Meet the Transhumanists Turning Themselves Into Cyborgs

"Transhumanism" is a relatively new word for the very old belief that humans can transcend the limitations of our mortal bodies, perhaps even mortality itself. In its modern form, the term encompasses a wide variety of techno-utopian ideas ranging from life extension to body hacking to virtual reality and artificial intelligence. With the rapid advance of biotechnology, the term has acquired a new vogue, attracting famous adherents such as futurist Ray Kurzweil. Swiss photographer Matthieu Gafsou, who has a degree in philosophy from the University of Lausanne and is a member of the MAPS art collective, has spent the past four years traveling the world, shooting prominent transhumanist activists and their work for his series "H ." Because of the lingering stigma attached to the word, many potential subjects, including Kurzweil, declined to participate in the project.