http://blog.2bhuman.net Look over my shoulder as I explore what it means to be human Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:57:31 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Transition (noun) -- movement, passage, or change from one position, state, stage, subject, concept, etc., to another; change. Hiatus (noun) -- a break or interruption in the continuity of a work, series, action, etc. August 31 was the last day at my job, and, as many of you know, I’ll be starting ... http://blog.2bhuman.net/2009/09/01/two-words-that-describe-my-current-situation/ McGill University's Margaret Somerville has a thought-provoking piece, "The Flawed Quest for Perfection," in the Ottawa Citizen. Does any given use of this science, in the search for human perfection, damage or destroy the essence of our humanness? That leads to the question of whether at least some imperfections are elements ... http://blog.2bhuman.net/2009/08/19/the-use-of-science-in-the-search-for-human-perfection/ Maybe because I once had a job that involved implementing warehouse automation systems.  Or maybe I'm just a nerd. Anyway, it's an article from last week's Chicago Tribune on how Netflix's warehouse works.  With pictures. http://blog.2bhuman.net/2009/08/12/why-does-this-interest-me/ I just finished reading Neal Stephenson’s Anathem. Very interesting, very complex, and very long (the story concludes on page 890). It took a good 100 pages to really feel immersed in the world of the book, which involves a good bit of made up terms (the book includes a 20 ... http://blog.2bhuman.net/2009/08/09/anathem/ Kenny is an Australian mocumentary that I think works on a couple of levels -- funny and touching, with a positive message. Description: Porta-loo deliveryman Kenny Smyth is probably one of the most underappreciated professionals on the planet. But without him, this much is true: There'd be a lot more crap ... http://blog.2bhuman.net/2009/08/09/for-the-dvd-queue-of-your-choice/ The New York Times looks (briefly) at conversations parents are now having with children born to surrogates with donor eggs and sperm: "No Stork Involved, but Mom and Dad Had Help." Every child has a birth story. The story of Simmie, who was born to a surrogate, is different from the ... http://blog.2bhuman.net/2009/07/31/increasingly-complex-birds-and-bees-conversations/ My friend Sarah recently presented at the Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity's Global Bioethics: Emerging Challenges Facing Human Dignity conference. Her presentation was entitled "Women’s Discipleship: A Pathway for Bioethics in the Local Church," and is available on her website, Women of Faith in Culture. http://blog.2bhuman.net/2009/07/31/one-path-for-bioethics-in-the-church/ I know I feel like we've been overwhelmed with Michael Jackson news, but here's an article that looks at his life from a slightly different perspective: "Was Michael Jackson a Transhumanist?" Jackson [defied] his biological limitations in terms of his transformation of his inherited features — his cosmetic surgery and his ... http://blog.2bhuman.net/2009/07/30/something-interesting-about-michael-jackson/ From MercatorNet: So the question provoked by Terminator Salvation is this: is being plain old Humanity 1.0 worthwhile -- in spite of our messy emotions, cloudy intelligence, imperfect bodies and unavoidable death? Or should we aspire to move forward to Humanity 2.0? http://blog.2bhuman.net/2009/07/29/terminator-salvation/ Interesting article on a recent meeting about possible limits on the development of Artificial Intelligence. Where have I heard this before? “Something new has taken place in the past five to eight years,” Horvitz said. “Technologists are replacing religion, and their ideas are resonating in some ways with the same idea of ... http://blog.2bhuman.net/2009/07/29/will-machines-master-man/