Many of the revolutionary effects of science, in terms of technology and in our outlook, are obvious enough. Russell saw in the 1950s, as is all too clear today, taht there are many negative aspects of scientific innovation. In The Impact of Science on Society, he argues that science offers the world greater well-being than it has ever known before on the condition that prosperity is dispersed, power is diffused, birth rates do not become too high and war is abolished. Russell sees that this is a tall order, but remains essentially optimistic. He imagines mankind in a 'race between human skill as to means and human folly as to ends', but believes human society will ultimately choose the path of Reason rather than the alternative of Death. -- from back cover.

The Human Potential Movement ( HPM ) arose out of the counterculture movement of the 1960s and formed around the concept of cultivating extraordinary potential that its advocates believe to lie largely untapped in all people. The movement took as its premise the belief that through the development of "human potential", humans can experience an exceptional quality of life filled with happiness , creativity , and fulfillment . As a corollary, those who begin to unleash this assumed potential often find themselves directing their actions within society towards assisting others to release their potential . Adherents believe that the net effect of individuals cultivating their potential will bring about positive social change at large.

We need to figure out the ethical implications before they arrive

Neuroprosthetics (also called neural prosthetics ) is a discipline related to neuroscience and biomedical engineering concerned with developing neural prostheses . They are sometimes contrasted with a brain–computer interface , which connects the brain to a computer rather than a device meant to replace missing biological functionality.