What is Human?

Last week I attended the 'What is Human?' conference organised by the religious studies department at school.  Topics ranged from Cybernetics, Genetics, Psychology, Creativity and Spirituality and ended with the debate "Global capitalism devalues human beings".

The day started with a talk on Cybernetic Intelligence by Professor Kevin Warwick, Reading University. Kevin's talk revolved around his experiments and research using cybernetics in four areas. 

1. Identity through implants

2. Growing brains

3. Changing behaviours

4. Therapy and enhancements

Concluding that "In the future your 'body' does not have to be where your brain is". 

The second speaker of the day was Dr Veronique Bataille, Twin Research Unit, St Thomas Hospital discussing genetics which has been informed through her research with twins. There was a good news message for people with moles. Although you have a very slight increased risk to developing skin cancer than those without moles (and she stresses slight), those with moles are likely to age better than those without.

Next Professor Ben C Fletcher, Head of Psychology, University of Hertfordshire, in his 'What is Mind?' speech suggested we are "mere poor users of our brain" and supported this with examples including seeing what is not there, blindsight (and Antons Syndrome), illusion of control, boiling frogs, choice blindness, expecting illness, irrational decision making and playing tennis in a comma. His suggestion to overcome these shortcomings and embark upon personal change is to 'Do Something Different" in order to break  habits and get people "outside themselves". 

The last speaker before the debate was Mark Dowd (TV programme maker and environmentalist) delivering a speech on Creativity and Spirituality. He suggests that today many people see themselves as spiritual but not necessarily religious, that is, believing but not belonging. He also suggests that for a creative act there has to be a change of state or a breakthrough moment. He proposed 4 stages of creativity (inception:the idea, incubation, inspiration - the journey to be actual and the work) and proposed that artists are just a channel for god's work.

Finally the debate, despite a very convincing case by Matthew Sparrow proposing global capitalism is dehumanising the majority sided with the opposition Patrick Cowie who basically agreed with Matthew's speech but suggested that it was human nature not capitalism which was to blame for the ills of the world and that the large global companies are in a position to to good.