Be more than you can be

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View in browser  |  Your newsletter preferences Not yet a subscriber? By Eve Sneider | 07.15.23 Be all that you can be—all the time Sometimes when I'm really in the mood to self-flagellate, I wonder what I'd be like if I were doing everything to the best of my ability all the time. How healthy would I be? How much time would I save? How many more books would I have read or big ideas would I understand? It's exhausting (and inefficient, hah) to think about it, especially since peak capacity has always struck me as a bit of a false concept. If you can't function consistently at a given level, is optimization really within the realm of what's possible? With a little help, maybe! In a 2007 feature for WIRED, Noah Shachtman stepped inside the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's Defense Sciences Office, a division focused on developing new devices and technologies for human enhancement. From gloves that give you a boost of energy to chemicals that slow metabolism, this division's initiatives could, Shachtman wrote, meaningfully boost human functioning. "You know the old Army saying, 'Be all that you can be'? Well, that's really what we're doing," Tony Tether, then the head of the division, explained. In training, soldiers "become extraordinary in strength and endurance. But it's not any better than their body can be. And what we try to do is come up with techniques that allow them to maintain that level." At the time Shachtman penned the piece, most of these top-secret projects were still in petri dishes and lab rats. But it seemed like a very real possibility that they might one day be used by humans—particularly on the battlefield. This raises another question: Even if we can boost human functioning to its uppermost limits, should we? What will that do to how we fight wars, and to how we live in community with each other? It seems like an existential minefield to me, and I'm not sure I have the answers. I'd love to hear what you think! Write me a note or let me know in the comments beneath the story. See you next week! Eve Eve Sneider, Deputy Ideas Editor Read the Full Story Originally published in March 2007. SUBSCRIBE TO READ THIS STORY  Inside the Pentagon's Project to Build the 21st Century Soldier Darpa has developed some of the coolest weaponry for the US military. Now it's going to upgrade the soldiers themselves. You Might Also Like The Quest for Longevity Is Already Over Studying people who live well beyond the age of 100 could reveal the secret to living longer, healthier lives. But the statistics tell another story. How to Win a War With Trucks, Trolls, and Tourniquets Ukraine's armed forces rely on a human chain of fundraisers, keyboard warriors, and drivers to supply everything from drones to combat medicine. Volodymyr Zelensky on War, Technology, and the Future of Ukraine In a one-on-one interview with WIRED, the embattled president expresses clarity amidst the chaos. Why Even the Fastest Human Can't Outrun Your House Cat A new model explains the forces and body design features that limit maximum sprinting speed. How to Stop Falling Asleep on the Couch During Movies Had a long day and still want to stream something? These tips from sleep experts will help you stay awake till the credits roll. ADVERTISEMENT Bridging Borders and Generations Last week's Classics looked at Constance Hale's 1995 feature about the Hawaiian community using the early internet to help more people learn to speak their native language. Reader Ken Larson wrote in to tell me his own story of using tech to reconnect with his Norwegian roots: "My maternal grandparents immigrated 120 years ago and although my grandmother and my mother communicated by letters, my generation had not the patience to write, exacerbated by not knowing the language. [But] email and an internal but international bulletin board called DECnotes opened up communications with peers in Norway and other Scandinavians in the US. By the 90s, emails started flowing to US relatives, and soon extended to Norwegian relatives; many who spoke English as a 2nd language. Problem solved."   Tell me about your favorite WIRED stories and magazine-related memories, and each week I'll feature one of you here. Write to me at eve_sneider@wired.com, and include "CLASSICS" in the subject line. Or, simply join the conversation by posting a comment below the article. GET WIRED Get WIRED for just $29.99 $5. That includes subscriber-only content like Steven Levy's Plaintext column, plus free stickers! Subscribe now. ADVERTISEMENT Have questions or comments? Reply to this email.   This email was sent to you by WIRED. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our email address, wired@newsletters.wired.com, to your address book.   View our Privacy Policy Unsubscribe or manage your newsletter subscriptions   Copyright © Condé Nast 2023. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.