Engineering The Human

The volume is collection of articles treating the topic of human improvement/enhancement from a variety of perspectives – philosophical, literary, medical, genetic, sociological, legal etc. The chapters in this volume treat not only those aspects that most immediately come to mind when one thinks of ‘human enhancement’, such as genetic engineering, cloning, artificial implants and artificial intelligence etc. Somewhat less obvious aspects include evolutionary perspectives in connection with the prolongation of the human lifespan, plastic surgery since its beginnings, and questions such as whether the distinction between ‘natural’ and ‘artificial’ can really be drawn at all and how it has been conceived across the ages, or what the legal implications are of recent developments and techniques. Many papers make links to the representation of these developments in popular culture, from Jules Verne through Aldous Huxley to the movie Gattaca, address the hopes and fears that come with them as well as the question how realistic these are. While all chapters are written by scientists at the international top of their respective fields, all are accessible to a non-specialist audience and eminently readable. We believe that they represent a state-of-the art overview of questions that are of interest to a large audience. The book thus targets a non-specialist audience with an interest in philosophical, sociological, scientific and legal issues involved in both traditional and recent matters concerning the desire of mankind to improve itself, the human body, the human mind and the human condition. It is unique in that it brings together all these aspects within a coherent and cohesive collection.

Here stands the New Man. His conception of reality is a dance of electronic images fired into his forebrain, a gossamer construction of his masters, designed so that he will not-under any circumstances-perceive the actual. His happiness is delivered to him through a tube or an electronic connection. His God lurks behind an electronic curtain; when the curtain is pulled away we find the CIA sorcerer, the media manipulator. There has never been a book which so carefully and thoroughly exposes the secret plans to dominate world consciousness. Book jacket.

“Though ours is an age of high technology, the essence of what engineering is and what engineers do is not common knowledge. Even the most elementary of principles upon which great bridges, jumbo jets, or super computers are built are alien concepts to many. This is so in part because engineering as a human endeavor is not yet integrated into our culture and intellectual tradition. And while educators are currently wrestling with the problem of introducing technology into conventional academic curricula, thus better preparing today’s students for life in a world increasingly technological, there is as yet no consensus as to how technological literacy can best be achieved. " I believe, and I argue in this essay, that the ideas of engineering are in fact in our bones and part of our human nature and experience. Furthermore, I believe that an understanding and an appreciation of engineers and engineering can be gotten without an engineering or technical education. Thus I hope that the technologically uninitiated will come to read what I have written as an introduction to technology. Indeed, this book is my answer to the questions 'What is engineering?' and 'What do engineers do?'" - Henry Petroski, To Engineer is Human

For undergraduate courses in Human-Factors Engineering, Human-Computer Interaction, Engineering Psychology, or Human-Factors Psychology. Offering a somewhat more psychological perspective than other human factors books on the market, this text describes the capabilities and limitations of the human operator-both physical and mental-and how these should be used to guide the design of systems with which people interact. General principles of human-system interaction and design are presented, and included are specific examples of successful and unsuccessful interactions. It links theories of human performance that underlie the principles with real-world experience, without a heavy engineering-oriented perspective.

Apply Engineering Fundamentals to Human Factors Applications With a sound qualitative, mathematical approach, this new book shows how to use fundamental engineering skills to solve human factors application problems. As readers learn to use the same mathematical and analytical methods that are applied to inanimate devices, systems, and processes, they'll enhance their understanding of the interface between human factors and engineering science. Plus, the book shows how to apply human factors engineering concepts to ergonomic engineering practice and biomedical engineering, including evaluating the trade off in equipment design and human operator capabilities. Hey Features * A review of the relevant engineering fundamentals is provided prior to introducing the human factors applications. * Numerous worked examples, integrated throughout the text, show students how the relevant equations are used in a real-world human factors application. * Matlab is employed in the worked examples. This allows quantitative simulation of human operator performance that involves systems of simultaneous linear equations and non-linear equations.

Few issues have aroused so much public attention and controversy as recent developments in biotechnology. How can we make sound judgements of the cloning of Dolly the sheep, genetically altered foodstuffs, or the prospect of transplanting pigs' hearts into humans? Are we 'playing God' with nature? What is driving these developments, and how can they be made more accountable to the public? Engineering Genesis provides a uniquely informed, balanced and varied insight into these and many other key issues from a working group of distinguished experts - in genetics, agriculture, animal welfare, ethics, theology, sociology and risk - brought together by the Society, Religion and Technology Project of the Church of Scotland. A number of case studies present all the main innovations: animal cloning, pharmaceutical production from animals, cross-species transplants, and, genetically modified foods. From these the authors develop a careful analysis of the ethical and social implications - offering contrasting perspectives and insightful arguments which, above all, will enable readers to form their own judgements on these vital questions.

Forming connections between human performance and design Engineering Psychology and Human Performance, 4e examines human-machine interaction. The book is organized directly from the psychological perspective of human information processing. The chapters generally correspond to the flow of information as it is processed by a human being--from the senses, through the brain, to action--rather than from the perspective of system components or engineering design concepts. This book is ideal for a psychology student, engineering student, or actual practitioner in engineering psychology, human performance, and human factors Learning Goals Upon completing this book, readers should be able to: * Identify how human ability contributes to the design of technology. * Understand the connections within human information processing and human performance. * Challenge the way they think about technology's influence on human performance. * show how theoretical advances have been, or might be, applied to improving human-machine interaction

This book is designed to offer a comprehensive high-level introduction to transhumanism, an international political and cultural movement that aims to produce a “paradigm shift” in our ethical and political understanding of human evolution. Transhumanist thinkers want the human species to take the course of evolution into its own hands, using advanced technologies currently under development – such as robotics, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, cognitive neurosciences, and nanotechnology – to overcome our present physical and mental limitations, improve our intelligence beyond the current maximum achievable level, acquire skills that are currently the preserve of other species, abolish involuntary aging and death, and ultimately achieve a post-human level of existence. The book covers transhumanism from a historical, philosophical, and scientific viewpoint, tracing its cultural roots, discussing the main philosophical, epistemological, and ethical issues, and reviewing the state of the art in scientific research on the topics of most interest to transhumanists. The writing style is clear and accessible for the general reader, but the book will also appeal to graduate and undergraduate students.