To my knowledge this is the first working neural interface to a robot that exists.
Here’s an abstract:
To create the “brain”, the neural cortex from a rat fetus is surgically removed and disassociating enzymes applied to it to disconnect the neurons from each other. The researchers then deposit a slim layer of these isolated neurons into a nutrient-rich medium on a bank of electrodes, where they start reconnecting. They do this by growing projections that reach out to touch the neighbouring neurons. “It’s just fascinating that they do this,” says Steve Potter of the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, who pioneered the field of neurally controlled animats. “Clearly brain cells have evolved to reconnect under almost any circumstance that doesn’t kill them.”
After about five days, patterns of electrical activity can be detected as the neurons transmit signals around what has become a very dense mesh of axons and dendrites. The neurons seem to be randomly firing, producing pulses of voltage known as action potentials. Often, though, many or all of them will fire in unison, a phenomenon known as “bursting”.
Now what interested me, besides the fact that neurons will grow onto chips and can fire off synaptic connections in nearly any environment that won’t kill them, is that the famed Kevin Warwick is involved in the project…anyone should have seen that coming!
Check out the video-
This represents a major step forward for neural interfacing. Something particularly fascinating is how neurons become bored and start spontaneously firing suggesting seizure like activity. Warwick and his team take advantage of this phenomenon and fire off patterns of stimuli to drive neural impulses. The impulses can be catered depending on the culture used for the chip to hone in on certain behaviors for the robot (which in this model, represents a physical manifestation of the rat’s neural activity).
The article itself relates to bionic eye technology and emergent small-scale technology that might represent a step forward for the blind. Currently, technology for replacing retinas and eyes with bionic interfaces is bulky and expensive and quite dysfunctional.
From the article:
To improve the camera’s resolution, the researchers have also experimented with another of nature’s designs. The constant motion of the human eye means that we get many views of an object, which we automatically combine to give us a better picture of what we’re looking at, explains Rogers. So his team has done the same, taking several images with their camera at slightly different angles and then combining them with computer software to give a much sharper image.
I’d just like to note that I find it ironic that new bionic technology is coming closer to approximating the efficiency of human organs by replicating their very form and function. This makes me almost envision a world full of bionic human cyborgs who look and act identically to natural humans because at that point all machine technology would appear and function as organic in nature. Are we copying ourselves?
It was once said thatany technology taken far enough into the past would appear as magical to that past society. If we were to look ahead a hundred years would we find an apparently natural world full of magic secretly ridden with nanoscale, bionic machinary?
So at some point we’ve all seen a movie or read a book in which a Cyborg is portrayed as half machine and half human. In the Cyborg 101 article I already established that this notion is a stereotype. In it, I also define classical cybernetics to be anything related to emergent world thinking or systems thinking (please keep this in mind when making the distinction between that, and the cybernetics in question).
So what then, is the difference between modern cybernetics and bionics?
I’ll use Britannica Online as my main resource, since it has the most detail out of any internet-based discussion on the topics.
Bionics is not a specialized science but an interscience discipline; it may be compared with cybernetics. Bionics and cybernetics have been called the two sides of the same coin. Both use models of living systems, bionics in order to find new ideas for useful artificial machines and systems, cybernetics to seek the explanation of living beings’ behaviour.
Bionics:
Human augmented with a mechanical appendage.
So obviously there’s a discrepancy between the pop-cultural portrayal of bionic technology, and the actual definition of modeling mechanical/electronic systems after biology.
Ironically, I have found a unique example of biological mimicry within the context of physical augmentation. I was watching Mel Gibson’s Apocalypto the other night and noticed that the Maya warriors use body art to mimic animals. Some use bones to extend their facial constructs and present themselves as more aggressive, larger animals. Some use tattoos to change the way they look. One warrior had a snake tattooed across his face, no doubt to instill fear in his enemies. Fangs, bones and large protruding piercings are common in this society.
A Mayan warrior, whose technologically altered body serves to augment his physical appearance.
Unlike a modern Cyborg, their augmentations come out of necessity in survival. As a civilization, humans have grown to the point where we can choose to alter ourselves for cosmetic or other-functional purposes. We no longer need to alter ourselves, but we choose to. A couple of examples of modern, popular augmentations:
makeup
fashion and clothing selection
piercings and tattoos
loose jewelry
So from this list one might gather that we are augmenting at a purely cosmetic level at this point. I’d make the argument that with advancing technologies, we can now choose to make functional upgrades to our bodies. Some piercings already serve functional purposes, and there are a few modern augmentations (magnetic implants, RFID chips, and other technologies) that I will be talking about in upcoming articles.
So what’s your point?
I seem to have disproved the modern notion of bionics and its connection to cybernetics. But I’d like to move toward a revised definition of Bionics entirely. We are now in an age where physical augmentation can be highly technological, mechanical and functional in nature. This is neither body art or bionic, and I feel it most appropriate to settle this by coming up with a modern definition of Bionics.
