For some people, the human body isn’t a temple. Instead they see it as a source of frustration thanks to the considerable limitations compared to the powerful technology available today. In the last few years, a new community of biohackers or "grinders" has sprung up to experiment with enhancing the human body with technology. Largely outside of the mainstream disciplines of science or philosophy, it is a raw, exciting field that turns longstanding ethical beliefs on their head.
It is a long time since my own first electronic implant — a simple radio frequency transmitter — was inserted in 1998. It allowed me to open doors and switch on lights with a wave of my arm. To do it I had the assistance of my GP in his surgery, not only to burrow a hole in my arm, but to make sure that my implant remained in place and that no infection occurred.
Perhaps the most common implant tried out is the radio frequency identification device (RFID), more recently in the form of a near field communication (NFC) version. This is essentially the same technology as is used in contactless payment cards except that it’s packaged in a small tube about the size of a grain of rice. Back in 1998 my RFID was almost an inch long — technology has clearly moved on since then.
Durability and reliability are no problem. My colleague Mark Gasson had his RFID implanted in 2009 and it’s still working perfectly, with no rejection or operational problems. But you do need external technology to transmit power to the implant, which has no battery, and to communicate with it.
In the last couple of years we have seen a number of companies enter the fray, although a cynic might suggest that this has been more for publicity than anything else. For example, in January 2015 it was widely reported that several hundred office workers in Sweden had been chipped. With their implants — put in place by a tattoo artist — the workers were able to open doors and switch on the photocopier.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/meet-the-biohackers-letting-technology-get-under-their-skin-20160628-gptgl5.html#ixzz4D64YZEbF
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Title :
a new community of biohackers
Description : For some people, the human body isn’t a temple. Instead they see it as a source of frustration thanks to the considerable limitations com...
Rating :
5