Athlete 2.0

Written for keynote at #TheSpot2019, Lausanne.

Professor Andy Miah
Predict

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When thinking about our present TIMES, it is often tempting to describe them as exceptional, but really, there is no period in history which has not been remarkable and as an increasing range of activities in our lives become digitalised, there may be good reason to be cautious about the relentless technologisation of our lives.

After all, would the most remarkable moments in human history have been as amazing, if we had discovered them through digital media?

Histagrams.com

And so technology can often distract us from the importance of a moment in history, which is why the live event still remains of such great symbolic significance within our world.

And even when we narrow our lens to just thinking about technology, our past has always been remarkable. These times are nothing exceptional.

Indeed, evolutionary theorists may characterise our species as being distinguished by its intellectual capacity to set in motion the processes that lead us to elevate technology as the defining construct in our existence.

We are, as homo sapiens, defined by our capacity to re-engineer the natural world and put it to our use, which isn’t to say that we always make the most intelligent decisions!

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Professor Andy Miah
Predict

Chair in Science Communication & Future Media @SalfordUni / written 4 Washington Post, Wired + found on CNN, BBC Newsnight, TEDx #posthuman