Our Mission
The project's main objective is to raise awareness and make Human enhancement topic accessible and easy-to-communicate to others within educational perspective. The challenge was to extend the debate beyond the academic circle while preserving the heart of the matter. The access is free and available in both desktop and mobile versions, which makes sharing the material even more easier. Enjoy your journey through the augmented world !
What is in there for you
Future-human.life project is a fun and interactive digest of 100 pages of scientific articles !
You will find here:
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A set of 9 illustrations and key quotes from each article
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A user-friendly E-Book "Future-human.life" to download in pdf format to discover each article in details
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An online tool with some educational material and a possibility to share the content you like with your friends and peers
More is to come! Stay tuned!
For whom
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For all the curious non-expert people passionate about science and technology
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For professors and teachers wishing to introduce and discuss these complexe topics in classroom
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For associations, foundations and non-profit organizations whose mission is to inform and raise awareness on the current socio-ethical world challenges.
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For specialized journalists, editors, writers and pressmen
The people behind this project
Future-human.life is a fruitful collaboration between Neohumanitas think tank members , authors from academic research field and multimedia artists. The project has been supported by a Graduate Campus Grant from the University of Zurich, as well as a grant from the University Research Priority Program for Ethics (UFSP).
Johann Roduit
Editor and the founding member of NeoHumanitas
Author of The Case for Perfection: Ethics in The Age of Human Enhancement (Peter Lang 2016), Dr. Johann A R Roduit, PhD is Managing Director of the Center for Medical Humanities at the University of Zurich and a Senior Researcher at the Collegium Helveticum (at ETH Zurich, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich). After a research stay at the Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics, Dr. Roduit defended a doctoral dissertation regarding the ethics of human enhancement at the University of Zurich in 2014. He is also the co-founder of Neohumanitas, a Swiss think tank fostering discussion about future and emerging technologies, and is currently leading the science communication project superhumains.ch. His research interests include human enhancement, moral enhancement, bioethics, transhumanism, virtue ethics, human dignity, the ethics of Big Data and philosophical anthropology. He has been involved in different TEDx initiatives in Switzerland and Canada. He is a Partner at the consulting firm Conexkt.
Vincent Menuz
Editor and the co-founding member of NeoHumanitas
Vincent Menuz is a research associate in the OMICS-ETHICS group at the University of Montreal (Canada) and a biology teacher in Geneva (Switzerland). After completing a PhD in biology at the University of Geneva, he started a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Montreal, focusing on socio-ethical issues related to human enhancement. His current work targets both academic and lay audience. On the one hand, he explores the influence of the concept of death on the current effort to decelerate aging and extend lifespan. On the other hand, he presents socio-ethical issues related to human enhancement to lay audience.
Daniel Roiz
Editor
Daniel Roiz is PhD in developmental biology by the University of Zurich (Switzerland). During is PhD he led several initiatives to enhance collaboration between Life and Social sciences and close the gap between academia and industry. Daniel believes that increasing our understanding of human enhancement can help us build a better society. Currently Daniel is a management consultant in Stockholm (Sweden).
Alexandre Erler
Editor
Alexandre Erler completed his doctorate in Philosophy at the University of Oxford in 2013. He is currently a research fellow at the American College of Thessaloniki, where he works with Prof. Vincent Müller on analysing the risks of “digital DIY” manufacturing. He is also a research associate at the Oxford Centre for Neuroethics and the Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics. He works chiefly in applied ethics and neuroethics, on issues raised by new developments in technology and the biomedical sciences. With Johann Roduit, Vincent Menuz and Daniel Widrig, he is a co-founder of think tank NeoHumanitas.
Natalia Stepanova
Co-editor, Art director and Independent information designer
"I am passionate about disseminating complex information yet essential to the understanding of tomorrow’s challenges."
The word cloud above me : multidisciplinary approach, holistic vision, sustainability, data visualisation, interactive design, human sciences, mind maps, illustration, digital project management.
Natalia holds a master’s degree in political philosophy from Paris-Sorbonne University and a degree in Visual Communication. Over the past 7 years she has been contributing to a number of multidisciplinary projects and web-based tools for both private and public sectors. Natalia is currently working as independent consultant for UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development) and EPFL based sustainability consulting company Quantis.
Kristina Kakalacheva
Chapter 1: In Search of the Elixir of Youth
After growing up in Bulgaria, I ventured out to obtain my biosciences education abroad. My journey led me to the University of Zurich, where I completed my PhD studies in immunology. Currently, I am an associate at a venture capital firm and provide advice on investments in biotech companies that develop cancer therapeutics.
Enrica Saponara
Chapter 1: In Search of the Elixir of Youth
I am Enrica, an Italian Biotechnologist attending the 4th year of the PhD studies in Integrative Molecular Medicine at the UniversitätsSpital Zürich.
During my PhD, I have been mainly studying the regenerative capability of exocrine pancreatic and the molecular mechanisms leading to pancreatic cancer initiation.
José Aguilar-Rodríguez
Chapter 3: Human enhancement and evolution
José Aguilar-Rodríguez is a PhD student on Evolutionary (Systems) Biology in the Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Sciences at the University of Zurich working in the laboratory of Andreas Wagner. He is also affiliated with the Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics. His main research interests are the evolution of biological systems and the fundamental organizational principles of life. He is a passionate reader of science fiction.
Ali Rezaee Vahdati
Chapter 3: Human enhancement and evolution
Ali Rezaee Vahdati, a current PhD candidate at the laboratory of Andreas Wagner in Zurich, studies act of natural selection and genetic drift on allelic diversity using computer simulations. He has done his bachelor studies in Iran, and then a master at the University of Manchester.
Pieter Bonte
Chapter 4: If doping is wrong, why do we love Popeye? Let’s topple talentocracy
Pieter Bonte is a philosopher who explores how humans are circular, self-shaping creatures. In 2015, he will defend his PhD thesis “Freedom in the Flesh.” A further development of his critique of talent and defence of doping can be found in his TEDx talk with the same title of his contribution here.
Trijsje Franssen
Chapter 5: Heracles or Icarus: Mythological References in the Human Enhancement Debate
Trijsje Franssen finished her PhD in Philosophy at the University of Exeter (UK), and currently works as an Assistant Professor in Philosophy of Science at the University of Amsterdam. Her research is on the role of myth and imagination in the enhancement debate, focusing in particular on moral claims and concepts of human nature.
Erik Malmqvist
Chapter 5: Heracles or Icarus: Mythological References in the Human Enhancement Debate
Erik Malmqvist, Ph.D., is Lecturer in Philosophy of Medicine and Medical Ethics at the Department of Thematic Studies, Linköping University, Sweden. His research focuses on ethical issues in organ- and tissue transplantation, biomedical research, assisted reproduction and vaccination.
Xaroula Kerasidou
Chapter 6: Science and technology, towards enhancing the human condition
Dr. Xaroula Kerasidou is a Research Associate at the Centre for Mobilities Research, Lancaster University. Her research interests lie within the field of feminist science and technology studies where she focuses on the material and semiotic practices of technoscience. Currently, she works on the EU FP7 funded project SecInCoRe (www.secincore.eu) which explores the social, legal and ethical implications of technology.
Laura Cabrera
Chapter 6: Science and technology, towards enhancing the human condition
Dr. Cabrera is Assistant Professor of Neuroethics at the Center for Ethics and Humanities in the Life Sciences. Her research focuses on the exploration of attitudes, perceptions and values of the general public toward neurotechnologies, as well as the normative implications of using neurotechnologies for non-medical purposes
Olivette R. Burton
Chapter 6: Science and technology, towards enhancing the human condition
Olivette R. Burton MSW, MBe is an American social scientist and bioethicist. Her expertise is in socio-cultural and ethical policy making considerations particularly as it relates to the development, education and implementation of science and technology. She holds advanced degrees from the University of Pennsylvania. She lectures around the world and has appeared on radio, international documentaries and news outlets on tolerance and social responsibility. She also is the CEO of Sweetnation.org which is a humanitarian company focusing on the needs of marginalized and disenfranchised populations. She resides in New York City.
Elena Andreeva
Chapter 7: Playing with the “Playing God”
Elena Andreeva is a fourth year PhD student at the Institute of Neuroinformatics, ETH Zurich. Her research focuses on the neural basis of selective attention. She discovered faith during her undergraduate years at the University of Oxford, and remains a practicing Christian.
Hossein Dabbagh
Chapter 7: Playing with the “Playing God”
Hossein Dabbagh spent his doctoral journey in moral philosophy at Reading and Oxford Universities. He received his MA in Western and Islamic philosophy from National University, Iran. He is a former research fellow at Oxford Centre for Socio-Legal Studies and now is a visiting scholar at Institute of Social Ethics, University of Lucerne, Switzerland. He is also assistant professor at Department of Philosophy, Doha Institute for Graduate Studies. He was a co-founder of Democrat Islamic Student Association in University of Tehran and is a member of Institute for Epistemological Research, a leading institute for the religious intellectualism project in Iran.
Cynthia Forlini
Chapter 8: Be the best version of yourself: How individual enhancements can cause social change
Dr Cynthia Forlini is an ARC DECRA Research Fellow at the University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research. Her research explores the neuroethics issues in defining the boundaries between enhancement and maintenance of cognitive performance across the lifespan.
Tugce Bilgin
Chapter 8: Be the best version of yourself: How individual enhancements can cause social change
Dr Tugce Bilgin Sonay studied Genetics and Bioengineering (B.Sc) in Istanbul and Life Sciences (M.A.) in University of Zurich, where she obtained her PhD degree in evolutionary biology. She then received the Forschungskredit post-doctoral fellowship to work on human evolution in the Anthrolopology Department of University of Zurich.
Charles Dupras
Chapter 9: Crossing mind barriers – A precautionary approach to neuroenhancement strategies
Charles Dupras, is pursuing a PhD in bioethics at the University of Montreal, about the ethical, social and political implications of recent discoveries in the field of epigenetics, and is interested in ethical inquiries addressing human enhancement through various forms of biotechnologies.