworks are deeply rooted in Western culture...

The Future of the Mind , authored by physicist Dr. Michio Kaku , explores how neuroscience might inform questions that philosophers have been debating for centuries: Do we have a soul? What happens after we die? Do we even have to die? And what would it take to produce a robot with human consciousness or emotions? To explore these questions, Dr. Kaku interviewed hundreds of scientists who are actively conducting ground breaking work in labs around the world, and from these conversations he made predictions on how these scientific findings would shape our future. The work that Dr. Kaku discusses, such as the latest advances in brain-computer-interfaces (BCI) for the disabled , 1 recording dream images with MRI machines , 2 or implanting memories in mice , 3,4 makes for a fascinating and engrossing read from start to finish. The Future of the Mind is at its best when taking readers through these areas of research and explaining the long-term significance, however many of the neurophi...

Science often provides us with thrilling and puzzling scenarios in which our imaginations are forced to conceive the possibilities the future may bring. Life after death is an old concept that is getting a facelift. The Connectome, a very real development in neuroscience, is being used to conceptualize another very interesting piece of science-[fiction]: mind uploading . Image from http://www.mindcontrol.se/?attachment_id=3021 Fast-forward a few centuries. Bear with me, as this requires imagination. You have just died and are beginning the journey to the next stage of your life. For this trip, you won’t have to pack any bags. If all goes smoothly, you will be back home in time for the evening sitcoms. Your casket was lowered into the Earth this morning and because your driver’s license indicated ‘Continue Life’ you are scheduled for resurrection this afternoon. Suddenly, a message appears. There are three ticket options for you today. Our Elite ticket (1 million USD) and our most c...

On March 28, Dr. Rommelfanger , Assistant Director of Emory's Neuroethics Program , gave a talk to the Nu Rho Psi group about the ethics of neuroenhancement technologies. These technologies can be anything from Adderall to interventions that raises IQ. This talk got me thinking about how the normal human aging process is critical in the way that a person views themselves and others.  Aging now battled with complex technologies. Across the world, doctors routinely perform appearance altering operations, even to the point of giving someone an entirely new face (like this man) , which certainly come with psychological consequences. While face transplants are an extreme example, other cosmetic procedures, like Botox injections to relax wrinkles, are performed millions of times a year.  But what about procedures to alter cognitive function? Is neuroenhancement technology ready to become mainstream, or is there some inherent feeling that altering the brain is off limits?  In th...