Cyborgization

Enhancing human capabilities has been on the mind of people for ages, but superhumans came a long way from ancient training methods to exoskeletons.

From bionic eyes to artificial retinas, CRISPR to deep learning algorithms, this is a buzzing field of research with revolutionary promises, potentially affecting the lives of a billion people.

Every now and then we see something that freaks out even the seasoned team of The Medical Futurist. From robot nannies taking care of human babies grown in artificial wombs to waking up with an electric shock.

Medical A.I. will surely become competent enough to efficiently deal with a great number of health questions. But tricking patients into believing they interact with a human practitioner when they are not is an entirely different issue.

What if you could open your front door or unlock your car just by raising your hand? What about sending your LinkedIn profile or a dancing monkey GIF to a phone just by holding it? And what about turning on a coffee machine by pointing to it? This is not the future anymore. Wannabe-cyborgs with little RFID chips under their skin are living with us: thousands of people implanted the tiny devices already under their skin to be able to have simpler access to buildings or (other people’s) phones. Do you want to join the cyborg community? Here’s what you should know about RFID chips before you implant them into your body.

As adding animals to a number of therapies provided benefits human therapists could not achieve, the same seems to be true for adding robots to some therapies: they can provide assistance neither humans nor pets can offer.

Science fiction has for long fantasised about ways to augment fragile humans’ power and endurance through mechanical means. In Edge of Tomorrow, Tom Cruise’s abilities […]

David Bowie’s iconic song Space Oddity shares the story of fictional astronaut Major Tom as he is about to be launched into space. Its lyrics […]

Long-distance hugs; virtual reality porn stars; technosexuals living with automated dolls; you might have caught such news snippets online, but you’ll have to get used […]

To the 1 million global new amputees yearly (that’s one amputation every 30 second), the loss of a limb means that they have to adapt […]

Our dystopian future might be filled with religious A.I. developed by the U.S. military, we might see the end of sexual activity and giving birth in a traditional sense. That’s some of the nightmare scenarios that Zoltan Istvan, transhumanist, futurist, and speaker drew up in the latest piece of our Great Thinkers interview series. However, before anyone starts to fall into despair, he enumerated countless examples of how technology can upgrade humanity to live longer, healthier and better lives. Robotic prosthetics, gene editing, and A.I. in moderation could be the key to a good life in the future.

What if you could have a heat-map vision to search through an abandoned terrain? What if you could filter out unpleasant odors of urban decay every now and then? Can you imagine hearing ultrasounds better than bats? And what about lifting 20 tons or having a third, bionic arm? With the rapid advancement of technologies, the future of healthcare might not just be about being healthy, but even augmenting our bodies and “upgrading” ourselves. Where would you draw the line between being a human and a cyborg?

Who owns medical and genetic data? How to regulate gene editing? Where is the boundary of enhancing physical or cognitive human capabilities? What to do with biological differences widening the gap of the haves and have-nots? Could we define where is the boundary to augment life? Will we sue robots or algorithms for medical malpractice? With the constant advancement of technology, unprecedented moral, ethical and legal issues are surfacing. Channeling them into substantial debates will get us closer to their fair solution step by step. Here, we collected the 10 most pressing issues in bioethics.

Better treatment options, dietary conditions and (perhaps) less stress could make the life of the rich also healthier. However, when it comes to longevity and aging, do they really have better chances? Can the upper 0.1 percent secure their health for long decades or even reverse the process of growing old? Could society somehow also benefit from the quest of the richest for longevity?

Black Mirror, the iconic British anthology series asks what could happen to our identities, memories, social and personal selves, life and death after getting in touch with the digital. What could happen to the most complex and least understood human organ, the brain, being exposed to powerful, dimension-altering perception? We pondered on whether the current state of technology and research could ever take us on the dystopian, blind alley called future in Black Mirror. [SPOILER ALERT: the article contains a detailed description of episodes]

Talking, conversing, exchanging words: for more than 10 million people, this seemingly simple act cannot be imagined without assistive technologies, such as voice generating devices, touch screens or text-to-speech apps. What does the digital future bring for them? How could innovations turn around the translation industry or the medical administration process? Here’s a glimpse into the future of voice and speaking.