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Remember when you were a kid, running around with your friends, imagining having superpowers and fighting the bad guys? Eventually you outgrew it and are now having a regular human job, but a lot of scientists are driven by their imaginations and are working on technologies to augment ourselves into superhumans.
Human augmentation can aid produce better prosthetics or reduce genetic disorders, and could create a better life for a lot of people – but it also raises the question of where to draw the line: Where does a human stop being human and start becoming a machine?
Creating Joy
We humans have been augmenting our bodies for thousands of years. And we have come a long way from wooden legs to microprocessor prosthetics. It is not just about giving people the opportunity to be independent, after losing an arm or a leg – it is giving back the quality of life everybody deserves. In the future robotic limbs could be integrated into the human body, boosting our biological capabilities. Similar to an upgrade: Human 2.0.
Technology Has its Price
State-of-the-art technology and design have their price. You get what you can pay for. If you cannot afford it you are not getting it. Nowadays it may be that you cannot afford to get a modern and perfectly fitted microprocessor prosthetics. In the future it may lead to parallel universes in one world. An example of this dystopian view is the Netflix series Altered Carbon: The wealthiest people can afford to choose every type of body they want or what kind of augmentation they want to integrate in those bodies, while the rest of humanity has to take what is given to them – like the 8 year old girl which was "resleeved" into the body of a middle aged woman.
When Does Humanity Stop?
Humanity may had millions of years to evolve, but can we still stay human, if we are filled with technology? Imagine if you could preserve yourself, the way you think, the way you talk, what you like or dislike and be able to live forever in different synthetic bodies. Would it still be you, or just a copy of who you used to be– an artificial intelligence which got fed with the data of you and how you process information? If someone has his genetics transformed so that they could process information faster and remember things better than anyone around him, are they still the same person they were before? Will genetically engineered people be a normality, and regular born humans discriminated, like in the movie Gattaca?
For now, we cannot say if our future will be more a utopia or dystopia. For all we know scientists are creating technology to improve our lives day by day, which makes me optimistic about how our society will be tomorrow.
Five best sci-fi TV shows predicting tech’s future
Videos we love: Five amazing sci-fi shows that predict the future of tech
Technology could go anywhere in future. We ask you, which of these five sci-fi on-demand TV shows predicts it best?
Which sci-fi series gets our tech future right?
Predicting the future of tech is hard. These five on-demand sci-fi TV shows all predict different technological futures for humankind. Which do you think is closest to the truth?
Alphas (above)
Watch on Amazon Prime
In a new twist on the superhero saga, in Alphas, a select few humans have developed super senses, but they're also plagued by harmful drawbacks. For the crime-fighting supergroup, their strengths and flaws act as both help and hindrance.
Altered Carbon
Watch on Netflix
Set in a future where consciousness is digitized and stored in human spines, people can survive physical death by having their memories and consciousness "re-sleeved" into new bodies. What could go wrong?
Black Mirror
Watch on Netflix
Could technology alter memory and perception? Will AI be our friend or foe? Can we tell a digital human from a real one? This anthology of self-contained future worlds will satisfy the most curious minds, but is not for the faint-hearted.
Brave New World
Watch on Amazon Prime
This 2020 adaptation loosely based on Aldous Huxley's influential 1932 novel envisions a perfect, happy society, where everyone knows their place. But, with advanced genetic technology, is it possible?
Devs
Watch on BBC iPlayer (UK only)
In a world where quantum computing can predict all human behavior (ouch,) humanity places its trust in a crack team of developers to restore their freedom.
There you have it – our five favorite sci-fi shows predicting a technological future. Which stands out for you, and why? Tell us on Twitter or Facebook and see what others say. And at Tomorrow Unlocked, we have our own predictions for the future of tech. Strap in – this is Imagine Beyond.
Latest Stories
Five of the most insightful COVID-19 documentaries
Videos we like: Documentaries on how COVID-19 changed our world
How much will our lives change after COVID-19? We look at five of the most powerful documentaries made during the pandemic.
How did filmmakers see COVID-19?
The global community meets an invisible enemy, and must race against the clock to save humanity – COVID-19 is a compelling story. How was it seen by filmmakers around the world? These five must-see documentaries from creatives worldwide exploring different sides of the pandemic.
76 Days (above)
Directed by Hao Wu and Weixi Chen
China
What was Wuhan like in the pandemic's early days? Wonder no more. This acclaimed documentary is a poignant snapshot of struggle and resilience in the battle to survive the coronavirus.
hacker:HUNTER Ha(ck)c1ne
Directed by Didi Mae Hand
UK/Switzerland
The pandemic stretched hospital resources more than ever. Among the first to take advantage of the struggle was a wave of deadly hackers. Follow as the healthcare system fights the virus on two fronts.
Part of a series commissioned by Tomorrow Unlocked.
Coronation
Coronation from Ai Weiwei Films on Vimeo.
Directed by Ai WeiWei
China
Each country responded differently to the outbreak. China's was one of military and extreme efficiency. But what impact did that response have on their people? Behind the scenes of China's battle against a silent killer, directed by acclaimed artist Ai WeiWei.
Eight countries, one global pandemic
Directed by Great Big Story
USA
This heartwarming documentary follows eight households from across the globe every day through the pandemic, to see how different families coped with lockdown.
The Curve
THE CURVE | Full Movie | COVID-19 Documentary Thriller from Oscar®-Nominee Adam Benzine from Jet Black Iris on Vimeo.
Directed by Adam Benzine
USA
The Trump administration's response to COVID-19 receives an insightful, highly emotional look from Academy Award-nominated director Adam Benzine.
It wasn't just professionals capturing the pandemic through a lens. During lockdown, we asked creatives worldwide to capture one hour from their pandemic experience. Watch the playlist we made from these moments – TWELVE.
What have we missed? Share your pick of COVID-19 documentaries with us on Facebook and Twitter, or let us know which of these you found most insightful.