This is a discussion that encompasses technology, health, innovation, the future, and of course risk and uncertainty. It raises a number of fascinating and challenging questions around personal freedom and public protection. Today, we’re talking transhumanism.
My guest is Michele Battle-Fisher. Michele was my guest on episode 20. She is a respected systems theorist, bioethicist and futurist. Michele is an adjunct professor at Wright State University in Ohio, USA. She is also a co-producer of an upcoming documentary called “Transhuman”. If that rings a bell, it might be because I had Ford Fisher, the documentary’s other co-producer on episode 36 of All Things Risk.
If you listened to that episode, you know that transhumanism is the belief or theory that through technology, we can evolve beyond our mental and physical limitations. It includes things like biohacking, genetic engineering and life extension. It is exciting, but also raises a number of questions and uncertainties.
We explore these in this episode. For instance, if someone wants to hack their body, why should anyone interfere? As you’ll hear, it can get complicated. Michele and I discuss:
- Transhumanism and personal freedoms;
- Whether or not these technologies should be regulated, and the constraints that might create for innovation;
- Unexpected consequences, risks and uncertainties associated with transhumanism;
- For instance what happens if the body rejects some of the changes to which it may be subjected?;
- Transhumanism and inequality;
- "Dark networks" and black market transhumanism;
- Loads more!
Show notes:
Michele’s webpage: mbattlefisher.com
She has a page dedicated to both the documentary as well as to her book Application of Systems Thinking to Health Policy and Public Health Ethics which is a 2016 Doody’s core title, selected as “essential” to medical knowledge.
Michele on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MBattlefisher
Michele on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbattlefisher/
Amazon author page: amazon.com/author/michelebattlefisher
Transhuman (working Title) webpage: Http://www.transhumandocumentary.com
Transhuman Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1813912155554321
Commentaries on transhumanism written by Michele:
1. https://impactethics.ca/2017/05/26/radical-technology-bodyhacking-medicine/amp/
2.http://hipporeads.com/transhumanism-tech-entropy-and-fighting-for-a-future/
________
Subscribe and/or leave a rating and review on:
- iTunes: http://apple.co/1PjLmKh
- Subscribe on Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/all-things-risk/the-all-things-risk-podcast
- Subscribe on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/ben-cattaneo
_________
When I started the All Things Risk podcast, I very deliberately stayed away from discussing the risk management profession (which is also my day-to-day profession). This is because I wanted the show to make risk and uncertainty concepts available to everyone. I didn’t want to make a podcast by risk professionals, for risk professionals. Risk isn’t something to be the sole domain of a small group of people with their own jargon and technical language. Risk is all around each and every one of us. As my signature sign-off goes, “risk is life”.
Having said that, there is huge value in discussing the professional practice of risk management – both in terms of understanding some of the ways in which risk people think, as well as observing some of the pitfalls of the profession. This is a discussion that has relevance in our lives and our societies. However, it requires the right risk professional to have it.
This is why my guest on this episode is Alex Sidorenko. Alex is the founder and CEO of The Risk Academy. He is a Russian-born Australian who currently lives in Spain. Alex is an extraordinary guy who, as any excellent risk professional does, thinks and acts counter-intuitively. His insights on how to think about risk and where the risk profession needs to go are profound and have parallels in many other domains.
Our conversation is wide-ranging and I am sure you will enjoy it. We cover:
- Alex’s background, including moving back to Russia from Australia and applying risk management within the Russian context (and getting some great feedback);
- Decision-making in large and small organisations;
- Cognitive biases and how to overcome them;
- Where the risk profession needs to go – and parallels with other fields;
- Managing risk in our personal lives
Show notes:
The Risk Academy: https://www.risk-academy.ru/en/
Article: “Why are People So Afraid of Sharks?”
________
Did you like what you heard? Subscribe to the All Things Risk podcast, leave a rating or review, and share it on social media:
Subscribe and/or leave a rating and review on:
- iTunes: http://apple.co/1PjLmKh
- Subscribe on Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/all-things-risk/the-all-things-risk-podcast
- Subscribe on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/ben-cattaneo
In this short inbetweenisode, I discuss how to use the power of “maybe” to set meaningful objectives, and then what how to approach risks to those objectives. I bring a powerful analogy from the world of cycling into the mix.
Show notes:
Chris Boardman: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Boardman
Chris Boardman 1994 Tour de France Prologue Time Trial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjJ60Kx2j8I
Haute Route: www.hauteroute.org
PEST / PESTLE analysis: http://pestleanalysis.com/pest-analysis/
When do we have risk?
______
Subscribe and/or leave a rating and review on:
- iTunes: http://apple.co/1PjLmKh
- Subscribe on Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/all-things-risk/the-all-things-risk-podcast
- Subscribe on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/ben-cattaneo