What Animal Would I Merge With

If I could be merged with any animal, I think I would choose a raven. Ravens are considered to be some of the smartest birds and have a mind comparable to that of a young child and great apes (Pantoja-Sánchez, 2020). Therefore, when transforming or merging, there would be minimal cognitive differences or capabilities. I also find the traversal abilities to be interesting. Flying is something humans have always dreamed of. From the stories of Icarus to the invention of the Wright Brothers to sending the first man to the moon in 1969. Flight has always been something that has been a craving, yet is impossible due to organismic limitations.

What Would Change?

The idea of flight and a reinforcement of intellectual abilities is what most interests me. I feel as though, because ravens are mentally similar in comparison to an organism that is within the evolutionary branch as humans, my concept of humanity would not be as threatened. My idea of humanity is the ability to relate, empathize, and communicate with the world I am a part of, socially and physically. I do not think that humanity is selective in the treatment of other humans, but rather an interaction with other living organisms and the environment. Anything you interact with, should be shown your humanity by respecting and being compassionate about it to the extent you can be. The advancements should be an addition to my already developed sense of self, rather than a complete change.

Humanity

With this merge, I don’t feel as though my own humanity would be changed, but how others would piece me into theirs would. If you look at something as simple as race, most people would sympathize with someone that looked similar to them. Though some people, due to an racist ideology, solely sympathize with people that look like them, especially if they are white. Already seeing the aspect of racism, I believe there would be a disconnect from humanity by forcible removal by others. I feel this further goes into Haraway’s theory on cyborgs and Janelle Monae’s The ArchaAndroid. The two deal with intersectionality and how people’s ideas need to expand before that can be done. There is a foundation already of who gets to be definitely recognized, and as new identities are explored and allowed to be present, the foundation is supposed to expand. Supposed to is the main idea, however, perspectives can be stubborn, especially if it undermines it to be at a disadvantage. There are instances of people with a socio-economic advantage, who are typically white, that feel as though expanding the foundation for new identities and supporting and allowing equity for the times it was unrecognized, as unfair. Take DEI for example. Now imagine people that are upset at equity, feeling as though it’s unfair, to see a hybrid person with enhanced abilities because they were born of two different organisms. I feel as though I am an enhanced person. My humanity would be stolen from me, rather than changed due to hybridization.

References Pantoja-Sánchez, S. O., Bouchard, J., & Pika, S. (2020). Ravens parallel great apes in physical and social cognitive skills. Scientific Reports, 10(1), 21070. doi.org

I attest that no AI was used on this.

The thought of humans getting traits and characteristics from other species brings interesting questions about identity and the different limits of enhancing humans. If a technology like this existed, or became legal, I would choose to be hybridized with an octopus. Octopi are known for being extremely smart and having complex nervous systems that work and function very differently from a human brain. Different research on their brain’ show that a big portion of octopus’s neurons run throughout their arms opposed to staying centralized in the brain which allows the animal to interact and respond to its environment in unique ways (Niven & Nakagawa, 2024). This intelligence challenges the idea that cognition must operate like the human mind and brain. The idea of an octopus mixing and blending into human society was kind of shown in the movie Penguins of Madagascar. The villain, Dave the octopus, disguises himself as a human scientist. This brings up a philosophical question on if having intelligence, awareness, and the ability to make decisions make you human even if you do not have a physical human body?

What Traits Would I Actually Want?

If being an octopus human hybrid were possible, I would not want to completely transform into an octopus, but have certain traits and characteristics. Something that octopus are known for is their flexibility, have many arms, problem solving, and being able to camouflage. One of the most interesting though is their problem solving abilities. Octopi are known to be able to interact with things in their environment, solve puzzles, and quickly adapt to new situations. This cognitive flexibility would be helpful for humans (Niven & Nakagawa, 2024). Their physical flexibility is also unique to them as they can move and adjust in different ways that most animals cannot. I would not want to completely give up the human body, having different octopus adaptations would be interesting. For example, having an additional hidden or retractable arm would be useful when multitasking or holding multiple things. Octopi are also able to change the color and texture of their skin to blend into their surroundings. This would not necessarily be needed for survival in a modern world, it would be a cool ability to have. Although these traits and features are cool, I would want to stay mostly human form opposed to full out unrecognizable octopus.

