Comments on: Cyborgs

By: Karl Hallowell

Karl Hallowell — Wed, 23 Feb 2005 18:53:20 +0000

You mention one obvious application in a previous story on natural nanobots (that is, yeast). Namely, a wearable sensor that detected certain dangerous environmental conditions (eg, high CO2 concentrations). Another idea would be to a monitoring system that determines if you experience any of a number of serious health problems and calls 911, and might even attempt to assist on the spot (eg, restart the heart in case of a heart attack).

By: Karl Hallowell

Karl Hallowell — Wed, 23 Feb 2005 18:45:44 +0000

The thing that bothers me about cybernetic implants that the kind with regular electronics are susceptible to EM pulses. I think it’s a bad idea to make a large portion of the human race directly susceptible. What will happen when a person with implants is near a nuclear explosion or EMP bomb?

By: Stephen Gordon

Stephen Gordon — Wed, 23 Feb 2005 14:21:35 +0000

Phil:

Was “steadfast” the word you were looking for?

If we envision nanobots as something similar to yeast, we would still need centralized processing power for an implanted body computer. I suppose this could be organic – our brains are impressive processors – but (at least at first) its more likely it will still be some form of integrated circuitry. Circuits can process faster than neurons, and they can easily talk to existing computers outside the body. Both to send info out and to receive new programming.

Imagine a device that could release single-celled bionanobots programed for specific tasks. These bionanobots could simply be our own cells “smarted up” (to use a technical term), or it could be some benign altered organism, or if an organic solution won’t do, perhaps it could use respirocytes or something similar.

http://www.foresight.org/Nanomedicine/Respirocytes.html

Randall Parker weighed in a couple of years ago with the name “Robo Sapiens.”

http://www.futurepundit.com/archives/001320.html

By: blacknail

blacknail — Wed, 23 Feb 2005 14:07:32 +0000

Cyborgs or not, we’re already there. This whole fixation on machines or tiny little nano-bots doing tiny little work at the tiny little microscopic level — how is it any different than the drugs we use now. Really, what are drugs but tiny little chemical machines, creating reactions at the molecular level. I mean, if we ever get a machine that small, we’re never going to be able to tell the difference between it and the pills I pop on a daily basis to quell my headache, aide my sleep, lube my joints, and put the schwing back in my forewing. In this sense, we’re all cyborgs. Take a look at Barry Bonds. That dude is a total cyborg. He has introduced an artificial agent into his body to make him stronger, make him faster, make him better than he was before. It didn’t cost 6 million to make him into a super batsman, but you throw in the advertising and endorsement deals, you’re probably talking 6 million easy (even in today’s dollars). I know, there’s probably a whole lot of nanographers out there that will explain the differences between drugs and nanobots to me. Save it, brother. You don’t have to convince me. I’m just saying, “What’s the difference?” It ain’t Steve Austin, but it’s awfully damn close. Perhaps a matter of few nanometers.