Blyn Response- Eric

When Blyn suggest that we have entered a posthuman era, I think that she means we are beginning to transcend that which makes us human. There are several examples in today’s society of figures who have gone beyond our standard biological specifications and currently exist in a state that is beyond. I think that as we are only just beginning to enter this era, the features of what makes something posthuman are not clearly defined, but they are easy to spot when confronted with face to face. Something like being able to change one’s gender through a surgical process may fall under the posthuman umbrella. The other example Blyn gives is Aimee Mullins, a double amputee with glass prostheses. I thought it was very interesting how Mullins has managed to spin what was once seen as a disability into perhaps her greatest asset. She suddenly has the ability to mold her identity through her physical features, swapping her legs at will to suit her environment. This blows me away! I think overall, the ability to transform our bodies in a way that, while not entirely natural, gives us new abilities is an incredible positive leap for our species. As someone constantly dealing with injuries and illnesses that hinder my capabilities, I would love to swap out my tendinitis-ridden foot with a sleek, pain-free glass one. Once this type of augmenting the body becomes more widespread, will the posthuman become human? The corporate domination is one of the few negatives I can think of coming from this, but it would be no different from how corporations run all other aspects of our lives. They control the types of food we eat, the clothes we wear, the make-up we put on. It seems like a logical progression that body parts will one day become another accessory for them to market to us.