A cyborg
Employment opportunities in the future will be scarce. There will be a period where everyone is a computer operator, but after that we’ll lead a life of leisure as the computers finally take over the running of the human race.
You might not want to give up your work though. I’ve heard a rumour that some people actually enjoy their employment. How are they going to compete against such efficient competitors?
The conventional wisdom is that cyborgs are going to be the result of augmenting the human body. The gradual replacing of malfunctioning organs with a mechanical homologue… that surgeons will become mechanics.
But it could just as easily happen the other way too, that computers get introduced to greater levels of organic interaction. Furthermore, the chances are that it won’t be human based at all – our first real cyborgs are likely to be insects, rats.. or spinach.
There may even be a point where humans can incorporate both – ‘since the accident, my right arm is moved by as series of spinach-powered micro-motors controlled by a cockroach relay’
Now, I’ve never had a problem with the idea of having an organ formerly owned by an animal, nor does the idea of an artificial replacement bother me… so why is it that the idea of a cyborg organ makes me feel slightly queasy?
Perhaps it’s the rat brain controlling my artificial stomach lining objecting.
I can’t wait for cyborg parts. I’m not sure I can do the cyborg hands since I use those for the guitar and my hands would need to be pretty much exactly like human hands, but I want some cyborg eyes and ears and a microprocessor in my brain.
‘A microprocessor for my brain’…
What for? I’ve always fancied a googlemaps style attachment or perhaps the ability to transfer images I have seen to hard copy.
I just want to think faster mainly. If I could integrate all the stuff I do on my current computer into my brain that would be awesome, too. Instead of daydreaming ideas for my comics I could actually make them when I’m riding the bus or bored in class.
i think the tedium of actually getting it down on paper helps separate the good ideas from the bad ideas that seem good at the time
i think that’s exactly right
I know why your nervous: ever seen a pig’s heart give the blue screen of death?
A litteral blue screen of death… nice.
I quite enjoy my current hands, but if I had a mechanical hand I could get all sorts of attachments for it.
Doing some remodeling, no problem I’ll just put on the drill attachment.
Driving today, sure I’ll just plug my arm socket into the car.
etc, etc
kinda of post toic here, but thought you might like a gander at this: http://indexed.blogspot.com/
xxx
I can’t wait till I have a metal heart.
It won’t feel pain and loneliness. No more sorrow.
Just as well, becuase I’ve heard that the tears would rust right through it.
i’d hate not feeling anything.
“surgeons will become mechanics” is a very cool line.
I like the idea of direct computer/brain interaction… imagine if you could spin off cyber-space “ghosts” in an accelerated time-experience state, you could do hours and hours of on-line research in minutes, and then just merge the memories back in! It’s like a virtual machine, emulating some aspect (or all of) yourself.
And once the computers are all organic anyway… that’ll make it easier, right? How do you think programming will change, when programme’s are self-modifying and evolve?
it might be sooner than we thought:
http://technology.newscientist.com/channel/tech/robots/mg19926696.100-rise-of-the-ratbrained-robots.html
i’d like to have my music player hooked up directly to my brain, no danger of auditory damage.
that and a fix for the scar tissue on my thumb, drafting makes it hurt
i have no fear of computers vrs. humans.
computers will always be inferior because
they can’t “think” outside of what they are
programmed to do.
neither can most humans (all the more
reason to pursue the employment of computers).
Just occurred to me that a variation on this would make an absolutely bitchin’ tattoo. I’m thinking a collar, with the neuron on the back of the neck, and a processor on the front of the neck, maybe off-set some so as to nestle down between the clavicles, right above the sternum, and all the connections weaving up and down the sides.
Some academics (Donna Harraway) suggest we are all already cyborgs as we interface with computers all the time. This also has knock on effects for gender – we are all now part robot. Check out her cyborg manifesto!