Physical Enhancement Page

The important thing now isn't freedom of information, but freedom of form, freedom to mutate and modify your body.
Stelarc

We are our bodies, like it or not. Most transhumanists want to modify their bodies in some way, ranging from minor cosmetic improvements and better health to major re-engineering (and beyond, to transbiomorphosis). This is not a denial of the body, rather a celebration of its potential and flexibility.

The tools for physical change are manifold, but most could be called medicine. To become healthy and strong, plain diet and exercise work quite well, while various therapies, surgery, genetic engineering and bionics are necessary for the more radical changes. Since transhumanists seek morphological freedom, it is likely that in a transhuman future the form of the trans- or post-human body will be extremely variable and individual, just as our clothing is today.

Due to the size of the field this page has been subdivided into further sub-pages.

Sections

General Changes
Lifestyle, Health And Diet
Cosmetic Changes
Surgical Changes
Genetic Enhancements
Bionics
Other Sites
Books
See Also

General Changes of the Body

Mutation Manifesto. On our morphological freedom.
Physical Improvements of the body. After all, there are plenty of bugs and misfeatures left by evolution. A quick overview of some possible non-genetic and non-bionic changes.
Enhancement Technologies and Human Identity. A project for examining the ethics of new medical treatments and technologies such as mental enhancement, genetics and changes in gender identity.
The Future of Sexuality by Natasha Vita More (talk held at Extro3 Conference, 1997). Yes, sex is likely to be around in the future, but likely in very new forms.
Tangent: Cyborg Consciousness. About how cyborgization may change our consciousness. From a tutorial in biogenetic structuralism.
Cyborg som Nomad by Ana Valdés (in swedish). About cyberanthropology.

It should be noted that changing the body itself is not the only option. Bionic implants and genetic modifications can give us new capabilities, but external objects can often do the same; what is important is the functional relationship rather than where and what the hardware is.

Technology as extension of human functional architecture by Alexander Chislenko.
Cyborg Citizens (chapter 3 of City of Bits by William J. Mitchell.
Stelarc's Main Site. An artist exploring extensions and changes of the body.
See also the Automorphism section on the art page.