I, Cyborg

No one seems to be posting, so I'll kick it off.

I'm interested in medical technology, particularly implantable or injectable "devices" (I'll include pharmaceuticals here), and wearable technology, like Bluetooth devices, and how these could impact our definition of humanity. Does the contact lens technology I use to improve my vision make me a cyborg?

Very interesting question. I've wondered the same thing. Maybe I'm being too organized, but I envision a series of continuum based on particular criteria for different aspects of human characteristics with different levels from human to cyborg. For example, the vision part of the continuum would move from simple contact lens for corrective vision to night vision to x-ray vision to Terminator-type visual analysis to telepathy to visual mind control. What do you think?

You could make a distinction between those devices that feed light to an organic retina (contacts, night vision) and devices that could replace retinal stimulation as the beginning of vision (like a digital 'camera' attached to the optic nerve. There could also be another class, which you indicate, of devices that bypass the optic pathways and act on the vision centers in the brain. There is dystopic film called Strange Days with Ralph Fiennes that deal with something like this. Pretty intriguing, though also fairly disturbing...

Very thought provoking. I'm also interested in the idea of the levels of "organic infusion"... for example what happens when part or all of the device/extension/attachments contain organic elements that interact with the human brain? What happens when some of those organisms have a level of independence? For example, when transplant organs are rejected we say the human rejected them... in the future could "smart components" reject their humans?

By most definitions, ExVivre, yes, they do.

One of the deinitions of bionics involves using manufactured technology to replace or agument one's inherent abilities. Using spectacles or contact lenses to improve the vision of your organic optics qualifies. So does a pacemaker that corrects a cardiac arhythmia.

I would classify Terminator-vision as a cognitive enhancement, because a coprocessor would have to intercept data coming from the optic nerves and preprocess it in such a way that pattern recognition and identification is done before the organic processing matrix can get hold of it, which 'frees up compute cycles' (to mix metaphors). However, that's just my opinion... so far as we know, there is no reason that such processing could not be done by augmentation of the visual cortex.

Norbert Weiner in his book Cybernetics used the term to describe the interaction between an anti aircraft cannon and it's gunner. I think the term cybernetics applies anywhere there is a feedback happening between machine and life form. So using a computer, a bicycle, or a shoe can conceivably be considered a cybernetic system.

This is a really good question. It brings up lots of other questions as well. What happens to humans if the cybernetic system becomes disconnected? How is the role of humans changing with the advancement of technology? What happens to gender roles in a cybernetic future? How do we maintain a sense of privacy in a networked world? Should there be regulations on what technologies are developed and if so, who decides? Are we thinking holistically about the effects of technological development?