Transhumanism: The Ghost in the Machine

Transhumanism (abbreviated as H+ or h+) is an international and intellectual movement that aims to transform the human condition by developing and creating widely available technologies to greatly enhance human intellectual, physical, and psychological capacities.

In our lifetimes, humans will have the opportunity to technologically enhance themselves and shed the physical and cognitive limitations of our own bodies. Almost all of us are already a part of this movement, through our use cellular devices, biological aids, and the internet.

There are many reasons why this is a good thing, such as longer life, better health, or overcoming disabilities. But for all the good transhumanism aims to accomplish, there are many ethical questions to be asked. Will we retain what makes us human—that is love, compassion, and joy, but also hate, fear, and jealousy? Do we really want to extend our lives when most of us are already living anywhere from 60-100 years?

These are questions we must ask ourselves and figure out the answers to before our technology overcomes us, as it so often does before we are ready to handle it. This project disregards those questions and instead focuses on an artistic exploration of what humans may look like in the future—if we even refer to ourselves as humans anymore.

For this model, I worked in Sculptris Alpha 6 to complete the figure, and then rendered it in Cinema 4D. I did not use any reference models, as I wanted this to be something that came straight from my imagination. No one knows what the future holds for each of us except for ourselves. We hold the power to shape our futures, whether we want to enhance ourselves technologically or not.

This transhuman is entirely mechanical. None of the limbs physically attach to the body, instead opting for an electromagnetic field that keeps the limbs where they are supposed to be. This allows for full rotation at any angle, unlike current human limbs. It is also beneficial because if one limb becomes damaged, it is easy to replace. This person will be able to switch their standard limbs out for specialized ones, like one with a sword or blowtorch attachment (you know, “for fun”).

Stylistically, this transhuman lies somewhere between human anatomy and what may be considered “alien-like.” I did this because of the dual nature of transhumanism, how we will struggle to deal with our desire to become better than human without losing what makes us truly human in the first place.

Final Project Proposal

For my final project I will be working within the framework of “option 1,” a sort of idealized self. However, I will be focusing more on three areas that interest me, as opposed to making a sort of caricature or character.

The first is my trans-human self.

Transhumanism is the movement/idea that humans will one day replace their organic bodies with better, mechanical ones. We are already in this process, when you consider pacemakers, bionic limbs, or even our mobile device dependance. I am a believer that this could happen to humanity, although I remain undecided as to whether or not that is a good thing. Shedding our organic bodies will free us from disease, physical limitations, and maybe even death. But will we lose what truly makes us human?

Next, I want to design a badass suit of armor for when I become a knight.

I have favor with the young Targaryen Queen and one day hope to serve in her court. But in all seriousness I love the Game of Thrones series and have often dreamt of life in that realm.

Lastly, I would love to go to outer space.

The Final Frontier is truly awe-inspiring and something I think about multiple times a day, every day. I hope that space travel will become more accessible for the common man in my lifetime, and if it does you can bet I’ll be there and then die happy. I wanted this space suit to look more futuristic than current deep space suits.

The Beast Inside: Unleashed

This project was focused on creating a fearsome mask for my dog Winnie. She is very little and scared of almost everything, which is both sad and frustrating. I wan’t her to feel confident and tough when she goes outside, not terrified of blowing leaves and friendly people. So I decided to beef up her street cred with this wolf skull replica mask.

The mask was sculpted in Sculptris Alpha 6 and imported into Cinema 4D and composed there. If this were to be produced I would probably try to carve it by hand from a durable foam. The mask sits on her snout and head, while the head band on the back is supposed to be a tight elastic strap for a snug fit.

I had to stray away from being anatomically correct on the back of the skull to make it work for a mask but I don’t think anything was really lost from doing so.

Reference Pictures:

Telepistemological Themie: Final Model

As can probably tell, the final model is quite the departure from my 3D model. That form was more so the ideal form if I were able to have it printed from durable material. I opted to build it from scratch instead, which meant some compromises had to be made. These were mostly the result of material availability, my own resources, and my construction skills.

The result is a six-branched tree with a wooden dowel rod trunk with aluminum tube branches and aluminum sheet leaves. The trunk and the leaves are covered in aluminum foil, giving the structure an interesting aesthetic, both industrial as well as natural. The trunk is snugly fit into a mason jar lid top. This means that structure can standalone, be moved around, secured in the ground , or onto the jar.

The branches are secured to the trunk via screws and then supported with a zip tie that wraps around all three branches on one level, pulling them tightly to the trunk. In truth, the leaves are duct taped to the aluminum tube branches. This provides ample support and security for any caterpillars or butterflies but more importantly allows for the leaves to be removed. This may be necessary depending on where the caterpillar decides to build its cocoon on the branch. If the cocoon is built too close to the leaf, there will not be enough room for the butterfly when he is stretching out his wings after emerging from metamorphosis. In retrospect, longer branches would have allowed for bigger loops and more room.

