How We Became Post Human by N. Katherine Hayles

Hi,

The premise of the book centers on the modern day post human and how society has evolved into this current state. Many within the molecular biology (explores the structure and function of DNA and RNA- genetic information) field feel we are currently in. Even though at present it feels it is not a question of how to avoid becoming post-human, but how far with this phenomenon will go, Hayles feels that the human as a independent being can survive this total evolution due to the body and information not being able to continue without the other, as well as interaction being taken to curb this onslaught of technological input to improve and shape our very being as humans.

Post human unites the human mind/conciseness within a variant of encapsulation. What type of material is not of importance, what is of value is the information - the mind, which contains the coded information that can be transferable from one existence to another.

This came about through three waves.

The first wave in the 1945 - 1960 was founded by Norbert Wiener (mathematician) and his associates in the molecular biology field (genetic information centering on the structure and function of DNA/RNA) The beginning of seeing information within the human mind/body as a coded system which can be transferred from one place to another (think Star Trek) with the aid of technology.  The main objective at this time was to use technology to enhance the behavior of the body. This is now seen as the first stage of  posthuman development.


The second wave |(1960 - 1980) brought the human mind and its closed reproducing system  into the closed system of the machine. Instead of the human being on the outside of technology systems, they can become a part of it  via reflexivity.  This would enable the mind as an reproducing organism being able to come to conclusions based on the whole of reality construction, not just on the mechanics of how technology systems are supposed to operate. These theories were being produced by Humberto Maturana and Francisco Varela. These theories did not dismiss the body

The present wave of the posthuman is of  virility, the 'evolving' and emerging reality of technology with the human consciousness. The natural progression of utilizing the mind with technology so the body slowly becomes a object rather than a subject. As Hayles states :   "Just because information has lost its body does not mean that humans and the world have lost theirs."


Tracei x