No matter how much humans naturally develop, it is my belief that human beings will always create methods of manipulation. Humans seem to have an instinct to dominate, so it is not unlikely to me that we will “play God” in the future.
Humans have already begun to push boundaries with the use of more advanced technology. One example of this is the successful cloning of Dolly the sheep. Although highly experimental, the cloning of Dolly proved to the world that technology today is so advanced that we might even be capable of reproducing ourselves. Cloning also makes one wonder what else humans are capable knowing that we are so highly sophisticated today that we can even make more of ourselves. It also makes one wonder what could possibly be next. Some people fear that our next step will be not only to reproduce, but to also alter the genetic codes of the fetus to create what we see as the “perfect” child. Technology is responsible for this genetic feat, not nature, and technology will thus be able to continue to add humans in their advancements beyond what nature has so far accomplished.
Another similar example is the completion of the human genome project in 2000. This project mapped out all the genes in the human body, together known as the genome, as well as their locations. Essentially, we now know what “instructions” we inherit and how those genes control the development and the functions of a human being. So far, the human genome project is just at the stage where we understand how our DNA is structured, but not so much of what it all is responsible for, or what making changes to the structure will effect. Our knowledge is ever expanding in the genetic field though, and eventually just about any change to the human form might become more than just an aspiration or an idea, but a reality, and not only for the alterations of humans to fit needs and/or desires, but also the alterations of animal genes to suit human needs and/or desires. Without the advancements we have made in technology today, the human genome project never would have even been a possibility.
When people brainstorm on ideas of humans advancing more with technology or with biology, they tend to think more along the lines of using technology to affect biology, but technology is capable of controlling much more than just the biology aspects. As Francis Fukuyama discusses in Our Posthuman Future: Consequences of the Biotechnology Revolution, the book 1984 begins to outline other fears/goals humans need to consider. In 1984, Orwell creates a world in which homes contain a device he calls a telescreen, or in other words, a flat screen television that send and receives images simultaneously. The images sent and received all are linked to one giant telescreen known as Big Brother. Basically, this book outlines the fact that humans can become so technologically advanced that the technology is used against us by ourselves. Essentially, the telescreens are representing the citizens of a nation, and the Big Brother represents the control the government has over each citizen. The invention of the IBM pc and the internet in 1984 is a prime example of how technology almost brought Orwell's theory to life.
To most, it is clear that technology undoubtedly will prevail over biology, but some people reject the idea. Charles Darwin created a theory that discussed how creatures, such as humans, will always find a way to evolve around their surroundings. He did not mention technology per say, but if his theory is applied to knowledge of today, Darwin is saying that, even if we use technology to change our lifestyles, evolution will still simply cause an adaptation. He's saying that it doesn't matter what we use technology to change, nature will always push us to the next step of evolution, even if that means adapting around the technological advances. Darwin lived in a time that had little technology compared to that of today, but even in past times, possibilities were beginning to become evident. One example of this is the book The Time Machine by H.G. Wells, written in 1895. Wells, although creating a concept known in that time as pure fiction, realized what could become reality, and in the book, expanded on what he thought could come from such an invention.
The man in the story traveled years into the future, stopping numerous times to examine the cultural differences in society during various time periods. What is most relevant to the topic of technology, though, are three scenes from the most recent movie modeled after Well's book. One scene shows a world based solely on technology. The things the man sees is something more advanced than even today with hover crafts and talking images. The man is dissatisfied in a way and decides to advance further. When he does, he sees the world destroyed, and when he inquires about the cause of the destruction, he finds that the technology inevitably changed nature, and nature became the ultimate end to the age. This portion of the movie was the second scene of importance.
