Are we finally becoming human?

re:publica 2015
re:health

Short thesis: 

You are sharing a beautiful bottle of Chablis with your loved one. All of a sudden your AppleWatch notifies you that your heart needs to be replaced. You call the hospital and the organ library, within a week you have a new heart. This tech is currently being developed. Many say that it make us less human because it intervenes with nature. Others say that such interventions allow us to focus on what "being human" actually means. In each case we are hesitant to let technology integrate with our bodies. Should we be scared of the consequences of an increasingly technological world?

Description: 

It is a given that within the next couple of years technology will develop exponentially. Many scientists, designers and futurists therefore focus on what the new opportunities of these developments are. Unfortunately they somehow do not focus on the consequences. Concepts like telepathy, brain upgrading pills and implanted LED displays are pretty cool, but they radically alter our society and our human body. 

As the integration of technology with our body is imminent we need to start thinking about its impact. A new generation of designers has risen to question our technological progress. We put these new technologies into context by designing physical objects which could be part of a future society. They are future scenarios to figure out what kind of impact these technologies could have on our lives and on being human. 

The debate which revolves around these objects we, as a society, can decide wether or not we need to proceed with these developments. And maybe more important wether or not we need to take precautions. 

All new technologies could be the asbestos of the future so we better start thinking about their consequences now. Be prepared for some entertaining technologic and design speculation on future of humans.

STG-10
Thursday, May 7, 2015 - 15:00 to 15:30
English
Talk
Beginner