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What Does It Mean to Be Human?

(Biological Sciences, Biotechnology, and Other Considerations)

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Exploring Science Through Science Fiction

Part of the book series: Science and Fiction ((SCIFICT))

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Abstract

Humans are the highest form of intelligent life on Earth. But what is it that makes us distinctly human? From a purely scientific perspective, what, if anything, sets us apart from other forms of life? Are there other important considerations, apart from the natural sciences, which might be necessary, if we want a complete picture of what it means to be human? In this chapter we will explore these and other questions related to our humanness. We conclude by focusing on the question, what can we learn from an android about what it means to be human?

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References

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Cloning

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What Can We Learn from an Android About What It Means to Be Human?

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  2. Star Trek: The Next Generation, “Rightful Heir” (Winrich Kolbe, Paramount 1993). Data’s choice to be more than just a machine [DVD season 6, disc 6, scene 8]

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, USA

    Barry B. Luokkala

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  1. Barry B. Luokkala
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Luokkala, B.B. (2014). What Does It Mean to Be Human?. In: Exploring Science Through Science Fiction. Science and Fiction. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7891-1_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7891-1_6

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-7890-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-7891-1

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