Whitfield Simon - Chasing Captain America: how advances in science, engineering, and biotechnology will produce a superhuman

When I think of Dr. E. Paul Zehr, the image that comes to mind is that of a monk standing patiently at the gate to a monastery, in his hand a key to the great library that lies beyond the garden and the dojo. I dont know if Paul quite understands the profound impact he had on my life when he invited me to walk through that gate and explore the wealth of knowledge with which he engages daily.

I met Paul in 2015, when he invited me to talk to his university students about my experience around performance decision-making and my perspective on the art of mastery. I arrived early and sat in on his class, curious about who this author, neuroscientist, and university professor was. I was immediately captivated by his presentation, the graphic art images he used, his passionate explanations, and his complete grasp of the concepts and ideas he was imparting to his enthralled class. The powerful image of the monk, a superhero in his own right, conveying the human potential with such clarity and insight, began here. I could have sat and listened for hours. I remember wishing I could teleport Paul back in time to meet a younger version of myself and exert his grand masterlike influence on my sports career.

I now read everything Paul recommends, and of course have read all of his own books, which have helped me continue to expand my understanding of our vast human potential, from the smallest details to the grand vision to which this book, Chasing Captain America: How Advances in Science, Engineering, and Biotechnology will Produce a Superhuman, speaks.

Reading Pauls writing about his Stan Lee correspondence (and the awe to which he assigns a key inspiration), elicits a familiar feeling (of obsession) and a sense that the spark that ignites our focus chooses uswe do not choose it. Much as endurance challenges chose me, superheroes and the art of their portrayal in graphic comics chose Paul. Whether he is in front of his class giving a lecture or sitting in a caf telling stories, when he is given a chance to talk about his favorite subject, his chest grows like Supermans, the air crackles as his Spidey-Sense engages, and the subtle nuances of his movements seem to replicate what you might expect if you were in the presence of Bruce Wayne. Reading Pauls books, you can immediately feel passion radiating from the pages, his enthusiasm and passion for life lessons and the universal meanings he sees hidden, like riddles ready to be deciphered, in paperbacks and comic books.

I read Chasing Captain America timidly. To be honest, the idea of scientists engineering a better us scares me a bit. But Pauls ability to explain complex topics in a simple, concise, and illustrative manner works almost too well. If you are a little afraid of whats coming down the line, like I am, he does too good a job. Futurist books often feel farfetched and unlikely, detached from a relatable reality. This isnt the case with Chasing Captain America. Paul is not speculating as much as he is laying out the track based on facts, and using the metaphors and imagery embedded in the idea of a superhuman to illustrate the big picture and the inevitable. He understands the science and is able to see the path ahead, illuminated by his vast knowledge of the subject.

Chasing Captain America is full of unique anecdotes and stories, along with thorough projections of the possible unintended consequences of genetic manipulation and enhancement. Paul is not afraid to ask tough questions. For example, we will soon be able to pick and choose our genetic endowmentsor rather, they will be chosen for future generationsand Paul asks, Can we really delay the inevitable, and do we even have time to wait? What are the consequences of artificial enhancements? Will society shun amped humans by segregating them in an attempt to quell their apparent advantages, or will we embrace them? Is this simply evolution? How far are we willing to go? What are the boundaries, and how will we enforce them? Tough questions that paint a complicated picture, which in turn is thoroughly and effectively explained.

Chasing Captain America tackles the ethical dilemma around the question, What is human? Are we responsible for the consequences, or does our responsibility for our current circumstances trump speculation as to what could happen? Are we humans responsible for the continuation of our species? Is there a bridge too far, or is our evolution to the point at which everyone is a potential superhero inevitable? Are we obligated to enhance ourselves? With the turn of every page, I found myself lost in internal debate while at the same time appraising my new knowledge of how we humans evolved and how we work. Chasing Captain America paints a fascinating picture, full of both hope and the potential for despair. We ignore it at our peril.

SIMON WHITFIELD, Olympic Triathlon Champion

The late 1930s and early 1940s witnessed the birth of the superhero comic book. Action Comics showed us Superman, Detective Comics debuted the Bat-Man, and Timely Comics (which later became Marvel Comics) brought us Captain America. Joe Simon (19132011) and Jack Kirby (19171994) were the original powerhouse tandem in this golden age of comics. Together they cocreated the Star-Spangled Avenger in his debut in Captain America Comics #1 in March 1941. The story was naturally entitled Case No. 1: Meet Captain America, written and drawn by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. We werent introduced to him as Steve Rogers yet, but a key panel says that a frail young man steps into the laboratory and is inoculated with the strange seething liquid by Professor Reinstein. We can see the reaction of the observers and the growth of Steve Rogers in the panel shown in Figure 1.

FIGURE 1: The first glimpse of the super soldier procedure that produced Captain America in March 1941. But what could have been in Professor Reinsteins serum? (