As we have seen in this post, bionics is the adaptation of technology to model biological functions. It is almost recursive in nature, then, that a newer definition would include biological functions augmented to model the efficiencies of technology itself.
I believe it inevitable for us to make these augmentations as soon as the technology makes it easy, safe, cheap and marketable. We already alter various internal systems through pharmacology and nootropics, why not alter the external?
The universe curiously seems like an almost complete puzzle with only a single piece missing. Each of us, like a man miscounting party guests because he neglects to count himself, or a woman searching for keys already in her pocket, seeks the answer. What you may forget is that it is right in front of you In fact, it is you. You are the missing puzzle piece.
Dorion Sagan, prodigal modern thinker and son of famed scientist Carl Sagan, wrote that in his awesome book Notes From the Holocene. The book itself is largely a stream of consciousness style monologue engaging various existential questions from multiple perspectives. In one section about our place on the planet he discusses the notion of self.
One idea that Sagan proposes (and this idea is backed by one of Einstein’s still-living colleagues, John Archibald Wheeler) is the notion that it is impossible for a whole to observe itself. A universe not divided into parts has no chance of self-observation.
Demonstration of a self-aware sentience transcending human form.
I’m going to simplify the discussion since Sagan breaks it down into detailed steps which would be too much text to read. He basically contends that humans are part of a greater whole that has been manifested into smaller divisions on certain planes. At the human consciousness level, we have the impression of being individual self-aware beings. In kind of a holographic way, we are multiplexed under a single state of existence which may be merely a filtered self-observant version of the Universe itself.
Sagan, Wheeler, Ray Kurzweil and other contemporaries who support this theory suggest that just like every other fractalized process in the Universe, we are self-expressions of a bigger thought, reinforcing the entheogenic theme common Shamanic culture (both traditional and modern).
So, the idea itself is inherently cybernetic. But how does this relate to transhumanism or cyborgism? The way I see it, if we are all potentials, filtered out of the same massive sentience on some higher plane, then really all we are doing is expressing a need to return to this original state. Examples of this intrinsic desire:
A resurgence in Peace culture prominent in developed nations focusing on Unity and transcendance
PDA’s and mobile infrastructure allowing a connection between all devices through the internet and cellular networks
Online Social Media allowing a connection between any persons anywhere at any time, taking place over any networked infrastructure.
Be-ins, raves, festivals and even simple parties or group events all contain the human connection theme. It’s about creating an experience that transcends any individual experience and creates a unity that is felt and understood by all within that context.
Cyborgs are in this case a logical answer. Cyborgs and post-humans are a real and logical expression of this transcendence ultimately manifesting in real time. Ray Kurzweil, a prominent futurist describes a singularity, or threshold through which the face of human existence will be radically altered. We will transcend our human condition by altering our reality and destroying physical and mental boundaries through the use of various technologies. While the imminence of such an event is still up in the air, it logically coincides with Sagan’s idea of our eternal desire to return to the “original state”.
One last thought to go out on:
If you agree with nothing in this post, then at least consider this- How are we here, that we have this reality available to us, if we are all nothing but the same electrons, protons and neutrons dancing around in pattern?
I’ve had quite a number of people e-mail and approach me (in the real world as well as through the blog) about why I focus on Cyborgs.
It’s certainly an obscure topic but has quite a broad application. As always, I refer you to the definition of a Cyborg (it explains why my definition may be different than your definition).
So, having explained what a Cyborg is in the context of my blog (and my personal opinion, as well!) it should be understood that really we’re talking about Transhumanism and Technoprogressivism rather than bionic modification. Previous posts have hinted at future articles on such discourse on bionics…you’ll have to wait and see.
So to sum:
Becoming Cyborg is really a discussion on Transhumanism, and how to be H+ with a focus on utilizing [meta]technologies in addition to mechanical technologies to augment our reality.
Stay tuned for a really awesome post on: self-awareness and its implication for Cyborgs/Transhumanists!
So you think your “first life” is awesome enough to share with the entire world, eh?
I’m going to talk a little bit about various services you can use to stream every waking moment you have onto the Internet. The cybersphere is one of the best means to put yourself out there and if you have something interesting going on, people WILL find you and comment on your life. Not only is this a higher level of social interaction and connectivity, but it represents a new way to interact. You are essentially expanding your reality with a virtual output rather than just being a perceptive “input only” being.
Please note that there is a downside:
Maintenance- You will have to constantly be checking in to various locations, will have to actually make an effort to keep it up and may need to tweak various service settings as you get a feel for how to use them appropriately. Fortunately there are services that make your life easier in this regard (see below)
Digital umbilical- You will be plugged into your cell phone and most likely your PDA and primary computer much more than you normally would. Setting up mobile connectivity with the various services you use will facilitate the process but you will have to make an effort.
The best services to use for your digital lifestream, in no particular order are:
Facebook - In the past couple of years Facebook has made it easier than ever to stream your life on the web. Without using avatars, Facebook managed to facilitate digital transparency in peoples’ lives. You can stay in touch with old/lost friends, get in touch with new ones, upload pictures and expand your social networks with an easy to use interface. The downside? Very limited mobile accessibility (even the PDA interface is lacking in features). Also there’s a lot of garbage apps that clutter up peoples’ accounts, pushing it into a Myspace direction.
