Advances in genetic engineering, biotechnology and nanotechnology that not long ago seemed purely science fiction are now real. Cyborgs, superhumans and clones are alive amongst us today. What does it mean to be human now? What will it feel like to be a human a hundred years from now? Should we continue to embrace modifications to our minds, bodies and daily lives, or are there boundaries we shouldn’t overstep?
HUMAN+ The Future of Our Species, ArtScience Museum’s new cutting-edge exhibition, explores the possible future paths of our species. It asks what it means to be human in a world of artificial intelligence, lifelike robots and genetic modification. It probes the social, ethical and environmental questions raised by using technology to modify ourselves. Will virtual reality be the new reality? What would happen if a robot knew what we wanted before we knew ourselves? How might we modify ourselves to adapt to an environment that we are drastically transforming? Is longevity a noble aspiration or a terrible threat for the planet? In the future, who will have ownership of our genetic information?
Featuring work by Oron Catts, Ionat Zurr, Stelarc, Nina Sellars and many more. Opens May 20, 2017
Swarms of graphene-coated nanobots could be our best hope yet of cleaning up the murky oceans, with scientists demonstrating that new microscopic underwater warriors can remove up to 95 percent of lead in wastewater in just 1 hour.
The invention couldn’t have come at a better time, with ocean pollution at an all-time high, much of it stemming from industrial activities such as electronics manufacturing. By 2050, it’s estimated that there will be more plastic than fish in the world’s oceans, and waste metals such as lead, arsenic, mercury, cadmium, and chromium are affecting the delicate ecological balance that will make things very difficult for any animal that relies on it for food – including humans – in the near future.
Developed by an international team of researchers, the newly developed nanobots have three key components: a graphene oxide exterior to absorb lead (or another heavy metal); a nickel core that enables researchers to control the nanobots’ movement via a magnetic field; and an inner platinum coating that functions as an engine and propels the bots forward via a chemical reaction with hydrogen peroxide.
Once they’ve made one pass, the nanobots – which are smaller than the width of a human hair – can be deployed again for further sweeps.
NanoWiki is a digital online publication to track the evolution of paradigms and discoveries in nanoscience and nanotechnology field, annotate and disseminate them, giving an overall view and feed the essential public debate on nanotechnology and its practical applications.
Join artistic and scientific researchers from the fields of cognition, augmentation and nanotechnology as they consider what it means to be human, now and into the future.
23 November – morning session – 9.30am – 12.30pm
Keynote: Barbara Maria Stafford (USA)
Transparency or the New Invisibility; the Business of Making Connections
Panelists: Michele Barker (AUS), Dolores Steinman (Canada), Kathryn Hoffmann (USA)
23 November – afternoon session – 1.30pm – 6.00pm
Keynote: Ju Gosling (UK)
Super Human Rights
Panelists: Kathy Cleland (AUS), Natasha Vita-More (USA), Tina Gonsalves (AUS), Mari Velonaki (AUS), Reva Stone (Canada)
24 November – morning session – 10.00am – 12.30pm
Keynote: Junichi Ushiba (Japan)
Brain-Machine Interface into Virtual Worlds
Panelists: Jonathan Duckworth (AUS), Danielle Wilde (AUS)
24 November– afternoon session – 1.30pm – 6.00pm
Keynotes: Tami Spector (USA)
Nanoaesthetics
Panelists: Leah Heiss (AUS), Svenja Kratz (AUS), Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg (UK).
Closing Address: Paul Brown (AUS/UK)
