Cybernetics and the Future of Humanity - Post 1

First reaction to the topic:

Cybernetics and the Future of Humanity seems to have a general theme of integration, for example, human-mechanical integration.

Digital Brain Circuit
(SINGULARITY, 2018)

The idea of using cybernetics as a way of moving forward in human evolution has been talked about for many years now, with technologies such as AR and VR being used to simulate a future for humanity. 

Cyborgs are already becoming present, with amputees having prosthetic limbs as replacement, but also with designers and experimenters using their skill and intelligence to create human tissue and other such models to enhance their bodies.

For example, Stelarc, "a performance artist who has visually probed and acoustically amplified his body" (Stelarc, 2018), has a human ear on his arm. However, due to technological restrictions the ear does not function in the same way as a human ear, but acts as a microphone so anything it hears, can be played somewhere else. This is an example of human-robot integration, becoming cyborg.

Stelarc grows an ear on his arm
(INDEPENDENT, 2015)

Another example of a living cyborg is Neil Harbisson, who has a created an 'antenna' to feel colours, to help him cope and combat his colour blindness.

(MINT, 2018)

Sources:
BUCHANAN, R. T. (2015)  Man grows ear on his arm and will connect to the internet so the world can listen in. THE INDEPENDENT. [Online] 12th August. Available from: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/performance-artist-grows-third-ear-on-arm-will-connect-to-internet-and-allow-world-to-listen-in-10451597.html [Accessed 16 October 2018] 
MINT (2018) This is the future, says world's first cyborg Neil Harbisson. [Online Video] February 22nd. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVywjSGHrw8 [Accessed 16 October 2018]
SINGULARITY (2018) Practopoiesis: How cybernetics of biology can help AI [Online] Available at: https://www.singularityweblog.com/practopoiesis/ [Accessed 16 October 2018]

STELARC (2018) Biography [Online] Available at: http://stelarc.org/?catID=20239 [Accessed 16 October 2018]