Ten Transhumanist Films to Watch During Your Holidays

11/11/2015

Transhumanism is an intellectual and cultural movement supporting the use of science and technology to improve human mental and physical characteristics and capacities.

It's ideas have been a staple in literary works for decades and is now seen a resurgence in recent years. This can be seen in recent Hollywood science fiction, but there are quintessential classics that can't be missed. It's not like you're going to be doing much over the holidays anyway...

"I believe in transhumanism: once there are enough people who can truly say that, the human species will be on the threshold of a new kind of existence, as different from ours as ours is from that of Peking man. It will at last be consciously fulfilling its real destiny." - Julian Huxley

What will life in the future be like as the line between human and machine starts to blur? What if we can improve our minds with smart drugs, giving us a better memory and faster thinking capabilities? If we were to manipulate our genome to reduce or even remove our propensity to die from diabetes or cancer, or to determine the intelligence and health of our children?

Transhumanism provides an answer to how we should approach and use technological progress to make us better, smarter, faster, stronger. To surpass the limits of human biology and in an extension, the human condition. Some say it is inevitable, as the human population continues to grow, natural resources begin to dwindle, and we have no option but to continue our technological progress onto ourselves.

The following films asks these questions. Some will give favorable answers, other not, but what's important is that we keep on asking.

TRANSCENDENCE (2014)

Taking place in the near future, Johnny Depp plays Dr. Will Caster, the world's foremost authority in artificial intelligence. He became a target of a group of neo-luddites in an attack to stop the development of AI. Barely escaped, although mortally wounded, Caster decides to transfer his conscience into a quantum computer.

Transcendence discusses the issue of technological advancement, and the ethical as well as moral questions that comes with it. Although a good estimate on what a technological singularity entails, it unrealistically accelerates the pace of development - likely for dramatic purposes.

In the real world, technological singularity will more like be in the form of augmented natural abilities, rather than of an all-powerful AI. In a way, we have done that, members of the the Grinder movement for instance, improve themselves through implants - the most famous being Kevin Warwick, who connected his nervous system with the internet, and using it to manipulate machines on the other side of the planet.

All in all, Transcendence is a great movie, and a must watch if anything for its refreshing originality.

TOMORROWLAND (2015)

In 1889 at the Exposition Universelle in Paris, a group of visionaries put aside their differences to discuss how to make the future happen: Jules Verne, Gustave Eiffel, Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison. They established a secret society, known as Plus Ultra, to figure out how and where to change the world.

In the present day, a young aspiring astrophysics student and daughter of a NASA scientist, Casey Newton (Britt Robinson), stumbles upon the secret when she is given a mysterious pin by a youth named Athena (Raffey Cassidy). She leads her to a jaded ex-boy genius named Frank Walker (George Clooney), who first journeyed to Tomorrowland at the World's Fair. Evading agents seeking to maintain a post-60s masquerade of Plus Ultra's activities, they set out to Tomorrowland to find just what's been keeping the world away from the future.

Tomorrowland is a breath of fresh air from the recent onslaught of dystopian sci-fi flicks. It carries much of the ideas found in Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged (scroll to the bottom) of how the world is being held back by petty conflicts. In terms of transhumanist ideas, Tomorrowland is lightweight, though this film is more about keeping dreams alive than postulating the future. It's a feel good, optimistic film for these dark times of ours.

JUPITER ASCENDING (2015)

This space opera revolves around the life of Jupiter Jones, who was named after her father’s favorite planet. During the movie, Jones discusses how her father, Maximilian Jones met her mother. After her father’s death the family moves to Chicago where Jones cleans the home of wealthy people. Jones is attacked, which results in her memory getting erased before Caine Wise, who is played by Channing Tatum saves her.

As expected from the Wachowskis, this film is full of allegories and symbolism one of those involving genomic sacredness. In the real world, this view is present on topic involving gene therapy, stem cell research and cloning.

