Hello!
Since childhood, being a fan of comics about superheroes, I often imagined what they would be, these same superheroes, if they happened to be not a fantasy, but really existing 'people'. Is this possible not in comics, but in real life? Well, to be honest, I imagined myself as one of these superheroes. I also wanted to have some kind of superpower. Is it possible?
More recently, the answer to this question would sound unambiguously – no. But if you look at the rapid pace of progress, the answer to this question no longer seems so unambiguous.
And if the superpowers obtained as a result of cataclysms or mutations do not cause anything but a smile, then the possibility of modifying your body, which allows you to improve the characteristics of this body itself, no longer seems fantastic. Why is there, now it's reality. There are already these superheroes among us. These are the owners of bionic limbs, replacing their lost ones.
Very often you can find news about advances in the production of bionic prostheses that respond to the electrical impulses of the human body. Implants that allow those who have lost their sight to see again. About artificial organs that prolong life. There are a lot of examples.
And if until recently the main technological power in this area was directed precisely at the production of bionic prostheses and substitutes for those who for various reasons lost any function of their body, now there is more and more news about inventions designed not to return the lost functions, but improve existing ones.
The attitude to this issue can be completely different. Someone, the same technology enthusiasts, for example, consider such a development to be natural and inevitable, while others oppose this in every possible way, believing that humanity does not need it. One thing is certain, despite the rejection of this phenomenon as a part of society, cyborgs are.
While the cinema continues to churn out blockbusters about Iron Man and his team, in scientific laboratories, and just at home, at a computer, real devices are being created that bring a person closer to the next step in development.
One such example is the news about an Italian developer who came up with a double bionic arm for those who did not lose their hands, and who announced that his invention could expand human capabilities and can be used where one hand is not enough. This scenario looks a little far-fetched and is intended to justify the creation of this bionic masterpiece rather than explain the need for it. However, as often happens, the first pancake turned out to be lumpy (there is reason to assume that such an experience is far from the only one, and certainly not the first).
Image via fainaidea.com
For example, look at what the robots of the well-known company Boston Dynamics are capable of. Only yesterday, these were clumsy, humming mechanisms.
Personally, this is very impressive to me. If we are capable of this, then what prevents us from perfecting a person?
How are smartphones and mobile technology related to all this? The most direct one. Technologies in the field of mobile communications are developing rapidly and are often the testing ground for new solutions. This is the miniaturization of computing devices along with an increase in their performance and computing power. These are new methods of data transmission, and the improvement of previously known communication channels, and much, much more.
Sooner or later, a person will step onto the next stage of evolution, at which he will unite with the machine, and access to information will play an important role in this process. Humanity is inevitably moving towards cyborgization. This can split society into two camps, into those who are for and those who are against. I have no question about whether there will be cyborgs in the near future. The question arises when this will happen and how ready we are for it.
How ready is each of us to accept such changes, and how will those who accept them differ from those who did not? What kind of relationship will the two groups have?
We have yet to find out the answers to these questions. Now I want to ask you, dear readers, about your attitude to this issue.
Imagine that there is a new technology that allows you to integrate a communication device into the body. No need to charge your gadget anymore. No need to worry about whether the display will break or the device will get wet in the rain. Everything is inside now. And the brain got direct access to information from the network and new computing power, which is a good help in everyday affairs. Are you ready to become testers of new technologies if the opportunity presents itself? Are you ready to improve your body with implants? Or is it still outside the scope of your understanding of the norm? Or maybe you think this is unnecessary and premature? Share your opinion in the comments.