There’s a bit of a hype going on in the internet world about humanoid sex robots. See this article from the Telegraph and their potential role in society. I believe such projects aim to distract audiences from the real essence of technology and science. Furthermore, the example of the artist Neil Harbison, who was born completely color blind and has been using a device attached to his head that turns color into audible frequencies is a positive application. However, I think he misuses the word Cyborg, which originated in the 60s. Replacing a body part or organ does not make you a Cyborg or a machine-like creature, such misused words and concepts are evidently creating Technophobia for the majority of us.
“The whole universe of science is built upon the world as directly experienced, and if we want to subject science itself to rigorous scrutiny and arrive at a precise assessment of its meaning and scope, we must begin by reawakening the basic experience of the world of which science is the second-order expression.“Modern Movements in European Philosophy: Phenomenology, Critical Theory By Richard Kearney
2015 and we already have prosthetics that look like they come from Deus Ex. Photo: © Warren Allott
Using technology and science to become “more than human”; ) in order to improve our capabilities and as a result society is what Transhumanists support. There are discussions about connecting brains to computers as in this article in the Huffington Post and one of Alphabet’s projects Calico, which focuses on longevity, aims to understand what controls lifespan via advanced technologies. Such projects’ results need to remain within the respective labs until their application; and of course that is always controversial.
By Polymnia Tsinti – Senior Mediazone Lab Assistant