What Actually Makes Someone Human?

Thinking about hybridization, the question of what makes something human comes up. If a person still has consciousness, memories, and the ability to make decisions, physical changes would not completely take away their humanity. This idea is brought up in Ghost in the Shell where identity is not necessarily tied to the body but more so consciousness. Similarly in Blade Runner, replicants look human, but are treated differently and poorly because they are artificially made. Donna Haraway also brings this up in terms of breaking boundaries between humans and nonhuman in A Cyborg Manifesto. She suggests that the line between human and nonhuman is not as fixed and defined as people think (Haraway, 1985). With all of this in mind, a human octopus hybrid would challenge what it would mean to be human.

Who Would Have Access to Human Enhancement?

Another question that would be brought up is who would have access to this technology? Like a lot of new technology, rich people and powerful companies and corporations would initially have access until something new came about then it might be given to the public. New types of inequalities would be created if certain people were able to enhance their abilities. There are already physical enhancements and this already brings about different arguments and separations, but increased intelligence would be on a different level. Similar concerns appear in Blade Runner, where replicants are made with enhanced abilities but are treated as a less than despite being nearly basically identical to humans. This gives advantages in education, work, and other parts of human culture and society. There would be more debates about fairness and what is allowed. Research on animal cognition and nervous systems, such as studies on octopus intelligence, already shows how different forms of biological intelligence can function in complex ways (Niven & Nakagawa, 2024). If humans were able to gain these traits using hybridization or enhancement, more questions about fairness, access, and limits on human abilities would surface.

AI was used to help plan and edit this post. Also used to help with citations and headers and titles. https://chatgpt.com/share/69ace400-8af4-800d-b41f-689b00c9a3b2

Reference

Niven, J. E., & Nakagawa, S. (2024). The evolution of octopus intelligence and nervous system complexity. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 291(2032). https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2024.1568

Haraway, D. (1985). A cyborg manifesto: Science, technology, and socialist-feminism in the late twentieth century. Socialist Review.

Rethinking Intelligence: Why Pigs?

After researching “Smartest Animals,” I came across one that I did not expect: pigs. As I continued to read, I found that, apart from the slaughter farms that we are used to seeing them in, they are quite intelligent. So, when asked what animal that I would hybridize with, I would choose a pig. I feel that they are misunderstood due to the environment that they are often placed in, which I identify heavily with since I am Black and a woman.

Now, if I could hybridize with a pig, I would stop at cognitive adaptations because the lifestyle that they have to live is not great. They are placed in crowded, unclean conditions so they can be used for our own pleasure. They aren’t given the opportunity to reach their full potential because their place in life has already been determined. Regarding their cognitive state, they have great memory, are socially and emotionally aware, and have intelligence that outranks some animals that we consider to be the smartest. Even though I have these traits as a person, it interests me that pigs have all these traits as well and no one ever talks about them. They are only known for being stupid, lazy, and unclean, but none of these things are true. I think this is why I identify with them so much, because when the world stereotypes me as a Black woman, it is never to show my full potential, only to degrade me and put me in a box.

Humanity, Identity, and the Limits of Hybridization

I also would only go as far as cognitive hybridization because I think any further combining would leave me with less humanity. As I would change physically and behaviorally, other people would stop seeing me as a human. While I believe every living thing has purpose and is important, to be viewed as human there are certain traits I must maintain, like a resemblance to humans physically and behaviorally. I think humanity is heavily related to the way we think, reason, feel, and look. If I become too much like a pig, I would lose a lot of these traits that connect me to humanity.

When considering a technology like this, I see the greatest connection to Donna Haraway’s idea of the cyborg. The cyborg breaks the binary boundaries that are set by society by being part human and part machine. It takes the hierarchical nature of the binaries away because it is not choosing to be one or the other; it is both and neither—it is something brand new. The binary between humans and animals places humans higher on the hierarchical scale. With a technology like this, it allows for humans to merge with animals, thus breaking that binary. While this could be a good thing, there could be a host of issues that occur due to its implementation.

