http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=21526357840

http://www.freethoughtcanada.ca/

http://toronto.transhumanism.com/

Cyborgs of the Past, Present and Future

Date and Time: Thursday, January 31, 2008 from 6:30pm until 9:30pm EST

Location: Communication, Culture and Technology Building (CCT) Rm. 1080, University of Toronto at Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Rd N., Mississauga, ON, Canada | Google Maps

Description: Cyborgs of the Past, Present and Future

An overview of cybernetic technologies, the merging of humans with machines and the coming cyborg revolution.

A talk by George Dvorsky. FREE admission

To explore the topic of transhumanism, and to celebrate Charles Darwin's upcoming 199th birthday, the Halton-Peel Humanist Community is joining the Mississauga Freethought Association to present an entertaining and informative talk by George Dvorsky, Canada's leading agenda-driven futurist, activist and award-winning blogger.

FULL PRESS RELEASE FOLLOWS:

The Next Stage in Human Evolution

Across the world, in countries ranging from England to Benin, from France to Australia, from Chile to Hungary; and from India to Canada, people will be gathering on or about February 12 to celebrate Darwin Day.

The purpose of this annual event is to promote public education about science and to encourage the celebration of science and humanity. Science is our most reliable knowledge system. It has been, and continues to be, acquired solely through the application of human curiosity and ingenuity.

For more than 20 years, Darwin collected vast amounts of scientific data which he examined in great depth in search of a mechanism that permitted life to change over time. Eventually, he explained that the primary underlying mechanism was natural selection.

Today, we look at how plants, animals and humans have evolved and continue to evolve, not only through natural processes, but by human intervention.

Nanotechnology, for example, seeks to design machines billionths of a meter in size to be used for human health and advancement. Is a person with an artificial heart, pacemaker, insulin pump or hearing aid a 'new kind of human'? Will technological advances force us to transcend our very humanity? Will there be bionic brains in the
future?

To explore these questions, the Halton-Peel Humanist Community is joining with the Mississauga Freethought Association to present an entertaining and informative talk, by George Dvorsky: "Cyborgs of the Past, Present and Future: an overview of cybernetic technologies, the merging of humans with machines and the coming cyborg revolution"

A cyborg is an organism that is a self- regulating integration of artificial and natural systems. Who better to deal with this topic than George Dvorsky, whose primary concern is the ethical and sociological impacts of emerging technologies, specifically, human enhancement technologies; Dvorsky seeks to promote open discussion for the purposes of education and foresight. He writes and speaks on a wide range of topics, including technoscience, ethics, existential risks, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence , and futures studies, from a democratic transhumanist and technoprogressive perspective.

Canada's leading agenda-driven futurist, activist and award winning blogger, George has written and spoken extensively about the impacts of cutting-edge science and technology. He is the Director of Operations for Commune Media, an advertising and marketing firm that specializes in marketing science.

George has more than 10 years' experience in media, arts and communications. With relationships forged across several continents, he has managed international accounts for leading brands. In addition to his work with Commune, George is the Editor-in-Chief for the online portal, Betterhumans, and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies. He is the co-founder and president
of the Toronto Transhumanist Association and has served on the Board of Directors for the World Transhumanist Association. George has been interviewed by such publications as The Guardian, the BBC, Radio Free
Europe, and Beliefnet. He made an appearance on the CBC's The Hour and has been profiled in NOW and This Magazine.

The event which is free and open to the public takes place in the 500 seat Room 1080 the CCT building at the University of Toronto at Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Rd, on Thursday, January 31 at 6:30 pm.

We look forward to an exciting and informative evening.

Visit www.freethoughtcanada.ca for more info