Cyborg 101
What is a “Cyborg” and why should I be one?
::What is a Cyborg?::
So you’ve read the About page and know this blog is about self empowerment, self improvement and being more awesome than you ever were before. How does this apply to the concept of a Cyborg?
According to Wikipedia (or the general digital consensus in other words), a Cyborg is defined as:
“…a cybernetic organism…The cyborg is often seen today merely as an organism that has enhanced abilities due to technology,[3] but this perhaps oversimplifies the category of feedback. …Fictional cyborgs are portrayed as a synthesis of organic and synthetic parts, and frequently pose the question of difference between human and machine as one concerned with morality, free will, and empathy. Fictional cyborgs may be represented as visibly mechanical (e.g. the Borg in the Star Trek franchise or Amber from the game Project Eden); or as almost indistinguishable from humans (e.g. the “Human” Cylons from the re-imagining of Battlestar Galactica). …Real cyborgs are more frequently people who use cybernetic technology to repair or overcome the physical and mental constraints of their bodies. While cyborgs are commonly thought of as mammals, they can be any kind of organism.”
So a cyborg is a cybernetic organism. The classical definition of cybernetics as was coined by Norbert Wiener in 1948 is:
“Cybernetics is the interdisciplinary study of the structure of complex systems, especially communication processes, control mechanisms and feedback principles. Cybernetics is closely related to control theory and systems theory.”
However the term has been altered (due to its adoption in Science Fiction) to mean the study of communication and control processes (kibernetykos was the study of helmsmanship and control according to the word’s Greek roots). It has been even FURTHER extended in modern times to describe communication and control processes-
“…in biological, mechanical, and electronic systems, especially the comparison of these processes in biological and artificial systems.”
This is not to be confused with bionics. Future articles and posts will feature comparisons of cybernetics vs. bionics.
::Definitions of a Cyborg::I have derived two essential definitions from these descriptions. There is presently a “core cyborg” definition that fits all the original criteria, and an extended “personal cyborg” that defines today’s modern interpretation.
1) A core cyborg is an organism that:
- is structurally a complex system
- can be broken down into individual elements
- has a holistic set of interdependent elements (feedback)
- overcomes physical and/or mental constraints of the human body
2) A personal cyborg is an organism that:
- contains all the original attributes of a core cyborg
- may exist because of inter-regulatory systems of both artificial and biological nature
- may overcome physical and/or mental constraints of the human body through purely technological means
- must exist because of one’s own imagination (i.e. your definition of a cyborg is not the same as my definition of a cyborg; it must be personal in nature)
As a purist, my personal belief is that the core cyborg is an ACTUAL cyborg since it is true in the original context. Its negative constraints are mainly a limitless definition. In other words you can describe pretty much anything today as a cyborg. Bugs with RFID chips are cyborgs. Lance Armstrong is a cyborg. If you are systematic and organic, you are a cyborg. I like this definition better because in accepting that we are all cyborgs upfront, we can focus on the point of being one: overcoming one’s own physical and mental limitations. That’s why this blog is about self improvement through technological and biological methods.
If you are reading this blog because you want to be this guy:
Then you are here for the wrong reasons. Attempting to approximate a fictional cyborg is approximating an image, an old one at that. Why not be your own person? Improve on your physical and mental capacities in your own way.
Most pertinent cyborg technology will attempt to improve your life in some way or another. Who knows…with enough mechanical and technological augmentation you may some day end up looking like the Terminator but you should strive to look like your own kind of cyborg. Whether that means you will have laser eyes, aluminum skin, or whether you have improved yourself in a purely social/emotional/anything fashion is regardless.
Coming blog posts will discuss the advantages of pursuing both of my Cyborg theories and their relevance in self improvement.
Look for coming articles and posts that attempt to define the modern, fictional cyborg. I will be discussing body modification, mechanical upgrades, social skills, being awesome and range of other topics. If you would like to comment on this article, write comments in the relevant, upcoming posts.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cybernetics
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/cybernetics
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systems_thinking
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyborg
http://mw4.m-w.com/dictionary/cybernetic
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/66160/bionics
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/147802/cybernetics
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/406524/philosophy-of-nature/36175/Organisms-as-systems#ref=ref415253
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/643306/Norbert-Wiener