Inequality and Ethical Questions of Hybrid Technology

While I think everyone should have access to this technology, realistically, it will only be available to the wealthy given the cost of something like this. People who are poor may be stuck like those in Neuromancer who began to get unsafe operations to upgrade in order to survive. Since people will begin to use this technology to possibly get the speed of a cheetah or the strength of a gorilla, those who cannot afford the best will have to do their best to keep up. Those who were able to afford the better operation will likely develop some sort of superiority over those who could not, which can create a similar division to that of the wealthy and the poor now. This thought experiment forced me to see many things that I had not considered. Introducing a technology like this could be helpful and initiate great scientific innovations. However, like all other things, there will be good and bad, as well as many ethical, legal, and moral questions raised. How would our rights change? Who would benefit from the new systems created? I think these questions, and many others, should be considered if this type of technology was developed.

AI Attestation: AI was used to edit the grammar of the final draft and create headings.

Everyone's Favorite Media:

Fox News

In a perfect transformation, through whatever magical creations that be, I would choose to blend my humanity with the cunning, quiet intelligence of a fox. This is most definitely influenced by my eternal love for foxes, which is perfectly normal and surely not embarrassing at my decrepit age.

What It Might Look Like

• Cognitive enhancement: Sharpened perception, hyper-awareness of surroundings, and an intuition for patterns invisible to the human eye (Malkemper & Peichl 2018).
• Physiological adaptation: Agility, stealth, and endurance. Foxes are able to move through dense forests, urban landscapes, or tight spaces with ease, so a human would appear hyper-agile and incredibly silent (Oehler et al. 2025).
• Behavioral shift: Playful curiosity paired with careful observation; foxes have a knack for reading social and environmental cues, and are intelligent enough to amuse itself through learning and engagement (Eaton, Billette, & Vonk 2020).

Note that, in spite of the behavior being animal-originating, every facet that I wish to use has a basis in humanity. I don't want to replace my humanity; I want to expand it, with the attitudes and behaviors of the common fox acting as my enhancer.

Why the Fox?

Besides being the best animal to ever exist, foxes are already, in a highly subte and nuanced way, posthuman in the Haraway sense.

Foxes act as masters of adaptation, as they have the ability to thrive in rural and urban areas, with their coats able to blend seamlessly with the seasonal change. Foxes can combine solitude with social awareness; they hunt alone, but form networks when needed. They're infamously intelligent, flexible, and communicative.

In other words: foxes and humans are much more similar than one might think.

Foxes and Cyborgs

A cyborg is, objectively, a transformation. A fox-human hybrid completely embodies the challenging of boundaries between human and animal, especially when focusing on the areas of overlap.

Foxes and Replicants

Replicants ask the question: What makes something human enough?

Transforming into an "updated" person through the transformation into a fox's persona demands the same concern. I would always identify as human, especially if I maintained control over my psyche, but since much of a fox's skills lies within their cognitive and behavioral distinctions, an element of my cognition would definitely be impaired.

Foxes and Ghost in the Shell

Major Kusanagi's main internal conflict rests within her fight to accept and understand where her consciousness, as a cyborg, truly resides. If perception is multi-sensory and instinctual, thereby relying on something other than internal thoughts or human emotion, then consciousness itself would have to hybridize.

If identity and a person's consciousness are intertwined, as I have argued on multiple occassions, then merging with an animal as clever as the fox would mean the unquestionable alteration of consciousness. Thus, identity would have to be changed; I wouldn't truly be human, even if I would naturally wish to call myself one, because my very core has been altered.

The Expansion of Humanity

As stated earlier, a fox and a human overlap in personal traits frequently enough that the combination would create an expansion and enhancement of a human basis. However, since that very enhancement would take the form of a new mentality within an individual, an entirely new being would have to be born.

Foxes are incredible creatures. For all their faults, humans are decent enough. Blending the two would demand the emergence of something new; as much as we may want to maintain hold of our humanity, I firmly believe that human nature is too heavily linked to our thoughts, memories, and emotions. Foxes, as creative and resourceful and thoughtful as they are, would undoubtedly unravel that very boundary, leaving only one way to preserve one's hold on their humanity: utter delusion.

References

Eaton, T., Billette, P., & Vonk, J. (2020). Are there Metacognitivists in the Fox Hole? A Preliminary Test of Information Seeking in an Arctic Fox (Vulpes lagopus). Behavioral Sciences, 10(5), 81. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs10050081.

