A Dictionary of Transhumanist Terms

George P. Dvorsky has posted a fascinating list attempting to define many of the transhumanist terms that are floating around in the would-be Borg blogosphere.

Information Theoretic Death: New technologies will soon demand that we redefine what we mean by death. It is becoming increasingly unsatisfactory to declare death when the heart stops. As long as the information within the brain can be preserved and restored, a person should not be considered irrevocably dead. Given the potential for molecular nanotechnology and other future biotechnological advances, it is reasonable to suggest that most cognitive impairment will someday be repairable. Consequently, we will need to reconsider the status of persons frozen in cyronic stasis or hooked up to life support systems.

The explanation of human exceptionalism is intriguing: essentially, the argument is that being purely human is what matters, and "that to give equal moral currency to non-humans is a violation of human dignity and worth." I think that's an understandable perspective, but what surprises me (as someone who is only particularly interested in transhumanism from the perspective of art and culture; I am more pleased imaginatively by the ideas of the movement than the idea that it might soon become reality) is that some equate this belief with a form of racism.

Some really thought-provoking stuff on the increasing blur between flesh, soul and technology.

Must-know terms for the 21st Century intellectual: Redux [Sentient Developments]