A look at the development of humanity from the Cognitive Revolution to the Scientific Revolution, and a discussion of the future, where advances in cyborg engineering are enhancing human capabilities and raising the possibility of a new species.
About 70,000 years ago, the Homo sapiens species began to make rapid advances, creating cultures and pioneering history. The development of cognitive abilities played a large role in the beginning of this progress, which allowed humans to form a unique culture that distinguished them from other animals. The process of human evolution was not just about biological changes, but also about mental and social innovations, with three major revolutions at the center of it: the Cognitive Revolution, the Agricultural Revolution, and the Scientific Revolution.
The Cognitive Revolution gave humans a new way of thinking, allowing them to move beyond simply using tools for survival and develop symbolic thinking and complex language. This allowed humans to rise to the top of the food chain by mastering fire, and to organize complex social communities through language. It was during this time that humans began to articulate their differences from other animals, creating not only tools and technology, but also mythology, religion, art, and other cultural elements. This cognitive shift led to a profound change in the way humans understood themselves and interpreted the world around them.
The Agricultural Revolution marked another important turning point in human history. After this revolution, exponential population growth occurred, and humans began to settle down. This wasn’t just a change in lifestyle, but also had a major impact on social structures and economic systems. With the development of agriculture, wealth increased, and based on this, society gradually formed a complex hierarchical structure. Humans also turned to various supernatural beings, including gods, as objects of faith, which allowed them to bind communities and develop civilization. Along the way, people became devoted to money as a means of securing wealth and power. It became more than just an economic tool, it became a dominant value throughout society.
Five hundred years ago, the Scientific Revolution opened up a world unlike any other. It fundamentally changed not only how we viewed nature, but also how we viewed ourselves. The Scientific Revolution began to unlock the secrets of the universe, giving humans the ability to understand and control the world without having to rely on God anymore. This led to a quantum leap in science and technology, which helped humanity dominate nature and improve the quality of life. Just as it was very different 500 years ago, science and technology are advancing at a rapid pace today, and these changes are raising important questions about what humanity will evolve into in the future.
Advances in science and technology may lead to the extinction of Homo sapiens through cyborg engineering, or they may usher in the birth of a new species. If we became homo sapiens by creating a god, then our desire to become that god will transform us into something new. The moment we deny our imperfect humanity and insert everything into the human body to attain eternal youth and the divine powers of creation and destruction, we will become something different from the sapiens we are today. This change raises fundamental questions about human identity.
We are now living in the age of the cyborg. A cyborg is a being whose abilities are restored or enhanced by the attachment of mechanical devices. The problem with this, however, is that anyone with implants or fillers could be classified as a cyborg. Therefore, the American Cyborg Association defines a cyborg as someone who has electrically powered mechanical devices inserted into their body that give them abilities beyond those of a normal person. This definition is likely to change with future technological advances, and it’s possible that cyborgs will come to symbolize a new stage of human evolution.
Machines that replace our natural senses and functions are already being built, and the pace of progress is accelerating. In 2016, an artificial arm was developed that connects with nerves to move at will and even feel touch, a step toward expanding human capabilities beyond simply replacing prosthetic hands or limbs. Over time, these machines may evolve to a point where they transcend human capabilities. With these changes, human needs, personalities, and identities are likely to change as well.
For example, in the Joseon Dynasty, people had to write by hand to create the same document, but today we have photocopiers and computers to facilitate this. Nowadays, we need technology that can not only reproduce but also instantly realize what we imagine. Technological advancements have the power to change people’s desires and, ultimately, humanity itself.
Cyborg engineering will enhance our capabilities, which may lead to the creation of a new species. But what constitutes a species? There is still no clear definition of what constitutes a species, and many different criteria are debated. What is clear, however, is that a cyborgized human would be a distinctly different creature from what we are today, which could mean the end of Homo sapiens as we know it.
World-renowned futurist Dr. Pearson and artificial intelligence researcher Ray Kurzweil predict that in the future, all the information and experiences in our brains will be stored in computers. In a world where we can connect a cyborg’s brain to a computer and retrieve the memories and thoughts of another cyborg, will that being be human or another personality? Such a change would pose a serious challenge to human identity. We don’t yet know what the future holds for humans as mental beings, not just physical beings.
Even now, the Blue Brain project is underway to mimic the human brain, with the goal of creating artificial intelligence computers that can reason like humans. When this project is completed, humanity may have the ability to design its own desires and identity. This goes beyond mere human capabilities and heralds a fundamental shift in the nature of humanity. When that time comes, we will have to rethink the question, “What do we want to be?” instead of “What do we want to do?”
All of these imaginings are likely to come true. If we simply think about it, these changes will make human life easier and happier. But will everyone be able to enjoy these benefits? Just as there are people with prosthetic arms today and those without, there will be inequalities in the future, and this will be the same in a cyborg society. We also need to discuss how these technological advances will affect human morality and ethics. Technology opens up a lot of possibilities for us, but it also raises a lot of ethical and social issues.
One thing is certain: cyborg engineering will provide humanity with enhanced capabilities, but not all of the consequences are predictable. Homo sapiens will no longer be homo sapiens, but transhumans, homo cyborgs. But despite all these negative predictions, we shouldn’t be afraid of scientific progress. It has brought us many positive changes we never imagined, and it will continue to do so. The important thing is to reflect on how we accept these changes and how we will live in them.