Twitter - Using your phone or a client you can rapidly upload your state onto the Internet. Twitter brought on the “microblogging” movement where a network of people are simultaneously updating their status and letting others know what is going on their lives, how they feel that morning, etc. Everyone can see everyone else’s “tweets.” The downside? It gets tedious to sort through everyone’s tweets and often you will find yourself putting out more than you care to get in. In other words you may be tweeting all the time but may easily fall into a pattern of not caring about others tweets (with exceptions here and there). The trick is to expand your network and socialize with others.
Tumblr - Probably one of the easiest blogging systems to use. It’s incredibly user-friendly, lets you microblog, blog, reblog (awesome feature!), socialize and customize without too much hassle. Fast set up too. Id’ say probably my favorite blogging tool on the web right now! The reblogging feature is great too because you can take other people’s posts and reblog them onto your tumblr account. The effect is that your information (or lifestream) is very likely to get massively propogated! The downside? It has the same problem as twitter since you are able to see others’ posts. It is easy to get sucked into pushing out lots of posts without responding often to others. The reblog feature does a fantastic job of countering this though.
Brightkite - An awesome geoblogging tool that takes it to the next level. It tracks what you blog based on where you are! You should really check this out! The downside? You have to check in wherever you are for it work. However it balances out with Brightkite’s ease of use for “glog” purposes.
Plurk - This is an awesome microblogging tool. It’s similar to Twitter but has a chronological spin on it. It’s all time-event based and tracks what you “plurk” (what status you put up) based on when you did it. It has a really cool interface too! Check it out! The downside? It’s still a relatively small community but otherwise doesn’t suffer from the same microblog problems that Twitter does because of the public and private timelines.
The study of memetics is a hugely relevent topic in transhumanism. Memes are essentially small pieces of cultural information that can be transmitted from one person to the next. Think genes, but for information.
A solid example of a meme is Rick Rolling. Everyone knows what a rick roll is and it’s almost a viral notion. The rick-roll meme is a piece of information that contains knowledge of the prank, knowledge of Rick Astley and his song “Never Gonna Give You Up” and an awareness that a large number of people also know what Rick Rolling is.
So how is this relevent to Cyborgs?
Abstracting memes is a strong basis for growing as a human being. The more cognizant we are of how we share information, the faster the information can flow and we can streamline the process. This in itself is a technology. I’d go as far as calling it a “metatechnology”.
I like this image a lot because it implies that we live in a world that is more ideas than reality.
This is a similar concept to the internet and is infact the metaphysical analogue to the internet. All those “tubes” and electric sparks are the physical manifestations of billions of concepts/ideas/blogs/pages/abstractions that are transforming our reality.
This, in turn, implies that the internet has become a more fluid version of reality where our memes take on a more real form than they have in our minds.
The interconnectivity becomes apparent which means that the future in human interaction clearly lies in the Internet. The next level is logically to manifest the internet itself back into the real world. My thoughts side with virtual overlays as opposed to neural interaction but who knows what the future holds.
The only thing certain is that memes play a vital role in pushing information evolution, which is clearly tied to human evolution as well. My advice to you:
Produce information. Thirst for information. Then post it here. You’re doing humanity a favor.
Transhumanism (sometimes symbolized by >H or H+),[1] a term often used as a synonym for “human enhancement“, is an international, intellectual and cultural movement supporting the use of science and technology to enhance human mental and physicalabilities and aptitudes, and overcome what it regards as undesirable and unnecessary aspects of the human condition, such as disability, suffering, disease, aging and involuntary death. Transhumanist thinkers study the possibilities and consequences of developing and using human enhancement techniques and other emerging technologies for these purposes. Possible dangers, as well as benefits, of powerful new technologies that might radically change the conditions of human life are also of concern to the transhumanist movement.[2]
Cool. Now that we’re on the same page we can discuss the pertinence of H+ culture in the realm of Cyborgs.
While being a Cyborg often misconstrues a notion of relation to the H+ movement in a Science Fiction context, there is a very real connection between the two memes.
Don’t get it? One of the aims of the Transhumanist proponents is typically to change society in a positive way through societal/cultural augmentation (utilizing various interpersonal and electronic technologies). We place value on controlling our own evolution (see: microevolution) to ultimately breed ourselves into godhood. Now we’re getting into posthumanist territory.
As a first post on this blog, I want to keep it kind of light and ask what all of your feelings are on the issue. Thus, I pose the following:
Do you think it’s possible to utilize up and coming technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Nanotechnology, Biotechnology and others to shape the very way our culture evolves?
And if so, could we have the power to solve all of today’s problems with it?
Facebook
Twitter
Tumblr
Brightkite
Plurk
Pownce
Identi.ca
Ping.fm
Profilactic
I like this image a lot because it implies that we live in a world that is more ideas than reality.