God’s Work Or Devil’s Mischief?
The science fiction of yesterday is here now! People are injecting computer chips into their bodies – but why? Of course, people pierce various body parts and adorn their body with tattoos. People injured in war and accidents get new artificial limbs. But is it okay to intentionally turn your body into part machine or not?
I know people who believe piercing your ears vandalizes the body God gave us. Yet they have no problem with children born without arms receiving prosthetic arms. All kinds of people use tattoos and piercings as fashion or cultural statements. I might cringe when I see the inside of someone’s mouth through an artificial portal, but I don’t think the act is sinful.
Becoming a cyborg makes a lot of people uncomfortable. They don’t like the idea of altering their bodies with electronics. Having an implanted computer chip track their blood pressure seems ultra-invasive.
Name For Technology-Wave Researchers
- Grinders. According to vox.com they are “Hobbyists who like experimenting with electronic modifications to the human body — can test out equipment, install it in one another’s bodies, and brainstorm and implement new ideas.”
- Transhumanist. According to presidential candidate and immortalists Zolta Istvan, a transhumanist is someone who “advocates for using science and technology to radically change and improve the human species.”
- Biohackers. PBS describes them as biologists who explore biology’s possibilities.
President Zoltan Istvan?
In this bizarre presidential campaign, all the crazies come out. One of those is Istvan whose presidential campaign is reflected in his ground-breaking work. He once wrote that a transhumanist is someone who:
“Advocates for using science and technology to radically change and improve the human species.”
What Does It Do?
With a glass-encased RFID/NFC chip injected injected under the skin of your hand, right now you can wave at your car, your office lock, or your cell phone and unlock them – something like The Clapper for the 21st century. These miniature electronics can be as small as a grain of rice or up to a Sacagawea dollar.
Promise Of Eternal Life
All they can do now is open locks and give us permanent ear buds. The robotic heart designed by the French firm Carnat:
“Is in very early trials, and the first two recipients died in a matter of months. As amazing as current prostheses are, they certainly don’t offer finer motor control than natural human arms. And we’re not sending Snapchats directly to each other’s brains just yet.”
In the not so distant future, we can expect a shift in our culture. Scientists will implant robotic hearts that eliminate heart disease, and cranial implants could let us communicate telepathically. It will become possible to send TV shows and movies right to our optic nerves.
But is this creepy or cutting-edge technology, God’s gift of human intelligence or science gone awry? You decide.
