We live in a world where enhancement of abilities, appearance, and health is commonplace. We are familiar for example with the idea of enhancing our deteriorating eyesight with glasses and our immune systems with vaccinations; we might even consider orthodontic treatment to improve the appearance of our teeth.

A seminar hosted by The Faraday Institute for Science and Religion will question whether these enhancements are welcome benefits, or part of a worrying trend that medicalises, exploits and perhaps diminishes our concept of human nature.

Professor Gareth Jones, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Otago, will critique what enhancement currently offers at present, ranging from an extension of conventional therapy through sports enhancement to the transhumanist ‘postbiological’ extremes which support the use of science and technology to improve human mental and physical characteristics and capacities. He will consider the ethical, social and theological implications of these and how they relate to the goals of medical care and the nature of human aspirations.

As well as holding the position of Vice-Chancellor, Gareth Jones has been Professor of Anatomy and Structural Biology since 1983. He holds the degrees of DSc and MD, for his publications in neuroscience and bioethics respectively and is Deputy Chair of the New Zealand Government Advisory Committee on Assisted Reproductive Technology. In 2004 he was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) for his scientific and educational achievements.

He has written numerous papers and books on bioethics both from a specific Christian perspective and as an academic/policy commentator. He is particularly concerned with policy issues surrounding research using human embryos and the extraction of embryonic stem cells, notions of biomedical enhancement, and the interplay of genetic and environmental factors in ethical assessment.

The seminar will take place tomorrow, Tuesday 4 May at The Garden Room, St Edmund's College. Those wishing to attend are invited to a free light buffet lunch from 12:30pm.

From stem-cells and cloning, to the Big Bang and the origins of the universe, science and its relationship with belief systems continue to stimulate public debate. The Faraday Institute for Science and Religion provides accurate and up-to-date information to help inform and improve public understanding of the interaction between science and religion.

The Institute is ideally placed to make academic research accessible to the public through close links with a network of experts from diverse disciplines including astrophysics, geology neuroscience, genetics, evolutionary biology, theology and history and philosophy of science.

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