Malkemper, E. P., & Peichl, L. (2018). Retinal photoreceptor and ganglion cell types and topographies in the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus). The Journal of Comparative Neurology, 526(13), 2078–2098. https://doi.org/10.1002/cne.24493.

Oehler, F. et al. (2025). How do red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) explore their environment? Characteristics of movement patterns in time and space. Movement Ecology, 13(1), 4. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40462-024-00526-1.

AI Attestion: I did not use AI in any way during the creation of this post. I obtained the photos and gif from Google Images, and attempted to choose what I hoped was not generated through AI images. If any of the pictures or the gif was created through artificial technology, I was unaware!

Imagining the Human–Animal Hybrid

If a safe and reversible technology existed that allowed humans to hybridize with animals, the choice of which animal to merge with would reveal something deeper than curiosity. It would reveal our values about power, perception, and identity. If I had the option, I would choose to hybridize with a hawk.

Hawks symbolize vision, awareness, and precision. Unlike animals associated with brute strength, the hawk represents heightened perception and strategic intelligence. My interest in this hybridization would not be to become something entirely nonhuman, but rather to expand human capabilities while maintaining human identity.

The extent of my hybridization would be moderate rather than extreme. I would not want wings or a completely transformed body. Instead, I would choose specific adaptations such as enhanced vision, faster reflexes, and improved spatial awareness. Hawks possess remarkable eyesight and can detect prey from incredible distances. This type of biological enhancement could transform fields like search-and-rescue, environmental monitoring, and aviation. In this sense, the goal of hybridization would not be abandoning humanity but augmenting human potential.

Where Does Humanity End?

The idea of merging with an animal raises a deeper philosophical question: what actually defines humanity?

For me, humanity is not tied strictly to biology. Instead, it is rooted in the mental and moral capacities that shape how we exist in the world. Human beings possess self-awareness, empathy, moral reasoning, and the ability to construct narratives about their own lives. These qualities allow us to reflect on who we are and how our actions affect others. Even if the human body were enhanced or altered, those capacities could still remain intact.

This debate closely resembles the themes explored in Ghost in the Shell. Major Motoko Kusanagi possesses an almost entirely artificial body, yet she continues to question her identity and consciousness. The film suggests that what defines a person is not the body itself but the continuity of consciousness, which the story calls the “ghost.” Her struggle illustrates how identity persists even when the physical form becomes radically different.

Blade Runner raises a similar issue through its replicants. These artificial beings possess memories, emotions, and desires, forcing both characters and viewers to question whether biological origin truly determines humanity. If a being can experience love, fear, and reflection, the boundary separating human from nonhuman becomes unstable. Human–animal hybridization would push that boundary even further and reveal that humanity may depend more on consciousness and ethical awareness than on species membership.

Haraway’s Boundary-Breaking World

The idea of hybrid humans also connects directly to Donna Haraway’s concept of the cyborg. In A Cyborg Manifesto, Haraway argues that modern technologies break down the traditional boundaries separating humans, animals, and machines. She challenges the long-standing belief that these categories are fixed and clearly defined.

Haraway proposes that the cyborg represents a world where identities are hybrid, fluid, and interconnected rather than strictly separated. Human–animal hybridization technology would embody this idea in a very literal way. Instead of maintaining a strict boundary between humans and the rest of the natural world, people would physically embody the fusion of species. This possibility challenges the assumption that humans exist at the top of a natural hierarchy and suggests that identity is far more flexible than we once believed.

Inequality in the Age of Enhancement

While the concept of hybridization may seem exciting, it raises serious ethical and social questions. Technologies that enhance human abilities rarely appear in a socially neutral environment. Access to such innovations is often shaped by wealth, political power, and institutional influence.

Science writer Ed Yong (2022) explains that animal sensory systems reveal capabilities humans cannot easily imagine. Technologies that attempt to replicate or integrate those abilities could dramatically expand human perception. However, if these technologies become expensive or restricted, they may only be available to privileged groups.

In such a scenario, hybridization could deepen existing inequalities. Wealthy individuals might gain enhanced senses or cognitive advantages, while others remain unmodified. Governments or militaries might also use hybridization technologies to create enhanced soldiers or specialized workers. Rather than improving society as a whole, these developments could produce new divisions between enhanced and non-enhanced humans.

