Brian Lam
Human Machine
Is humanity destined to eventually become part machine in the near future? Author and futurist, Ray Kurzweil seems to believe exactly that. His radical beliefs and ideals about the integration of technology and the physical human body may seem extreme at first, but with current technology, the thought of it is not so farfetched. According to Daniel Lyons, author of Newsweek magazine, “Kurzweil calls this moment "The Singularity," and says it represents the next great leap in human evolution, when humans will transcend biology by merging with technology” (Lyons). Although Kurzweil takes the idea a little further by mentioning it as the next step in human evolution, he makes a valid point.
For years, biomechatronics has been the basis for the integration of technology and the human body. Prosthetics and other biomechanical devices have been used to aid the wounded and the physically disabled. The difference is that Kurzweil believes that humans will be enhanced with the embedding of future tech and flesh, whereas the technology being used today is meant to aid those who are already at a disadvantage. According to Kim Norton, author for inMotion journal, “the Egyptians were the early pioneers of prosthetic technology. Their rudimentary, prosthetic limbs were made of fiber” (Norton). The idea to have a device implanted onto the human body has been around for centuries, only to be improved through the advancement of technology.
With modern technology in the world today, people at a physical disadvantage can live longer and more comfortable lives. The National Heart and Lung Institute notes that, devices such as a pacemaker are, “used to treat severe arrhythmias that can damage the body's vital organs and may even cause loss of consciousness or death” (NHLI). The little piece of technology is implanted into the chest to help save the lives of those in need. As research in technological advances continues to grow, more scientists are discovering new ways of prolonging the average human life through the merging of humans and tech. Ray Kurzweil’s foresight of the of the future may not be so far off after all. Whether or not it is an inevitable future is something that we will have to wait and see to find out.
Works Cited
Lyons, Daniel. I, ROBOT. Newsweek. (2009). EbscoHost: Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 Dec. 2012.
Norton, Kim. "A Brief History of Prosthetics." InMotion. Web. 02 Dec. 2012.
"What Is a Pacemaker?" The National Heart and Lung Institute, NIH. Web. 02 Dec. 2012.
Interesting article Brian. It was truly intriguing when you mentioned the history of prosthetics being traced all the way back to Ancient Egyptian times. The Author you chose to write about was intriguing as well. Though I might not necessarily agree with him in terms of his views of evolution through technology and his view that we will transcend biology through technology (because technology is flawed as well), I do have to agree that technology is becoming advanced to the point where it could be integrated in our lives in the way that he mentions that it could. You also made a great appeal to ethos by mentioning those who have physical disabilities and with the pacemaker example.
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