Elizabeth shares that, as machine intelligence and global culture become more a part of our world, she feels a need to examine and clarify what it means to be human. She brings the inquiry into a Buddhist context by questioning the Buddha's assertion that the human realm provides the great potential for awakening. "We often don't appreciate the power of our plight and our gifts. There is something both tragic and touching about it all." Is spirituality a way to transcend our human being?