This blog post delves deeply into how biotechnology, gene editing, and brain enhancement technologies, when combined, could enable humanity to transcend the limitations of existing species and be reconfigured into new beings.
At first glance, extinction and evolution appear to be completely opposing concepts. Extinction signifies the end of a specific species, while evolution denotes the progression of life. Yet, upon closer examination, one can understand that the evolution of a species inherently presupposes the extinction of its predecessors. The evolutionary journey of the giraffe provides a clear example. Thousands of years ago, the ancestors of the giraffes we know today likely grazed on the savannah with necks of varying lengths. However, as the population grew and food became scarce, individuals with longer necks survived by eating leaves from trees, while those with shorter necks were forced out of the competition and starved to death. The surviving individuals gradually adapted to have longer necks under continued survival pressure. As these changes accumulated, they began to show distinct physical differences from their ancestors. Thus, after this long-term process, the modern giraffe emerged.
Similarly, humanity too may evolve into a new species in the distant future, and the name “Homo sapiens” might remain only as a scientific name in history textbooks. However, one crucial difference exists between the evolution of giraffes and other life forms and our own evolution: we are beings with free will, capable of choosing and driving our own evolution. Unless we become extinct due to environmental changes like the dinosaurs, or an external factor like a massive nuclear war destroys humanity, we will not undergo natural evolution for survival. Instead, under the banner of scientific and technological advancement, we will repeatedly evolve ourselves, gaining control over life and striving to become closer to “gods.” In this context, the discipline considered the most powerful evolutionary tool is biotechnology.
The movie “X-Men” features mutants possessing abilities that transcend human limitations. Some characters can control people’s minds, others move objects with their thoughts alone, and there are even individuals who are effectively immortal due to incredible regenerative powers. Yet, they are shunned by the public and often regarded as “monsters,” not humans. Interestingly, these mutants are treated as a new species distinct from existing humans. Considering the current pace of biotechnology development, it’s impossible to completely rule out the possibility that some of the abilities depicted in the film could become reality within decades. A research team at Harvard University has already claimed that the cost of resurrecting Neanderthals would be approximately $30 million. Given the advancements in modern genome editing technology, this claim is sparking even greater debate. As is well known, Neanderthals may have had lower cognitive abilities than Homo sapiens, but they are believed to have been far superior in physical strength and muscular power. So, what would happen if offspring were born between humans and cloned Neanderthals, or if a completely new life form emerged by combining both sets of DNA? A being possessing both Neanderthal strength and human intellect could quickly gain social dominance. If many attempted similar enhancements, existing ordinary humans might gradually be pushed to the margins.
Recently, far more sophisticated “gene scissors” technology—namely CRISPR-Cas9 and next-generation editing techniques (CRISPR-Cas12, prime editing, etc.)—has been utilized, enabling the full-scale production of agricultural products with genetically modified traits tailored to specific desires. “Gene scissors” literally refers to the technology that uses biological scissors to precisely cut or correct specific DNA base sequences. This technology is not limited to plants and animals; it can also be applied to human DNA. If humans were developed who could survive naked in sub-zero temperatures or perform photosynthesis under fluorescent lights, we would face the question of whether we could truly include them within the category of Homo sapiens.
Pushing biotechnology to its most extreme point, we must even consider the possibility of modifying the human brain—that is, the mind itself. In Ted Chiang’s short story “Understanding,” the protagonist, an ordinary office worker, gains superhuman cognitive abilities through medication. Initially, he excels at stock investments and multitasking. However, as time passes, the connections between his neurons densify, causing his brain function to rapidly escalate. He ultimately transforms into an entity beyond the category of human existence as we know it—creating new languages, controlling his own metabolism, and reading radio signals. This transformation signifies “transcending the human category” because it fundamentally reconfigures the core characteristics defining the human species—the limits of cognitive ability, biological physical constraints, and the scope of neural architecture. Should such a level of alteration become reality, the resulting entity would no longer reside within the capability spectrum of existing Homo sapiens and would inevitably be regarded as a separate species. Indeed, as biotechnological methods for enhancing brain function are currently being researched to treat neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, if such technologies were to spread to the general population, there might be virtually no way to prevent evolution into a new species.
Of course, the advancement of biotechnology will be slowed by ethical debates and economic issues. Moreover, contrary to expectations, there may be structural limitations preventing humans from achieving groundbreaking evolution through biotechnology alone. Considering that no advanced life forms comparable to humans have been discovered despite extensive space exploration, it cannot be ruled out that humanity, like extraterrestrial civilizations that may have existed in the past, could fail to overcome evolutionary hurdles and face extinction. Nevertheless, scientists will not easily abandon biotechnological research aimed at creating beings akin to “gods.” Now, as biotechnology makes all the aforementioned possibilities a reality, and if the end of Homo sapiens truly approaches, we have entered an era where we must seriously contemplate how to respond to this transformation.
