Two Words that Describe My Current Situation

Posted on September 1, 2009 by Matthew Eppinette

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 classes at Fuller Seminary later this month.  So, during this time of transition I’m taking a bit of a hiatus from spending time online.

As classes start and I settle into a new routine, I’ll evaluate how much time I have to devote to all things online.  In the mean time I’m thinking through what it is I want to accomplish by spending time online, which will help to determine what priority I put on updating things here at 2BHuman.

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The Use of Science in the Search for Human Perfection

Posted on August 19, 2009 by Matthew Eppinette

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 of that essence and of immense value as such. Just like the hand-knitted sweater, are they part of what makes each of us unique originals?

. . .

I propose a very important question we need to ask in deciding what we may and should not do with our new technoscience, that is, what is ethical or unethical: 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 of that essence and of immense value as such. Just like the hand-knitted sweater, are they part of what makes each of us unique originals?

HT: Bioethics.com

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Why Does This Interest Me?

Posted on August 12, 2009 by Matthew Eppinette

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.

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Anathem

Posted on August 9, 2009 by Matthew Eppinette

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 page glossary).

I hesitate to recommend it because of its length. It would have been good to have a large block of time to read it, rather than spreading it out over 3 ½ weeks, so perhaps if you’re going on a reading vacation. Or flying from California to the UK.

If you do read it, stick with it until you feel yourself really getting absorbed into the world of the book, then go back and start from the beginning again.

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For the DVD Queue of Your Choice

Posted on August 9, 2009 by Matthew Eppinette

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 to deal with. In a comedy of excremental proportions, Kenny makes his rounds with his dedicated Splashdown crew and ultimately finds himself at the mother of all waste management sites — the International Pumper and Cleaner Expo in Nashville.

Carrier is an actual documentary that aired on PBS last year, I believe.

Description:
Filmed during a six-month deployment to the Persian Gulf in support of ground troops, this in-depth documentary takes an insider’s tour of the U.S.S. Nimitz, one of America’s most storied aircraft carriers. Cameras follow Navy personnel as they perform their duties, navigate conflicts and ponder questions about patriotism and sacrifice, all against the backdrop of daily routines aboard one of the most lethal naval vessels ever constructed.

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Increasingly Complex Birds and Bees Conversations

Posted on July 31, 2009 by Matthew Eppinette

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 stories of the three children in the movie. But her story, which is also the story of her 11-year-old twin brothers, Andrew and Benjamin, is less unusual than it used to be.

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One Path for Bioethics in the Church

Posted on July 31, 2009 by Matthew Eppinette

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.

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Something Interesting about Michael Jackson

Posted on July 30, 2009 by Matthew Eppinette

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 change of skin color (he might also have included his cross-genderish style of dress and makeup).

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Terminator Salvation?

Posted on July 29, 2009 by Matthew Eppinette

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?

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Will Machines Master Man?

Posted on July 29, 2009 by Matthew Eppinette

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 the Rapture.”

Oh yeah, that’s right.

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