CYBORGS - A PORTMANTEAU
A cyborg is portmanteau of "Cybernetics and Organism" is a being or is an identity with both organic and biomechatronic body parts. The term was coined in 1960 by Manfred Clynes and Nathan.S.Kline.
In the future of humankind, brain implants could improve our memory. Implanted magnets or RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) chips implanted in our fingers could replace passwords and keys. Exoskeletons could boost our strength, and augment a whole range of our human capabilities. So, it will never be more important to keep the features that make us human, such as empathy, creativity or the ability for change. But yes this is also the fact that, it is not easy to find the right balance between technology and being human, though.
People imagine cyborgs usually as mean creatures combining some human and superhuman features in a robotic body. Movie characters such as the Terminator, Darth Vader or the Borgs in Star Trek come to mind. But you do not have to go as far as Star Wars to get in contact with cyborg-like features or characteristics. According to the usual definition, a cyborg combines organic and mechanic body parts. Yet, some scientists stretch this understanding. They include people with cochlear implants, cardiac pacemakers or even contact lenses. In a way, it is valid: the human body is build up with the technology, and the two works together to improve human capabilities.
"Between our laptops, smartphones and tablets, we already use technology to connect ourselves in ever-advanced ways to the world. Indeed, the line between technology and reality has become increasingly befogged. Projecting into the future, it's not wrong to say that the line disappearing entirely — when humans and technology will merge and become indistinguishable. Some philosophers and scientists think this kind of "technological singularity". In short we are on the way of becoming cyborgs.
As technological innovations in the field of medicine and healthcare urging, it will be more and more usual to augment our bodies with the help of machines. It makes us faster, stronger or more sensitive to the environment. This means that the boundaries of “human-ness” are stretched raising serious ethical questions. Here, I introduce you real-life cyborgs, who show us the current boundaries of the coexistence of man and machine in one person. And they might also mark the way how to find a balance between the two.
Don't believe it? The following are real-life cyborgs, individuals who have willingly become part-human, part-machine. All of them are inspiring harbingers of the future and none of them are “Terminators” — at least not yet.
1.Neil Harbisson
Although artist Neil Harbisson was born with extreme color blindness that meant he could only see in black-and-white, he is now capable of experiencing colors which are beyond the scope of normal human perception.
How is this possible? Harbisson is equipped with a specialized electronic eye, or eyeborg, which renders perceived colors as sounds on the musical scale. In other words, his device allows him to “hear” color. He has become so adapted to this device that his brain has formed new neural pathways that allow him to develop an advanced kind of perception.
2.Kevin Warwick
A professor of cybernetics at the University of Reading in the United Kingdom, Kevin Warwick takes his work seriously. So seriously, in fact, that he and his work have become one. He's on a mission to become the world's most complete cyborg.
Warwick has been experimenting with various electronic implants since 1998, when he "installed" a microchip in his arm that allowed him to operate doors, lights, heaters and other computers remotely as he moved from room to room.
3.Jens Naumann
After a pair of horrific accidents, Jens Naumann was struck blind in both eyes, but he never gave up hope that he would someday see again. That dream became a reality when, in 2002, Naumann became the first person in the world to receive an artificial vision system. His electronic eye is connected directly to his visual cortex through brain implants. Unlike with other cyborg implants, which translate visual information into another sense such as sound or touch, Naumann actually "sees" the world. Though it has its limits (he can only vaguely see lines and shapes), his vision has been technically restored.
Looking to the future, it's possible to imagine artificial vision systems that allow users to see in wavelengths beyond normal human perception. (Perhaps someday, after the inevitable cyborg takeover, we'll all be able to see in infrared.)
4.Jesse Sullivan
Cyborg technology is perhaps most immediately useful for amputees. In the future we might imagine a world where every amputee is equipped with new robotic limbs that are connected to their nervous systems, capable of being operated just like normal limbs. (Think of Luke Skywalker's robotic hand.)
Jesse Sullivan is a pioneer in this respect. He effectively became one of the world's first cyborgs when he was equipped with a bionic limb, connected through a nerve-muscle graft. Not only can Sullivan control his new limb with his mind, he can also feel hot, cold, and the amount of pressure his grip is applying.
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ReplyDeleteSimply awesome 👌👌
ReplyDeleteKeep it up