The Ridicule of Time: Science Fiction, Bioethics, and the Posthuman

Abstract

Suppose you were a science fiction fan, a Trekkie, and a transhumanist; you once paid to attend a seminar with Raël, knew all about Extropy back in the day, and subscribed to Longevity Meme Newsletter; you have read articles about an “immortality gene” and were thrilled to see Science publish a genome-wide association study in 2010 identifying 150 genes that might improve your chances of living to 100; and you practice extreme caloric restriction while spending a fortune on dietary supplements. Over the years, you have zealously collected the following quotes but have forgotten the sources. Which of them do you think came from classic 1950s works of science fiction and which from publications by distinguished scientists, doctors, philosophers, and law professors? The odd-numbered quotations are by prominent academics: (1) John Harris, Alliance Professor of Bioethics at the University of Manchester's law school; (3) Leon R. Kass, Harding Professor of Social Thought at the University of Chicago; (5) Gregory Stock, former director of the Program on Medicine, Technology and Society at UCLA's medical school; and (7) George Annas, Warren Distinguished Professor at Boston University. The even-numbered quotations are by some of the most revered figures in SF: (2) Arthur C. Clarke, (4) Robert A. Heinlein, (6) A. E. van Vogt, and (8) Theodore Sturgeon.

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