THE REAL SUPERHUMANS AND THE QUEST FOR THE FUTURE FANTASTIC
The Discovery Channel
Sunday, November 4 on Discovery HD
Original LinkHeroic or Horrific? "The Real Superhumans and the Quest for the Future Fantastic" Forecasts the Next Stage of Human Evolution, Nov. 4 on Discovery Channel and Discovery HD
Since the beginning of life on Earth, evolution has been dictated by Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection. And now, humanity is on the brink of a change so radical, so rapid and unlike any other stage in human history. And while most of us are waiting at the precipice, have some already taken the leap?
In this special two-hour presentation, "The Real Superhumans and the Quest for the Future Fantastic," witness the amazing stories of real people with extraordinary super powers. But just who are these "super humans?" In Switzerland, meet a woman who combines senses so that she can "taste" music; in Turkey, a painter compared with Renaissance master Brunelleschi, who has been blind since birth; in Germany, a man discovered one day that he can perform complex calculations in his mind; and in the Netherlands, a man who possesses the inexplicable power to withstand extreme cold - but how? These super powers seemingly transcend what it means to be human, how we use our natural senses and our physical limitations. Meet these remarkable individuals, consult with the world's leading geneticists, biologists and futurists and discover their startling perspectives on these super powers and the implications of these gifts on future generations when "The Real Superhumans and the Quest for the Future Fantastic" premieres on Discovery Channel -- and simulcast on Discovery HD -- on Sun., Nov. 4 at 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT.
No species has had the ability to direct its own evolutionary course - until now. Have we reached the point where new technologies have put the genetic engineering process into our own hands? The real-life superheroes in this special are harbingers of the type of advanced humans we could become in the not-so-distant future - by examining the unique gifts they possess today, what can we learn about what humanity will be like tomorrow? "The Real Superhumans and the Quest for the Future Fantastic" is about true superheroes, genetic engineering and the future of human evolution. See how the rules of evolution are on the brink of fundamental change, how it will happen, and - ultimately - how it provokes the question of what it means to be human.
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Elisabeth Sulser - "The Synaesthete"
Elizabeth Sulser, of Zurich, Switzerland, is a 29-year old synaesthete. Synaesthesia is an extremely rare neurological condition characterized by the fusing of senses. For Sulser, this means the involuntary fusion of sound, sight and taste.
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Esref Armagan - "The Blind Painter"
Esref Armagan, of Ankara, Turkey, is a 53-year-old blind painter. Blind since birth, Armagan is a gifted visual artist who can draw and paint in three dimensions; drawing comparisons to Renaissance architect Filippo Brunelleschi, the first artist to master three point perspective.
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Rudiger Gamm - "The Human Calculator"
Rüdiger Gamm of Welzheim, Germany, is The Human Calculator! At 35 years old, he can instantly solve complex mathematical formulas inside his head. Gamm can multiply higher powers and divide two prime numbers to 60 decimals -- 84 to the power of 17; 42 to the power of 100; 31 divided by 61.
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Wim Hof - "The Iceman"
Wim Hof, a 47-year-old man who lives in Amsterdam, Netherlands, is the Iceman. Hof can endure extreme cold temperatures and has broken two world records to prove it. He once spent more than an hour buried up to his neck in ice. Then, only a few weeks later, he swam under the surface of a frozen lake for more than 50 metres wearing only trunks and goggles.
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Ray Kurzweil
Meet Ray Kurzweil, an inventor and futurist who predicts a point in time in which technological change will be so rapid and profound that human existence on this planet will be irreversibly altered. Kurzweil refers to this point as the "Singularity" and says that it will occur around the year 2045.
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