What appears to be the central theme of this article is the idea of transformation, which is an idea as old as the human species. It seems to me that central t

What appears to be the central theme of this article is the idea of transformation, which is an idea as old as the human species. It seems to me that central to our psyche is a desire to transcend our current existence and replace it with a new one. This idea is expressed all over the place in our cultures; reincarnation, living in space, life after death, or, on a more mundane level 'bettering oneself' through personal transformation. The author says that Lem was 'seduced' by this idea and expressed it as the notion of 'indomitable human spirit'. It is indeed a terribly seductive idea, not least because of the effect it has on how we feel.