In the words of Gregory Stock, "...we will change ourselves as much as we have changed the world around us, and it is going to happen much sooner than people imagine. In his 2003 Ted Talk entitled “To Upgrade Is Human,” Stock discussed the various ways in which biotechnology would likely affect humanity in the near future. During his presentation, Stock made numerous prophetic statements about bioengineering which are true today. Stock argued that humans would, in a sense, control our evolution with techniques such as gene therapy, genetic engineering, and genetic modification. Say no to plagiarism. Why should violent video games not be banned"? Get an original essay According to Stock, the focus would be on preventative drugs for existing diseases, reversing aging, changing our emotions, and choosing our children's genes . At the time of his speech, embryo screening (a process to prevent the birth of genetically diseased children) was already rampant. Stock theorized that embryo screening would move from screening for diseases to screening for temperaments and personalities. Stock also believed that we would probably end up adding extra chromosomes to engineer humanity. Because of the great interest, the size of the scientific organizations behind these ideas, and the lack of oversight, Stock said it was only a matter of time before we began these biotechnological modifications. “The lines are going to blur… and they already are,” Stock discussed the difference between needs and wants when it comes to genetic modification. With the new lifestyle, Stock knew people would be resilient. At the same time he was confident that these technologies would also have numerous supporters. Although he was aware of the risks associated with these advances, Stock said it was clear that reworking our biology would play a dominant role in our future. All in all, Stock felt it was an incredible privilege to be alive during the exciting and inevitable changes. I found this presentation incredibly captivating. I have a great interest in biotechnology and “biohacking” the human body, so hearing Stock's input was especially valuable to me. Although this video is from 2003, it's surprising how many things Stock was able to accurately predict. Stock, for example, talks about embryo screening. Since this Ted Talk, embryo screening has become much more efficient and economical (Wallace). Stock also believed that a strong emphasis would be placed on reversing or slowing the aging process. Recently, a new class of drugs called “senolytics” has been used in mice to counteract the effects of aging (Howard). I think Stock's speech, and the idea of ​​biotechnology in general, presents a compelling conundrum; At what point are we no longer “human”? When I think about changing our biology, the Ship of Theseus comes to mind. In this philosophy, you are asked to imagine a ship that is slowly replaced by various pieces until nothing remains of the old ship. During this process, when does the ship cease to be what it once was? This thought process extends to biohacking. If we continually alter our chemical composition, or even implant foreign biotechnological objects into our bodies, when will we become a new vessel? In other words, what makes us human? I believe this question will become more and more prevalent as we learn to.”