What should be posited is whether the human genome should be manipulated. If we could get rid of diseases, guarantee intelligence and extend life, should we? We have altered the natural world in this aspect before, we breed the fastest racing stallions, the fattest cattle and sheep, Norman Borlaug had developed a strain of wheat that had saved 1 billion lives from starvation, why should we stop at that? In another way we have already manipulated humanity. We now live twice as long as our ancestors, developed artificial immunity to various diseases, and even staving off ageing using growth hormones.

Of course splicing is a bit weird, as you can see in the movie, but there are certainly some who don't mind having Channing Tatum's wolf ears...

LUCY (2014)

Lucy is an average American woman living in Taiwan when she is kidnapped by a Korean drug-trafficking gang, and forced into carrying a bag – sewn into her abdomen – of a particularly powerful substance known as CPH4. Following a fight with one of her captors, the bag splits and the contents begin to seep into her bloodstream, immediately causing significantly increased physical and mental capabilities. As more of the drug enters Lucy’s system, these abilities continue to grow, giving her telepathic powers, enhanced speed and strength, the capacity for mental time travel, and eventual absolute telekinetic control over everyone and everything – organic and technological – in her environment.

First of all, lets clear the air. We DO NOT use only 10% of our brains; any damage to any part will affect our cognitive capabilities in some way or another. Other than that huge fiction, Lucy is interesting in portraying the possibilities of smart drugs (nootropics). As in the movie, nootropics may allow us to learn, remember and may even prevent the occurance of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

It will not give you superpowered psychic abilities though...too bad, really.

I, ROBOT (2004)

Based on the works of superstar science fiction writer Isaac Asimov, the plot of the movie draws upon a variety of elements from Asimov’s collection of short stories and weaves them together into a narrative of a detective action movies with some interesting reflections on ethics, the boundaries between the human and the technological, and good old-fashioned human self-interest. Will Smith carries the film well, as do the special effects with the robots, with the ending leaving space for an unfulfilled sequel.

In terms of transhumanist themes there are plenty to think about – from robotics, to the creation of human-like (with our flaws) artificial intelligence, aspects of a singularity and human therapy/enhancement through the use of robotic prosthetics. For me the film highlighted two aspects, in particular. Firstly, that while we might not be able to definitively state that a particular technological creation is intelligent or conscious, we will act towards them (both positively and negatively) as if they are ‘persons’.

Moreover, how the robots are treated also reflects upon how we treat others whom we deem ‘less’ human than ourselves, leading to their oppression and marginalization. For robots in this film, you could substitute refugees, people of different faiths, different cultures and ethnicities, different genders, and/or sexual orientation.

BICENTENNIAL MAN (1999)

Bicentennial Man is about a unique NDR series robot named Andrew who is played by Robin Williams. While he was brought to the Martin Family to perform housekeeping and maintenance duties, it becomes clear that Andrew is not like any other robot. When he breaks a figurine and carves another out of wood for the youngest member of the family, Martin inquires with his boss if all the NDR series robots are like Andrew. His boss saw it as a problem with hopes to trash Andrew until Martin agrees to keep him with his family. During that time, he gives Andrew the opportunity to learn the humanities for himself. Later, he also frees Andrew so that he can live the life he wants to lead. It is on Martin’s death bed that the two see one another again.

Also based on the works of Isaac Asimov, BM explores transhumanism from the perspective of an AI. It is certainly predictable that with the development of quantum computers and neural nets, an AI may have the same cognitive abilities as we do, but can they develop humanity as well?

BM isn't a particularly cerebral film, though it does have its philosophical merits. All in all, it's a feel good drama, the sort of that only Robin Williams can deliver.

AKIRA (1988)

The only anime on our list, Akira is a classic amongst anime lovers. Be warned, this is not some lightweight kiddie stuff.

