1.
HUMAN ENHANCEMENT
PROJECT
H e
d
s
Rise of the Citizen Scientist
Natasha Vita-More
PhD Res, Univ. Plymouth
Board of Directors, Humanity+
natasha@natasha.cc

2.
HUMAN ENHANCEMENT
PROJECT
H e
d
s
Design Science

3.
HUMAN ENHANCEMENT
PROJECT
The project began in the late 1990s with designs for a posthuman
prototype. From 2004 to 2008, the project developed a theory of
human enhancement linking available information on a scientific,
technological and philosophical approach to human futures.
From 2008 to the 2010, the project has been dealing with a
central issue for the near-term—staying alive.

4.
HUMAN ENHANCEMENT
PROJECT

5.
1.8 deaths per second worldwide, meaning that there
are over 100 deaths per minute. There are over 150,000
deaths per day and over 55 million deaths per year.
21.6 deaths every 12 seconds

6.
PREDICAMENT
The predicament human enhancement faces is
mostly behavioral–what we desire and what is
feasible. Much of this has to do with what we want
to control and why we need to control it.
For human enhancement, the control factor is to stay
alive. One way we can do this is by changing what
is considered as the normal human condition. For
those opposed to enhancement, the control factor is
to die. One way they can do this is to restrain our
condition by keeping disease alive.

7.
Symbols Philosophy
Narratives Religion
Visuals Spirituality
Fear Society & Beliefs Hope
Activism Anxiety
Ethics & DESIGN Marketing/
SCIENCE
Culture Culture
Biopolitics Consumers
PRACTICE
Design/Arts NBIC+
& Sciences AI/AGI
Robotics
Science & Technology
Virtuality Whole brain emulation
Simulation Disembodied cognition
Bio-Synthetics connective intelligence

8.
Plasticity, Protection,
Preservation
BRAIN
Flexibility, Strength,
BODY Disease Control
Perception, Reflexivity,
BEHAVIOR Connectivity
Cognition Quotient

9.
Stay alive
IDEA
Increase Cognition Quotient
MEANS
METHOD The interrelationship of
brain, body and behavior

10.
Brain system
Second-order
enhancement plasticity
cybernetics. • Feedback loop
• Adaptation
• Decision assist
The user-agent- • Error correction
observer guides • Multiple viewpoints
• Prosthetic
the enhanced neo-cortex
attributes of its
own system.
automorphic
software
Wearable or in-system
• experience memory
• persona recordation
• relay between avatars

11.
ds

12.
Designer,
Frog Design Designer,
QIS Design
Designer,
Mikhail St-Denis
Designer,
Pouvan Mokhtarani

13.
How to know Self-tracking systems /
well-being
Info links
behavior
What to know
health
Need to know risks
MEMTABLE
Designers, Seth Hunter with Jenny Chan, Katie
Harrington, Emily Zhao, Alexander Milouchev, and Michael Kuo
MEMTABLE
Designers, Sajid Sadi and Marcelo Coelho

14.
Info links design process practicality of enhancement
Technology
Evolution
human-technology
integration
HUMAN
HUMAN
Cybernetics ENHANCEMENT Self-directed
ENHANCEMENT
Computer Media NBIC Media
human-futures
conceptualization
Evolution
Design Praxis

15.
Info links
Futures
Scenarios
Cybernetics Future Studies
Hu[man]-
machine cyborg transhuman posthuman
Existence Identity Transhumanism
Functionalism Evolution
Metaphysics
Ethics Biopolitics
Philosophy

16.
Historical Cybernetics: Establishing a Framework of Human Enhancement
 Historical Praxis of Emerging field of Heds
 Regeneration of Personal Existence as a foundation
 Existence over space and time
 Sciences: Hard and Soft
Human Human Enhancement as a Field
Enhancement  Defining human enhancement
 Relationship to cybernetics
 Free Will, Survival and Evolution
 Regeneration of personal existence
 Existence over space and time
Design Human Enhancement within Practices
Practices
 Locating Evidence of HE in arts
 Assessment of HCI, Body Art, Robotics,
Conceptual Art, Wearables, Performance Art,
Prosthetics, Biological Art
 Comparisons between artistic fields which engage
transdisciplinary media to produce full concept
Technologies Human Enhancement Media
 Media of human enhancement – NBIC+
 Links between Science, Technology and Art
Philosophy Philosophies and Theories of Human Futures
and Theory
 Stemming out of Cybernetics
 Stemming from Transhumanism
 Stemming from Posthumanism
 Analyzing the Cyborg, Transhuman, Posthuman
Future
Designing a Field
Scenarios
 Investigating Experts within fields of NBIC+
 Links to artistic practice and theory
 Future Scenarios of Human Enhancement Media

17.
HUMAN ENHANCEMENT
PROJECT
H
H
ee
dd
ss
Rise of the Citizen Scientist
Rise of the Citizen Scientist

18.
HUMAN ENHANCEMENT
PROJECT
H e
d
s
Rise of the Citizen Scientist
Natasha Vita-More
PhD Res, Univ. Plymouth
Board of Directors, Humanity+
natasha@natasha.cc