The Future Of Bionic Augmentations And How They Are Set To Actualized The Hybridization Of Machines And Humankind

Introduction

If you've been following up my blog-posts for sometime, you would have discovered that we have been dealing majorly on emerging technology. And no doubt; as the day passes, technology keeps getting advanced and sophisticated. Even in my last science post, we took a brief overview of the Digital Scent Technology (that is; the electronic nose), but as it were, this is not the only bionic augmentation that has arisen in this era. Here, we will be considering the technology of bionic augmentation and how they would change the fate of humankind. Welcome again to the possibilities embedded in emerging technology.

_{[Image Source: Pixabay. CC0 licensed]}

Before this present time (in the recent past), both the bionic and cybernetic augmentations were majorly reserved for therapeutic uses - for example; people with decapitated limbs would go for cybernetic limbs to help them to mechanically replace the missing limb - which would also function in similar (or near similar) capacity as the biological limb. But the question is: Are these augmentations exclusively preserved for only therapeutic uses in this era? Before you answer either in the negative or affirmative, just hang on and read on.

Real Cybernetic Organisms (Cyborgs)

A very remarkable case I once sighted previously, and I feel a need to reiterate it again is the case of Viktoria Modesta; which you may have known. At some point in her life, she willingly accepted to part away with her biological limb and got a bionic replacement _[ref] - but looking at this remotely; it also served as therapeutic aid, because she had been battling with an age-long deformity in her limb. That's not all... I'm sure you've also heard of Neil Harbisson (my favorite Cyborg, lol). He got a fancy antenna implanted surgically right inside his skull to his brain; which enables him to literarily "sense" colours - as a curative measures for his age-long colour blindness _[ref].

Judging by these two cases, you can infer to a considerably fair extent that these bionic augmentations served remotely as therapeutic aids. But another question is this; are these augmentations serving only to replace a damaged body part or are they tweaked to give these augments some extra human abilities (abilities of Human+)? Take for example; in the case of the antenna man, this augmentation also helps him to form mental structures of colours and shapes in his brain - that is; he can literarily close his eyes and still sense relational shapes and colours around him - now, isn't that an extrahuman ability?

_{[Neil Harbisson. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons. Author: Dan Wilton. CC BY 2.0 Licensed.]}

Maybe this would not make much meaning to you. Okay take a look at this: Have you heard of one of the most advanced bionic eyes that has ever arisen; the Argus II Retinal prosthesis? No doubt, the idea behind the invention of this is to aid in the restoration of sight of people that may have been damaged or defected. - brilliant you may say; at least, rays of hope; by this; would be shone on the paths of the blind people. But again, does this just function as the normal biological eyeball? Maybe this report might interest you: It has been revealed that the retinal prosthesis can be tailored and customized to serve towards the fulfilment of the individual needs - in other words; other features can be added on the preference of the user - like it has been indicated that even microcamera has been incorporated into this, to take real-life video streaming. Can your biological eyes achieve that, or ain't we moving to surpass the limit of our natural bodies?

Not just the incorporation of the microcameras, imagine when technologies like the infrared vision, ultra-microscopic vision or maybe the telescopic vision gets incorporated into this prosthesis too, wouldn't the people with the normal biological eyes feel jealous to part with their biological eyes to get a feeling of the Argus II retinal prosthesis? Maybe not; but the point I'm driving at is; ain't bionic augmentations making people extrahuman? Or should I say; making humans less human and more mechanical? Remember I once made a statement that the dividing line between technology and biology is gradually getting eroded, and this would; as it were; favour the technological side more - the process has already been heralded. If the Argus II can be tweaked so much like this, what about other bionics and prosthesis?

_{[Image Source: Pixabay. CC0 Licensed]}

Maybe we've dwelt so much on the eyes. Talk about the "e-ear". Just so you would know; bionic senses don't only cover the eyes, but the other sense organs. In the recent past, one of the therapeutic aids for hearing loss is the "hearing aid" - which magnifies the sound perceived, so the person can sense these sounds. But sophistication has arisen in this field too. Take the Cochlear Implant for example - this is directly put into the ear surgically; which majorly picks external acoustic waves and translates them into electrical signals which can be interpreted by the brain - so by summation, it functions in the same capacity as the ear.

But the question is; does this only serve in function and capacity as the biological ear? Truth is; there are some ranges of frequency of sound waves that the human ear can pick up (which is 20Hz - 20000Hz _ref), anything outside this would be a "no" for the human ear. That is why we can't detect some infrasonic (below the lower range) and ultrasonic (beyond the higher range) sound frequencies, but some animals can though. But the hilarious part is this; just like the Argus II, the Cochlea Implant can be tweaked based on the individual preferences and can add other wide range of frequency detection too - imagine when humans start detecting ultrasonic vibrations like the dolphins and the bat, we could even pick up the acoustic echolocation ability; just like Ben Underwood (the man that could literally see with his ears) - he got his eyes removed due to cancer at the age of three, and he developed the ability to relate objects and directions with his ears; just like the bat _[ref], of which he used to navigate his way, and also perform some human-difficult daredevil stunts. Note: His own was naturally developed, but the truth is; these implants can be made to achieve this, and much more. What can't emerging technology do?

_{[Blind Ben Underwood. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons. Author: Muntuwandi. CC BY-SA 2.5 Licensed]}

Have we merged with machines already?

Time and space may limit me to go on and on in brining cases where technology has been seen to give humans edge over what we used to be. Maybe the speculation that we would merge with machines is not just a mere speculation again. Remember the words of one renowned futurist; Elon Musk (CEO Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralinks)..

Humans would need to merge with machine to save the fate of humankind. - Elon Musk. Source.

Haven't we already started the process? Maybe some are still waiting for an automatic switch from humans to machines, or maybe when "singularity" would finally arrive. But the truth is, we're closer; than ever; in the actualization of a full merger - and the process has been heralded. Technology that was once thought to be as a complement to humankind has now arisen to be in apposition with humankind. Is technology still subject to us, or are we now at the mercy of technological advancements? Maybe "time" would provide a substantial and definitive answer to this.

Conclusion

One of the purposes of the proliferation of advanced and sophisticated technology is to bring assistance to humankind. But does this assistance move us further from humans to pick up some extrahuman abilities? We have considered the examples of some of these techs and how they have altered the course of our human nature. But so you would know; technology has not stopped to evolve, we are yet to witness other technological evolutions.

Thanks for reading

References for further reading:

• Merging of humans with machines - advances in AI
• Emergence of cyborgs
• Argus II retinal prosthesis
• Cochlear Implant

All images are CC Licensed and are linked to their sources

Credit: @gtg