Gods and Monsters II -- Human Augmentation for Athletes, Steroid-Based or Otherwise...
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So, Barry Bonds. And, how shall we put it, alternative methods of human enhancement.
Our last article on this subject focused on the apparent genetic augmentation of some German athletes whose coach fell afoul of the World Anti-Doping Agency... and, of course, the implications of genetic augmentation for both athletics and human evolution in general. These are all critical subjects. But it's fascinating to see the steroid accusations against Barry Bonds leading to a broader discussion of just what kinds of augmentation, chemical or otherwise, are wrong, and which, like "modern equipment, workout regimens, and nutritional supplements" are simply good preparation.
The point of this site isn't to argue for a particular position. Rather, I support the idea that the more good information people have, and the more they think about human enhancement, the better the decisions society will make about augmentation issues.
Steroids are an excellent example. I can see why people might want to keep these drugs out of competitions. To the extent they damage the human body, it's understandable that athletes might not want to engage in a chemical competition with people ready to permanently damage their long term health in order to score a few more points.
But will that argument hold in the face of augmentations with no real drawbacks at all? We shall see.
Bio, Soc
Future Imperative
So, Barry Bonds. And, how shall we put it, alternative methods of human enhancement.
Our last article on this subject focused on the apparent genetic augmentation of some German athletes whose coach fell afoul of the World Anti-Doping Agency... and, of course, the implications of genetic augmentation for both athletics and human evolution in general. These are all critical subjects. But it's fascinating to see the steroid accusations against Barry Bonds leading to a broader discussion of just what kinds of augmentation, chemical or otherwise, are wrong, and which, like "modern equipment, workout regimens, and nutritional supplements" are simply good preparation.
The point of this site isn't to argue for a particular position. Rather, I support the idea that the more good information people have, and the more they think about human enhancement, the better the decisions society will make about augmentation issues.
Steroids are an excellent example. I can see why people might want to keep these drugs out of competitions. To the extent they damage the human body, it's understandable that athletes might not want to engage in a chemical competition with people ready to permanently damage their long term health in order to score a few more points.
But will that argument hold in the face of augmentations with no real drawbacks at all? We shall see.
Bio, Soc
Future Imperative
posted by Ralph Cerchione | Monday, March 20, 2006
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