Unfortunately when it came to testing the viability of my tree, I was not able to obtain a live chrysalis. This was largely due to the time of the year, but also the complications involved with shipping live creatures across the country. As an alternative, I have put together a time-lapse image sequence of what (hopefully) would have happened.

Second Project Proposal: The Beast Inside

This is Winnie.

Winnie is a 10 lb. Bichon-Poodle mix. She is a really sweet girl and the best dog you could ask for. However, she is very little and has confidence issues around other people and dogs. She is smart, pretty well-trained, and she acts tough at home but when she is around other people is completely different, running away from everyone, tucking her tail, and cowering. We can’t figure out why she is this way or how to help her and it makes us very sad.

My second project is focused on helping her feel brave outside and around others. I want to create a scary and intimidating mask for her to wear, so she can feel protected while making everyone else afraid of her for a change (all in good fun, of course!). Since she is 99% genetically  identical to a wolf, why shouldn’t she feel like one?

This mask is based of the skull of a wolf with a few modifications to make it work for her head. It would be made of a lightweight foam/plastic material that wouldn’t be too heavy or compromise head movement. It would rest on top of her head as well as the bridge of her snout. He ears would pop out of the ocular cavities on the sides and she would have to have a viewing window in the bridge of the skull’s snout because her head is so little. The size of her head is my one major concern, I’m not sure how best to fit the skull to her, but I think my current rendering has it too large.

Profile of her head

First Renderings – Telepistemological Themie

These are the first renderings from the C4D model I developed for my Telepistemological Themie. While I am pleased with how my model and renderings turned out, there have been several changes made throughout the modeling that were not anticipated at the time of sketching.

I departed from the dead tree styling of my sketches for a more slowing and organic form. The branches of the tree are now spiraled with Fibonacci proportions and a leaf at the tip. I also abandoned the the Fibonacci spacing of the branches (as they move up the steam). This was largely due to my lack of skill in C4D, but also a desire to “not over do it.” I found that creating two levels of 4 branches provided plenty of room for the branches. I accomplished this by creating one branch and using the ‘array’ function. Another change you may notice is that I have changed the anchor on the base from a stake to a drill, just to provide a stronger anchor.

The final change I made is concerning the GoPro that will be used to view the caterpillars as they undergo their change. I originally intended to extend one of the support legs on the main structure and place the GoPro there. However, I realized through modeling that this was not the best approach, because it limits my viewing angles as well as the areas in which I can place the tree, because the leg would have had to be very long to work. Alternatively, I have created a a standalone structure very similar to the base of the tree. It can be anchored into the ground as well, and placed at the optimal angle and distance necessary for the best shot, regardless of location.

Overall, I am very pleased with how this model has turned out. I think all the changes I made were for the better and I am glad for that. I am sure I will find some more issues when I begin prototyping, but that’s how it goes.

Telepistomologic Themie: Caterpillar Cocoon Tree

Every kid can remember catching bugs in their backyard during the summer time–grasshoppers, lightning bugs, and caterpillars among others. Sometimes we would ask our moms if we could keep them; most of the time it was a stern no, but sometimes (on a good day after you did your chores) she would give you a jar and you would build yourself a little “habitat” with some grass and sticks and such. Eventually your bug would die and that was that. If you made a bigger habitat, provided the proper nutrition and water, your caterpillar would undergo the miraculous transformation from a fuzzy little worm in to a beautiful butterfly. You could enjoy it for a moment but in the end you had to let them be free. I remember feeling truly lucky to have witnessed such an event.

For my Telepistomologic Themie project I will be creating a structure for caterpillars to use while undergoing their transformation into butterflies. Ohio State has several gardens in the area that attract butterflies from near and far.

Confirmed to be on OSU campus:
Milkweed–Monarchs
Buttonbush–Skippers, including Mulberry Wing & Black Dash

This tree-like structure is designed to be stuck into the ground and has support legs along the base for stability. It will be 12″ or so with eight branches successively arranged 137.5° from the previous branch. This number is based on the Fibonacci sequence that some plants use to arrange their branches along the stem which allows their leaves to obtain the maximum amount of sunlight all the way up the stem. Ideally, this structure provides enough stability and space for up to eight caterpillars to wrap themselves in cocoons and transform in to butterflies.

One leg of this structure is slightly longer that the others to provide a mounting location for a weather-proof GoPro camera. The extra distance should allow for the GoPro to get a better shot of the entire structure. The Fibonacci spacing of the branches should also allow for a good view of almost every chrysalis.

I still need to get down exact dimensions and wanted to wait for the rapid prototyping stage of this project to do so, as it is difficult to figure out the exact height that is needed for the structure to adequately support the caterpillars, as well as provide a good “frame” for the GoPro to shoot in. Ideally the material with be brown plastic that is durable, weather-proof, and stable. I want it to have a natural, wood-like look to it. Any suggestions for improvements from the class are warmly welcomed!