TEP Talk: Body Hacking and The Future of Cybernetics
By definition, a cyborg is “a person whose body contains mechanical or electrical devices, and whose abilities are greater than the abilities of normal humans,” according to Merriam-Webster. We’ve come a long way since the birth of Mary Shelley’s cyborg brainchild in 1818 (also known as the fictional story of Frankenstein), and our lives have been extended because of advances in biomedical technology. That said, with bionic limbs and cochlear implants available to the public, cyborgs are literally walking among us, and that’s a pretty cool thing to think about.
Inspired by recent developments in cybernetics, we sent personal Power Meal (an hour to gather over food and have thoughtful conversations with other community members) invitations to a curated list of biomedical professionals and researchers in the Tech Square ATL (TSQATL) Social Club community. Over a shared meal, this thought-provoking community conversation centered around “hacking” the human body with modifications that interact with technology.
With the sun setting in the backdrop, and delicious food arriving at our open-air courtyard table, here’s a glimpse of the conversation during our Cyberpunk Body Hacking Power Meal at Bold Monk Brewery.
“BODY HACKING” DEFINED
To get the conversation started, along with a round of drinks, we asked each member about what “body hacking” meant to them. “I consider drinking Red Bull and taking Ibuprofen to be a form of ‘hacking’ the body,” Jared Serfozo, TSQATL’s very own Chief Technology Officer shared. “However, it’s more fun to think about Apple Watches and other wearables as body hacking.”
Some of us consider body hacking tech as external devices we program that can influence the state of our well-being. “I think anything that can predict my thoughts or emotional response can be considered as body hacking,” Aubrie Goodson, a Senior Chemist at VERO Biotech explained. “My cell phone apps have the capability of predicting when I’m feeling sad, and could then suggest something to me to alter my mood – like playing a specific type of music, for example.” But, like many, Goodson expressed concerns about the other side of this coin. “That power could be used for good and bad.”
OUR RELIANCE ON CYBERNETIC CONTROL SYSTEMS
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we observed a relatively fast-paced evolution of touchless technology in the last year with contactless transactions and sensor-enabled environments. On their predictions about how reliant society will be on cybernetic technology in the next 10 years: “We are reliant [on cybernetic control systems] already,” Chidinma Chukwueke, Systems Engineer II at Abbott, declared. “All of our apps that we use today are designed to make us need them. Once we figure out how to teleport our bodies, traffic and Uber are done for.”
Goodson attested to this: “I’m not really a social media person, but my entire home is automated. I’m worried I’ll eventually forget where my light switches are.”
CYBERNETIC MODIFICATIONS
When the table was asked about what body modification(s) they would consider getting this year, Nate Damen, Robotics Engineer, Georgia Tech Research Institute, revealed that he already has one. “I kind of have a body hacking implant already – I have a metal bone in my hand,” he shared. “However, I would like to install some sort of energy regulator on my body.”
As the conversation drew to a close that evening, the consensus seemed to be that the benefits of cybernetics – like pacemakers and technologies that enable mobility, for example – could outweigh the risks. In fact, the community members in this discussion seem to see cybernetics as something that could benefit our species as a whole, if balanced by ethics and certain precautions.
DID YOU KNOW?
Researchers have studied the possibility of “hacking” human bodies with photosynthetic abilities, like plants, which would allow us to get our energy just by being in the sun. Unfortunately, according to recent findings, our bodies demand more energy than photosynthesis can accommodate.
How would you define body hacking, and what bionic implants would you consider getting? Let us know in the comments below.