Based on the titular manga by Otomo Katsuhiro, Akira tells the tale of a post-apocalypse world that hovers on the brink of World War IV. Civil unrest plauges the city, and political factions seek to usurp power. It starts out in 1987 where a nuclear bomb strikes Tokyo and World War III commences quickly there after. 29 years later in a Neo-Tokyo plagued by civil unrest and social uprisings, a young cyberpunk biker gang called the Capsules, led by Kaneda, is waging a cycle war with the rival Clown gang. Tetsuo, one of the Capsules is severely injured by an escapee child, with strong psionic abilities, who is part of a government project. Tetsuo is taken along with the child to a military facility where tests are run on him. Tetsuo soon becomes a tool of the government to harness the powers of Akira, a 7-year-old boy, who has been dissected and kept in cryonic suspension since World War III, which he started. What follows is an intense rush by Kaneda to stop Tetsuo from being consumed by the great power he has been given.

So just what makes Akira such a masterpiece? After all it is merely animation. Akira was one of the first features to showcase animation as so much more than to tell kiddie tales. It deals with the question of humanity's place in the world. Something that creeps up ever so often in transhumanist debates.

GATTACA (1997)

Despite – at almost twenty years old – being among the oldest movies on this list, its premises are actually among the most possible, and, crucially – as time catches up with the movies’ futuristic vision – is now one of the most accurate representations of real life transhumanist practices that are actually beginning to happen in the real world.

Gene therapy for instance may be our first step in "fixing God's mistakes". It entails the delivery of nucleic acids into a patient's gene to virtually 'write out' defective or problematic genetic codes. This is particularly hopeful for those with congenital or hereditary conditions such as autism or sickle cell anemia. Gattaca envisions a world where the determining factors in a child's life such as intelligence, physical fitness, and even beauty can be firmly decided by his or her parents.

Certainly a tempting world to be in, but what does it entail? How would such a perfect world account for those who are imperfect?

CONTACT (1997)

Another gem from 1997, Contact tells the story of Dr. Ellie Arroway (Jodie Foster), a radio astronomer who has dedicated her life to the cosmological field of SETI (Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence) where she points huge telescopes to the sky in an ongoing attempt to make contact with alien radio signals of some kind. Then, one day, when she's on the verge of losing her job due to budget cuts, a radio signal is finally found.

From there on out most of the film becomes about the road science and the government takes to making closer contact with this alien civilization. But more than that it's about Ellie's struggles with her own past, her colleagues, and her clashing against government bureaucrats.

It does not have transhumanist themes, although the idea of resistance is one that the film shares. Making first contact with a civilisation other than our own carries that same anxiety as using technology to change our thinking paradigm - how willing are we to leave behind old, vestigial beliefs? What excuses are there? Are they valid or just our of irrational fears?

ATLAS SHRUGGED (2011)

Although not a transhumanist work, Atlas Shrugged posits a counterargument to what was given in Gattaca. Based on the eponymous novel by Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged presents the kind on world where transhumanist values such as merit and excellence are ignored for the benefit of those who are not part of that framework.

Without spoiling the story, Atlas Shrugged tells the story of Dagny Taggart, a railroad executive, struggling to keep her family business alive in an era where the talented and successful are seen as selfish profiteers. Meanwhile the financial crisis of 2008 became exacerbated as more and more of these talents went missing, leaving the economy in ruins and the people pressuring the politicians in Washington for a quick fix.

Atlas Shrugged will make you question on what constitutes human progress, very much like Gattaca, it pits the idea of meritocracy against 'mediocracy'. And warns us against holding back human progress under the pretense of false compassion and power politics.

Ponder this

Considering from where technologies involved are developed, should human progress be a scientific or social matter?

Society have been affected by technology for a long time, the industrial revolution and the information age are examples of this. Why should we embrace transhumanism from the context of our previous experiences?

Discuss

How can an acceptable transition into a transhumanist society be made as in the cases of Gattaca or Transcendence? Considering our current path of societal development, would we end up like a dystopia as in Atlas Shrugged?