It has become apparent that in recent years, new media technologies have become commodities that we can access and use in our everyday lives.
Devices such as mobile phones and the internet, have undoubtedly enhanced our social and physical capabilities from an external perspective.
However, it now appears that our desires to evolve have reached the point where technology is now moving into the body itself, literally becoming part of our physical form in order for us to better ourselves both mentally and aesthetically.
These 'post-human' additions to ourselves can take many forms; drugs for example, such as steroids can be used to increase muscle growth, pushing our bodies further than their 'natural' capabilities, and effectively turning us into what could be classified as 'super-humans'.
Transhumanism has many forms, sometimes apparently contradictory. Its essence is that we humans can, and should continue to develop ourselves in all possible directions. The bodies and minds evolution has given us are wonderful, but far from perfect. They can be improved in many ways, and this can be done in a rational manner using science and technology. In the same way many other parts of the "Human Condition" may be changed through new methods and visions. In the long run, we will no longer be human anymore, but posthuman beings.
(Taken from, http://www.aleph.se/Trans/)
This 'Philosophy' of transhumanism highlights the direction technology is driving the human form, almost to the point where we are in a sense 'non-human'. when discussing such ideas, it is often the physical human form that is the subject to these technological 'enhancements'. Plastic surgery for example, originally developed to render the scars and dis-figurements of accident victims, has now become an extremely popular form of physical enhancement. If we are unhappy or disatisfied with our phsyical appearance then we can simply change it.
The work of Australian artist Stelarc, explores the concept of the 'posthuman' form to it's most extreme, his ideas include a robotic arm, which acts as an extension of the body and is controlled through nerve messages from his own body. A bizarre yet intriguing concept. info: http://www.stelarc.va.com.au/