I haven't actually read the entire essay, but I kinda gathered it's theme through what I did read and from your brief discussions.

I think, standing from an extreme philosophical view, that any "body modification" should be put to use on a wholy different scale (but if there are those who wish personal surgery's, have at 'em).

I've been rather interested in some very recent scientific theories and tests in the past few years.

A. Australian (I think) scientists took some dogs, took all of their blood and replaced it with a type of saliene (sp?) solution and froze them for a few days. Then thawed them out and re-injected their blood, and VOILA! the dogs were perfectly re-animated.

B. The "fake heart." A piece of plastic which performs the same functions as the human heart. Imagine what other organs they could do this with. And imagine if said organ were bullet proof. Hmmm....

C. Cloning... 'nuff said.

D. Nanotube fibers for bullet proof vests. It's a gel like substance that hardens when there's pressure. If done correctly, could prove to be the strongest thing ever.

E. Daf-2, or the so-called "reaper gene." Creepy! More or less, all humans and some other animals possess this gene. If QUOTE-UN-QUOTE it were turned off, humans could virtually live anywhere from 3 to 6 times longer than average...give or take a decade or two. And we age at a much slower rate. Has proved succesful in worms and mice.

And now this...manipulating the brain and body...incredible!

And why not? Sooner or later man will have to solve his biggest problem...survival. If we or mother nature doesn't cause our extinction, that bright yellow circle in the sky most certainly will. And with NASA's deep-space program almost a reality (so far, the only real problem is radiation, but they're working on a protein supplement that may prove beneficial) it's just a matter of time until we leave this rock and either A. live abroad aboard space stations or domes; B. we find a suitable planet either on the very edge of our solar system or in another.

P.S. did you know there are plans, or they tested a plan, of building a Motel/resort on the moon?