In his book Brave New World, published in 1932, Aldous Huxley predicted a big biotechnological revolution about to take place: the hatching of people not in wombs but in test tubes; the drug which gave people instant happiness; the sensation which was simulated by implanted electrodes; and modification of behavior through the administration of various artificial hormones.// With 70 years of separating us from the publication of this book, we can see that Huxley’s technological predictions are surprisingly accurate. Many of the technologies that Huxley envisioned are already here or just over the horizon. But this revolution has only just begun.// According to Huxley, the most significant threat posed by contemporary biotechnology is the possibility that it will alter human nature and thereby move us into a “ posthuman” stage of history. This is important because human nature exists and defines us as a species with a stable continuity. It is what defines our most basic values.// Medical technology offers us in many cases a devil’s bargain: longer life, but with reduced mental capacity; freedom from depression, together with freedom form creativity or spirit. It will blur the line between what we achieve on our own and what we achieve because of the levels of various chemicals in our brains.//

奥尔德斯.赫胥黎在其1932年出版的《奇妙新世界》一书中预言了一场即将发生的生物技术革命。赫胥黎预示：人类可以在试管里而不是在子宫里孕育；药物可以即刻给人以快感，植入体内的电极可以给人以刺激，输入不同的人造荷尔蒙可以改变人的行为。//此书问世70年后，我们看到赫胥黎对技术发展的预言是如此惊人的精确，所预言的许多技术已经诞生或即将诞生。但这场革命还只是刚拉开了序幕。//赫胥黎认为，当代生物技术对人类构成的最严重的威胁有可能改变人性，从而把我们带入“后人类”的历史阶段。赫胥黎的预警很重要，因为人性确实存在，人性界定着我们这个具有稳定延续性的物种，同时又界定着我们最基本的价值观。//医学技术在许多方面为我们提供了一种魔鬼交易：我们虽然延长了寿命，但是脑力却减退了 。 我们虽可免患忧郁症，但是也失去了创造力和灵气。我们无法区分哪些成就是我们自身努力 的成果，哪些成果是由我们大脑里的化学物质造成的。//