Glossary of Transhumanism

A state where biological death loses its relevance or is no longer experienced as a meaningful boundary. Often refers to digital or simulated existence where the concept of a "natural end" is rendered obsolete by continuous technological reinvention.

The simulation of human intelligence in machines programmed to think and learn. In transhumanist thought, AI is viewed as both a tool for human enhancement and as a potential driver of an intelligence explosion (the singularity), where machines surpass human cognitive capacities.

The study of ethical issues emerging from advances in biology and medicine. In the context of transhumanism, bioethics examines questions of genetic modification, human enhancement, and the boundaries of intervention into the human body.

A direct communication pathway between the brain and an external device. BCIs are a key transhumanist technology, enabling everything from prosthetic control to potential cognitive enhancement and direct neural data exchange.

A connectome is the complete connectivity map between neurons in the brain, including the locations of all synapses.

The study of the connectome.

A central philosophical dilemma in mind uploading: if a brain is scanned and perfectly replicated in a computer, is the digital version you — or just a copy? And what happens to the original biological consciousness? This issue challenges identity, continuity, and the very nature of selfhood.

The low-temperature preservation of human bodies or brains with the hope that future medical technology will be able to revive them. A key pillar of the transhumanist quest for life extension and eventual biological immortality.

A being with both biological and artificial (electronic or mechanical) parts. The cyborg is a central figure in transhumanist imagination, representing the fusion of human and machine.

The concept of preserving one's consciousness, personality, or memories in a digital environment — such as a computer simulation or a global network — allowing a person to theoretically "live" indefinitely after biological death. See also Virtual Immortality.

A transhumanist philosophy founded by Max More, emphasising extropy — the idea that intelligence and life can expand indefinitely through technological progress. It promotes perpetual growth, self-transformation, and dynamic optimism while rejecting unnecessary risk-aversion.

Technologies aimed at improving human bodies, cognition, moods, or longevity beyond typical human levels. This ranges from nootropics and genetic editing (CRISPR) to cybernetic implants and brain–computer interfaces.

In the transhumanist context, it refers to the indefinite extension of human life, often aiming for biological agelessness (senescence reversal) or the technological preservation of consciousness. It is a central, albeit controversial, aspiration of the movement.

A hypothetical scenario where an artificial intelligence recursively self-improves, leading to a rapid and dramatic increase in its intelligence, surpassing human comprehension. A key concept in singularity discourse.

American inventor and futurist, author of The Singularity Is Near (2005). Kurzweil is one of the most prominent public advocates of transhumanism, popularising the concept of the technological singularity and the merging of human and machine.

The effort to extend the human lifespan through medical, technological, or genetic interventions. A core goal of transhumanism, often pursued through anti-aging research, cryonics, and regenerative medicine.

A philosophical framework that prioritises the well-being of future generations over the present. In the context of transhumanism, longtermism is often invoked to justify large-scale technological interventions that could shape the distant future of humanity.

Also known as Whole Brain Emulation. The hypothetical process of scanning and mapping a biological brain in extreme detail, and transferring its structure, neuronal connections, and states into a computer system or a robotic substrate, effectively "migrating" a mind to a non-biological medium.

The right to maintain or modify one's own body according to one's will. Frequently cited by transhumanists as a fundamental liberty, justifying everything from cosmetic prosthetics to radical genetic modifications and cybernetic implants.

The manipulation of matter on an atomic and molecular scale. In transhumanist discourse, nanotechnology is seen as a key enabling technology for radical life extension, medical intervention, and the construction of advanced materials and devices.

The convergence of four key technological domains: Nanotechnology, Biotechnology, Information technology, and Cognitive science. Transhumanists view this convergence as the engine that will enable radical human enhancement and the redesign of the human condition.

A neurotechnology company founded by Elon Musk, developing implantable brain–computer interfaces. Neuralink has become one of the most visible commercial embodiments of transhumanist technology, with early demonstrations in animal and human subjects.

A hypothetical future being whose basic capacities so radically exceed those of present humans that they are no longer unambiguously human. The posthuman is the ultimate horizon of many transhumanist visions.

A philosophical and spiritual movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, founded by Nikolai Fyodorov, advocating physical immortality, space exploration, and the resurrection of the dead through science. It is considered a direct precursor to transhumanist thought.

A hypothetical future point when technological growth becomes uncontrollable and irreversible, resulting in unforeseeable changes to human civilisation. Most famously popularised by Ray Kurzweil, it often coincides with the creation of superintelligent AI that recursively self-improves, leaving human comprehension far behind.

An acronym coined by researchers Timnit Gebru and Émile P. Torres to describe the overlapping ideologies within the techno-utopian ecosystem: Transhumanism, Extropianism, Singularitarianism, Cosmism, Rationalism, Effective Altruism, and Longtermism.

An intellectual and cultural movement advocating the use of science and technology to enhance human intellectual, physical, and psychological capacities. It envisions a future where humanity evolves into a more advanced form, often through cybernetics, genetic engineering, and artificial intelligence.

The concept of preserving one's consciousness, personality, or memories in a digital environment — such as a computer simulation or a global network — allowing a person to theoretically "live" indefinitely after biological death.

See Mind Uploading.

A concept closely associated with the transhumanist imagination of a post-scarcity future, where the cost of producing and distributing goods and services approaches zero — made possible by automation, AI, and advanced manufacturing.