These concerns closely mirror ongoing debates about genetic editing, neural implants, and other forms of technological enhancement. The challenge is not simply developing new capabilities but ensuring that these technologies are distributed in ways that promote fairness and human well-being.

The Posthuman Future

Hybridization technology would force society to confront one of the oldest philosophical questions: what does it truly mean to be human?

If we gain the ability to modify our bodies and senses, humanity may become defined less by biological limitations and more by shared values such as empathy, ethical responsibility, and consciousness. Choosing to hybridize with a hawk would not mean abandoning humanity. Instead, it would represent a step toward a broader understanding of human potential.

Cyberpunk stories frequently imagine futures where technology blurs the boundaries between species, machines, and consciousness. These narratives suggest that the real challenge is not technological transformation itself but ensuring that these transformations preserve the qualities that make human life meaningful.

Ultimately, the posthuman future may not involve leaving humanity behind. Instead, it may involve redefining humanity in a world where the boundaries of the body continue to expand.

References

Haraway, D. (1985). A cyborg manifesto: Science, technology, and socialist-feminism in the late twentieth century. Socialist Review.

Yong, E. (2022). An immense world: How animal senses reveal the hidden realms around us. Random House.

AI Use Disclosure

AI tools (ChatGPT) were used to assist with brainstorming and organization. The final content was reviewed and edited without AI to ensure clarity, originality, and alignment with the course themes.

Why I’d Hybridize with an Eagle

If a safe and reversible technology existed that allowed humans to take on animal traits, I would choose to hybridize with an eagle. I would say eagles represent freedom, independence and especially sharp vision, qualities I often wish I had in my everyday life. I would not want a full transformation, but I would choose meaningful physical and cognitive adaptations without losing my sense of self.

The first trait I would want is enhanced vision, so I could see long distances and notice details much more clearly. This ability would give me a new way of experiencing the world, almost like gaining a second layer of awareness. I would also choose lightweight wings or gliding structures that allow controlled flight or long jumps. I do not need full bird anatomy, but the ability to move through space in a new way feels very exciting. I would also accept some behavioral traits, like sharper focus and stronger situational awareness. Eagles are known for their calm but alert presence, and I think this could help me manage stress. These changes feel like enhancements rather than replacements of who I am. At the same time, I would not want to lose basic human traits like speaking, writing, or making emotional connections with others. I do not want to give up my face, my voice, or my ability to relate to people as a human. For me, “humanity” means having emotions, self‑awareness, memory, moral responsibility and consciousness. So I would accept physical adaptations, but I would want my personality, memories, and sense of self to stay mostly the same.

Blurring the Boundaries Between Human and Animal

Thinking about human–animal hybrids also connects to Haraway, who argues that modern technology breaks down the traditional boundaries between human, animal, and machine. The cyborg represents a world where these categories are no longer clearly separated. A human with eagle traits would be another example of this blurred boundary. This also connects to Blade Runner, where replicants look human but are treated differently because they were artificially created and meant to be “retired.” The film asks whether humanity is defined by biology or by experience and emotion. If someone had enhanced eagle vision or the ability to glide through the air, they might look different, but they could still think, feel, and make decisions like any other human.

Who Gets to Be Enhanced?

Another important issue is who would actually have access to this type of technology. In reality, many advanced technologies first become available only to wealthy individuals or powerful organizations. Philosopher Nick Bostrom has argued that human enhancement technologies could create new forms of inequality if only certain groups are able to use them. If only some people could enhance their physical abilities or senses, they might gain advantages in education, jobs, or even security. This raises ethical questions about fairness and access. Would governments regulate these technologies? Would they be available to everyone, or only to those who could afford them?

Conclusion

Thinking about hybridization and becoming part eagle makes me reflect on what truly defines a person. I believe humanity is more about memory, emotion and consciousness and if those remain intact, even major physical changes would not erase the self. But as i mentioned, the real danger is not transformation itself but mainly who controls it and who gets access to it. Enhancement technologies could expand human potential, but they could also deepen inequality if we are not careful enough.

AI was not used for any part of this assignment.

