"Further, the common belief that ridding disease and anomaly from society is an incontrovertible good can lead very quickly from the actual possibilities of sci

"Further, the common belief that ridding disease and anomaly from society is an incontrovertible good can lead very quickly from the actual possibilities of science to fantasies of “improving” humanity where we would all become some aspirational version of personhood that is somehow better, stronger, smarter, and healthier." Ridding the world of horrible diseases such as cancer, malaria, etc. and stopping humankind's worst atrocities such as war are truly laudable goals and I for one would like to see them eventuate. However, there seems to be a downside to achieving a utopian world - and it springs intrinsically from the human condition itself. Very few want adversity and struggle in their lives but ask anyone who has overcome them and they will say that they're stronger and better people for it. War is truly terrible but it often brings out the best in many (it has been argued that the Depression/WWII generation survivors were more ethical and understanding than their kids the babyboomer generation because of their hardship experiences - boomers having had a much cushier existence). There are consequences too - if you want to improve things then there are often unintended consequences. Take China's one child policy for instance, the aim of limiting its population was to make things better for those already living but the policy was hated and it turned out a generation of spoiled selfish brats (as they had no rival siblings to compete (struggle) against). Moreover, we don't seem to learn very well from experience either. Take WWII again, given memories of its horror and trauma, the world was a comparatively peaceful place for about 20 years afterwards but it didn't take long after that to fall back into our wayward ways. I don't have a solution to these problems and all those that I've canvassed have horrible connotations - that is for at least they do for me (and I'd reckon many others also). Nevertheless, it's clear to me why I'm horrified, and that is because I have the mindset of a present-day human and I just can't clear the canvass and start allover again with a newer more suitable one that's better adapted to those future conditions. However, we have to somehow evolve through and out of much of our current thinking or we'll be incapable of adequately coping with the future.