Panel Discussion: "Human and cognitive enhancement - do we want smarter, faster, better humans?"

Past Event

Date
02 February 2012, 4:30pm - 6:00pm

Location
Lecture Theatre, Oxford Martin School
34 Broad Street (corner of Holywell and Catte Streets), Oxford, OX1 3BD

Advances in understanding how the brain works are rapidly leading to new possibilities for intervention in brain function. The ability of brains and machines to talk to each other directly is fast becoming a very real possibility, as is the possibility for whole brain emulation and machine intelligence. This raises profound ethical issues related to understanding behaviour and potentially manipulating it, so called ‘mind control’. Not only that, the economic consequences and security concerns that might be raised by different levels of capability require careful consideration. What price do we have to pay to be smarter, faster and better humans?

Panel: