What we’re about
We are a free & open group dedicated to exploring issues common to all humanity. We meet almost every other Sunday between 5pm- 7p.m. at a cafe in Publika, Kuala Lumpur. We encourage everyone to join in the discussion, but there's no compulsion to do so.
This is a discussion not a lecture nor debate and you don't need to be a Ph.D holder.
The owners of the cafe have allowed us to use their premises without charging so we urge you to return this generosity by buying at least a drink.
Interested in hosting a meet up? We strongly recommend attending at least 2 meet ups consecutively, so that you know what to expect and also have a good feel for moderating.
Once you’ve done that, send us a message on MeetUp.com with a short write up on the topic you’d like to moderate. This write up must have:
> 1. A title; which lets members know generally what to expect from the discussion.
> 2. A description, which may be in the form statements or questions, we find that crisp bullet points are best.
Try to cover multiple angles and hidden questions in the topic; ideally about 3 different ones. Remember that 2 hours is a pretty long time, thinking about the many dimensions within topic will definitely help drive the discussion.
Once you’ve sent us the write up, give us about a week to get back to you, and if it meets those minimum requirements listed above, we’ll try our best to schedule your topic in the next couple of months.
Upcoming events (1)
See all- Transhumanism: Should We Upgrade Ourselves? (…and What Happens If We Don’t?)Top G Coffee & Cafe, Kuala Lumpur
If you could double your IQ with a brain chip — would you do it?
What if everyone else did… and you didn’t?
This week, we plunge headfirst into transhumanism — the radical belief that we should use science and technology to overcome our biological limits. Smarter, stronger, longer-lived, maybe even immortal. It’s progress — or so we’re told.But if some people get to upgrade and others don’t, are we evolving into a new species… or just inventing a shinier class system?
Philosophers and futurists are already at war over the implications:
- Nick Bostrom says enhancement is a moral obligation — evolve or die.
- Francis Fukuyama calls transhumanism the world’s most dangerous idea.
- Yuval Harari warns of a future where the rich don’t just own more — they are more.
And the tools of transformation are already in the works:
Brain–computer interfaces that turn thoughts into Google searches
Bionic limbs and synthetic eyes that outperform biology
Genetically enhanced children, tailor-made for intelligence, immunity, and charisma
Nanobots that patrol your bloodstream, fixing cells before they fail
Anti-aging drugs and cellular reboots, promising amortality — life without expiry
Mind uploading into the cloud: you die, but your data keeps tweeting
Mood-control implants that eliminate anxiety, heartbreak, or inconvenient guiltThis Week, We Wrestle With Eight Philosophical Provocations:
- **What makes us human — and can we upgrade that away?**If we alter memory, mood, intelligence, and lifespan… what’s left that’s still “us”
- Should governments regulate human enhancement — or should it be left to personal choice? If someone becomes smarter, stronger, or longer-lived than others, is that their right — or a risk to society?
- Is genetically enhancing your child just parenting with better tools — or eugenics in a lab coat? Where’s the line between opportunity and control?
- Would you date someone genetically or cognitively enhanced — if you weren’t? In a world of asymmetrical design, what happens to trust, attraction, or status?
- Should some people be required to enhance — soldiers, surgeons, prime ministers? If enhancement can save lives or sharpen decisions, can refusal become unethical?
- Could human upgrades solve inequality — or supercharge it? Is this a path to justice, or to techno-feudalism?
- Does democracy survive when only some citizens are post-human? Can equal votes still matter when cognitive capabilities no longer are?
- If you upload your mind and your body dies — are you still alive? What is personal identity in a digital age?
Suggested Readings & Watchlist:
Nick Bostrom, Why I Want to Be a Posthuman When I Grow Up: https://nickbostrom.com/posthuman.pdfFrancis Fukuyama, Transhumanism Is the World’s Most Dangerous Idea https://foreignpolicy.com/2009/10/23/transhumanism/
Yuval Harari, Homo Deus useless class discussion: https://youtu.be/7FzNUc-ZFv4?feature=shared
Kurzgesagt, The Last Human – A Glimpse Into the Far Future (YouTube): https://youtu.be/LEENEFaVUzU?feature=shared
MIT Tech Review, CRISPR Babies Are Coming — Whether We’re Ready or Not: https://www.technologyreview.com/2024/08/22/1096458/crispr-gene-editing-babies-evolution/
