Nine questions about Biohacking
How and why biohackers are trying to change their bodies, minds and all of humanity
Sergey Kolenov, Hi-tech+
Now in this heterogeneous current there is a place for both scientifically based methods and wild dangerous practices. Therefore, some see biohacking as a hope for a better future for all mankind, others consider it a threat to the species.
More and more people around the world call themselves biohackers. Vox edition answers nine main questions about the activities of such people.
Who are biohackers?
Biohacking is a rather vague term that combines various types of activities, from amateur experiments with yeast to attempts to defeat aging. The most famous are enthusiasts who experiment with their own bodies in the hope of prolonging life and improving physically and intellectually.
Some biohackers rely on the achievements of modern science and technology. They inject themselves with stem cells, take a variety of supplements, and wear health monitoring devices. Others chose more traditional practices – fasting, meditation and ice baths. Biohackers are also called people who implant chips under their skin that replace keys and identity cards.
Why are biohackers doing this?
The main purpose of experiments on oneself is an attempt to realize physical and intellectual potential. Some start by trying to fix their innate flaws on their own, others want to become smarter and stronger, as well as prolong life. As a rule, the matter is usually not limited to one improvement: having "hacked" one system of the body, enthusiasts are taken for the next.
Another task of the movement is to stimulate the development of medicine. In the USA, it can take up to 10 years from the invention of a new drug to its appearance in pharmacies. For many people with serious illnesses, this is too long.
Biohackers hope to democratize medical science by giving people the opportunity to experiment on themselves.
How far is biohacking from traditional medicine?
Although some of the techniques used by biohackers are quite scientific or at least traditional, in general they are far from the gold standard of modern medicine – a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial. Nevertheless, some believe that medicine itself can be considered a kind of biohacking.
Does biohacking have a scientific basis?
Some of the ideas of "biological hackers" have been confirmed by numerous experiments and have a solid evidence base. For example, tests have confirmed the ability of meditation to reduce anxiety and chronic pain. However, enthusiasts also use many unconfirmed methods that are useless at best and dangerous at worst. Many of these approaches work well in rats and mice, but scientists are in no hurry to extrapolate these results to humans. This does not stop biohackers, as well as the poor quality of some studies.
What types of biohacking are the most dangerous?
One of the most dangerous and obviously ineffective methods of prolonging life is transfusion of young blood to elderly people. Despite promising experiments with rodents, there is no evidence that this approach helps to slow down the aging of the human body and cure age-related diseases.
Nevertheless, several startups offered this service to their elderly clients at once. After criticism from the FDA, at least one of them was forced to close.
Another type of biohacking that is not recommended to be tested at home is fecal transplantation. Despite the popularity of "crackers", this procedure remains experimental and can lead to death.
Is it legal to engage in biohacking?
The current regulations have not been developed for biohackers. This means that their activities take place in a legal "gray zone". Nevertheless, the FDA and other agencies regularly express dissatisfaction with certain practices, for example, the already mentioned "rejuvenation" with blood transfusions and the sale of CRISPR injection kits.
However, due to the availability of modern biotechnologies, it is not easy, if at all possible, to take biohackers under control.
What are the successes of biohackers in the fight against aging?
Some enthusiasts are sure that new technologies will allow us to live longer and at the same time age more slowly.
For example, gerontologist Aubrey de Gray claims that the first person who will live 1000 years has already been born.
In an attempt to prolong life, biohackers use two approaches – dietary supplements and genetic engineering using CRISPR. Unfortunately, so far they have nothing to show, except loud promises.
Do all biohackers experiment on themselves?
For many people, biohacking is a way to tell people about science, help the environment, or create an unusual work at the intersection of biology and art. Such biohackers are usually limited to manipulations with microorganisms, plants and animal cell cultures.
Is biohacking a cause for concern?
The statements of biohackers that they intend to transform human nature can be shocking. However, since its appearance, our species has changed many times – for example, agriculture turned our ancestors from nomadic hunter-gatherers into sedentary farmers. And 40 years ago, people started practicing in vitro fertilization.
In the future, the spread of biohacking may lead to a dictatorship of "superhumans", in which each person will have to improve his body and mind, even if he does not want to.
This is a distant prospect. In the meantime, the main threat in this area remains ineffective and dangerous methods – not only ruinous, but also sometimes life-threatening.
One of the aspects of human life that can be radically transformed by the middle of the century is the birth of children. Perhaps in the coming years, an artificial uterus will be developed, which will first help to nurse premature babies, and then relieve women from the hardships of traditional pregnancy and childbirth.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru