A new breed of human is on its way. Transhumanists are a group who seek to accelerate the evolution of humanity through science and technology. Oliver Pickup investigates the movement, the implications for humankind and asks, is it morally wrong to augment humans? The world's preeminent'cyborg artist', Neil Harbisson (pictured above), has been stopped "several times a day, every single day, since March 22, 2004". It's impossible for him to forget the date: that Monday, 13 years ago, he had an antenna fixed to his skull in order to'hear' colour.

Liviu Babitz opens his collar to reveal a small silicone gadget, the size of a matchbox, attached to his chest with two titanium bars that sit just under the skin. Most resembling a compact bike light, the North Sense that Babitz has attached is an artificial sense organ that delivers a short vibration every time the user faces North. Babitz and Scott Cohen, co-founder at Cyborg Nest, the company that created North Sense, are currently the only two using the product, which will soon be shipped out to clients who have pre-ordered it over the last few months. "Around us is an entire universe we don't perceive," Cohen explains. "As we walk down the street there's radiation, X-rays, infrared and ultraviolet, as well as the electromagnetic field of the planet. So we want to create new senses to become aware of our environment."