Sources

Bostrom, N. (2005). IN DEFENSE OF POSTHUMAN DIGNITY. Bioethics, 19(3), 202–214. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8519.2005.00437.x

A Quiet Fantasy of Hybrid Life

If someone handed me a safe, reversible technology that could blend human traits with those of an animal, I would choose an owl. Not because owls are flashy or powerful, but because they represent something I think humans quietly crave: perception. Owls see what others miss. They move through darkness with calm confidence.

I imagine a version of myself with only a few changes. My eyes would adapt to low light, letting me see clearly in the quiet hours when the world slows down. My hearing would sharpen the way an owl’s does, able to locate the smallest sound in the distance. Maybe my neck would gain a bit more flexibility too, not the full dramatic rotation of an owl, but enough to give me a wider awareness of the world around me.

I would stop there. No wings. No feathers. No transformation that would erase my recognizable human form. I would want enhancement, not replacement. The goal would not be to escape being human, but to expand what being human feels like.

How Much Humanity Is Too Much to Lose?

The real question in this thought experiment is not what animal traits we want. It is how much of our humanity we are willing to give away.

For me, humanity lives in three places: memory, emotion, and moral responsibility. If I could still love people, remember my life, and feel accountable for the choices I make, then I would still consider myself human. Even if my senses changed or my body adapted, those internal anchors would keep me grounded.

This tension between body and identity appears throughout science fiction. In the film Blade Runner, the replicants look human but struggle with whether their memories and emotions make them real people. Meanwhile, Ghost in the Shell asks a similar question through a cybernetic body: if consciousness can exist in machinery, where does the self actually live?

Philosopher Donna Haraway raised this issue decades ago in her famous essay A Cyborg Manifesto. She argued that humans have always been hybrids of biology and technology. The boundary between human and machine is already blurred. Adding animal traits would simply push that boundary a little further.

The owl traits I imagine would not erase my humanity because the core of my identity would remain intact. My senses might change, but my sense of self would stay rooted in human relationships and ethical choices.

Who Gets to Become Posthuman?

The more uncomfortable question is not about identity but about access.

If hybrid technology existed, it would almost certainly be expensive at first. That means the wealthy would gain access long before everyone else. Some people might enhance their intelligence, strength, or perception. Others might be left completely unchanged.

History shows that new technologies often deepen existing inequalities before they reduce them. Genetic editing, advanced medical treatments, and even simple healthcare access already follow this pattern. Hybridization could easily become another dividing line between the enhanced and the unenhanced.

Political scientist Francis Fukuyama has warned that biotechnology could threaten the idea of equal human dignity if some people become biologically superior to others. In his book Our Posthuman Future, he argues that altering human biology could destabilize social systems built on the assumption that we are fundamentally the same species.

Imagine a world where some people can see in the dark, run faster, or process information faster than everyone else. These advantages would not stay confined to personal life. They would shape education, employment, and even political power.

The technology might begin as a curiosity, but it could quickly become a new form of social hierarchy.

What the Owl Teaches Us

Despite those risks, the thought experiment still reveals something hopeful. It shows that humans are fascinated by the possibility of transformation, yet we remain protective of our humanity.

Choosing the owl is really about curiosity. It reflects a desire to understand more of the world, especially the parts that exist outside our current limits. Owls move through darkness without fear. Humans, on the other hand, often struggle with uncertainty and the unknown.

Hybrid technology would not simply change our bodies. It would force us to rethink what it means to be human. Are we defined by our biology, or by our relationships, memories, and values?

My answer is simple. Humanity is not a shape or a set of senses. It is the ability to care about others and reflect on our place in the world.

If I could borrow the eyes of an owl for a while, I would. But I would still want to come back home to being human.

References

Fukuyama, F. (2002). Our posthuman future: Consequences of the biotechnology revolution. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Haraway, D. (1991). A cyborg manifesto: Science, technology, and socialist-feminism in the late twentieth century. In D. Haraway, Simians, cyborgs, and women: The reinvention of nature (pp. 149–181). Routledge.

Blade Runner. (1982). Directed by R. Scott. Warner Bros.

Ghost in the Shell. (1995). Directed by M. Oshii. Production I.G.

AI Attestation: AI tools were used in the early brainstorming stage to help organize and generate ideas. All final wording, conceptual arguments, and blog-post structure were edited by me to reflect my own personal interpretation.