Transcript

Human Enhancement has long been the stuff of myth and science fiction from Adam and Eve biting into that Apple to Icarus and his prosthetic wings to the film limitless, which features a pill that makes you capable of easily mastering the most complicated information proverbial magic bullets that modify or extend or enhance our natural abilities and help us overcome our weaknesses. They have been depicted as having great potential to help, but also to hurt humanity in unpredictable ways. And when it comes to truly enhancing performance of overcoming our limitations, some of the most promising work being done right now is in the area of brain plasticity. cutting edge research suggests that a whole arsenal of tools from video games to brain stimulation to pharmaceuticals, they may make it possible to rewire our brains in ways that take our neural pathways back to the early childlike states opening up what are called critical periods.

These are periods of development when our minds are most open to learning new things conferring upon us the ability to master new languages to pick up a new instrument to jump higher to run faster to overcome debilitating brain injury to cure depression, possibly reverse autism, slow dementia, and help us focus more deeply. But even with such promising developments, we still do not fully understand the long term effects of such interventions on the estimated 100 billion neurons and the trillions of synaptic connections within the human brain. So tonight, we're going to focus on the promise and the perils of this young and evolving science which seeks to go beyond our all to human frailties and limitations by leveraging our brains incredible plasticity.