The Digital Body

Previously, technology history and progress has been discussed thoroughly, looking at the developments of what technology has been able to achieve with the invention of the internet being one of the biggest break through's. Now however, technology is being used as, and perhaps in replacement of human life and human features.

In 1943, the ENIAC 'Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer', or the first general use computer was made. This was the first one that could be reprogrammed to solve problems in computing. John Mauchly and John Presper Eckert from the University of Pennsylvania invented the machine for the US military. With the progression and development in computing, the ENIAC was no longer needed for computer programming as easier and faster methods were developed, and the power fuelling the ENIAC was eventually shut off in 1955.

< Programmers operate the main control board.

Interface

The point of interaction between a computer/technical device and a person.

There are many different ways a human can come into contact with technology. Computing is one of the main forms of interaction, with not only the internet. Millions of jobs require computing skills to perform correctly, mainly using word documents and printing equipment.

Phones and computing are the most obvious example of interface. More recent developments in interactivity have created new ways in which we can interact with technology for different purposes.
 < Nintendo Wii, using a hand device detected by motion control in order to play games on the console, released in 2006.

 < Oyster card, used for public transport in London, to be inserted into the ticket machine in the replacement of an actual ticket.

< Face recognition. Using developed cameras.

< ATM/cash machines. The machine detects and recognises the pin on your card and cannot be accessed without a 4 digit PIN number.

Could this lead to human life being dependant on technology? 


These are just a few examples of the majority of ways we interact with technology on more or less a daily basis.Technology has been developed and expanded so much in that it can even replace human organs. A pacemaker is a device which replaces the job of the human heart when it fails.One of the key problems with using technology to help human life is the possibility and threat of these devices being hacked and used for the entirely wrong reasons.

We already use technology to chip and track animals. We can also use hearing devices inserted into ears to help with any kid of hearing problems.

Prosthetic limbs have also improved people's lives massively. Although not always entirely technological, the parts are put together using machinery and can sometimes contain it, depending on the limb and the purpose.
A classic example would be from the Star Wars franchise film ''The Empire Strikes Back'' in the infamous 'I am your father' scene where Luke Skywalkers arm is cut off by his own father. You are then shown a new arm made for Luke by the robots of the ship.



The arm is seen to be electronic as sparks fly from it and it makes machinery noises when put to use. In reality, prosthetic limbs are becoming more and more advanced.



The limbs used to be designed to look like normal limbs, to ensure the person had a normal appearance. However research has concluded that other designs make life a lot easier. The most recent discovery has been the 'mind controlled limb': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppILwXwsMng



Cyborg? The concept that human kind and technology have become so closely intertwined that they could possibly morph to form a new kind of life.
References in Popular Culture:

Star Wars
Doctor Who

The idea of 'Cyborgs' has been widely covered in science fiction films, books and general interest. The whole idea of combining life and technology would blur the lines of reality, in that the two definitions would become entwined and be hard to separate. Although it is fascinating to think about and percieve, the idea that it actually could happen is quite frightening, as our way of life could completely change, and most likely will. 30 years ago, it would never have been believed that there would be a hand telephone device which could tell you where you were in the world, and that you could communicate with someone on the other side of the planet in a matter of seconds. The idea of  'cyborgs' and technological humans may seem absurd now, however in another 30 years it may be the complete norm.

Motions of life - what makes us human?

Vitalism: The theory or doctrine that life processes arise from or contain a nonmaterial vital principle and cannot be explained entirely as physical and chemical phenomena.

In other words, we are more than bodies and fluids. We have principles, morals and 'souls'. This separates us from other animals and technology. We have free will and freedom of thought, and something that makes us unique and 'human' which is deeper and more complex than scientific explanation.

Materiliasm: The theory that life needs certain physical matters to survive and develop as a kind.

'Material possessions' often relate to things that are expensive and desired for. However, as humans we need certain things to maintain and develop life. Chemicals, drugs and the need for medical research and developments are extremely important and keeping and maintaining life.

Informationism: The idea that living forms are capable of growing and repairing structures.

The idea and concept that we as humans can reproduce life, as well as being able to create and develop things such as buildings and developments.

One thing technology will (hopefully) never be able to copy off humans is reproduction. Humans created technology, and although technology helps to create other technology, humans are the initial controller.

Cloning  is a method in which can be seen that technology is used as a vital key in reproduction, however unnatural reproduction. The process occurs when an embryo is made in a test tube and inserted into a surrogate mother to continue like a normal pregnancy. Dolly the Sheep was the first ever animal to be successfully cloned, however she died young. This advance in cloning has shown that is it possible, and this could have major affects on the world.

To think that we have developed the technology in order to clone animals, does the idea of cloning people seem so far away? If that becomes possible, what singularity could occur next which will change the way of life even further?

The idea of cloning and creating humans in an unnatural way has been thought of before. There have been many films and basis of popular culture based around the concept of cloning and man-made humans.





Welcome to life - Tom Scott. 

Mind Uploading 

http://minduploadingproject.org/

The concept of 'Mind uploading' involves putting everything in your mind onto a computer device, so you are able to access it at any point. This may sound far-fetched and unrealistic however there has already been research and attempts at doing so. The thought of being able to upload your mind to a computer is odd, would it mean that everything in your head was copied or removed completely? There is the issue of privacy, in that if everything on your mind is physically on a computer, what's to stop it from being shared or hacked?
Does this also mean that theoretically, we could live forever? Even though our bodies die, if your mind is stored, what's to stop it being put in another physical form and technically, you would still be living.
There are a lot of ethical issues that surround this, and will involve a lot of trial and error in research if ever this was a genuine possibility.

Would you want this to happen to you?

If this ever did happen, your mind may be awoken in a different time, where everything and everyone you know has died. This would have a lot of effects on you and you may end up wishing you never underwent this. How would you kill a mind? Deleting?

So, who wants to live forever?

With everything that has been produced in terms of prolonging and maintaining life, is it just an obscure thought to think we could quite literally live forever?

Would you want to live forever? Thinking logically, your body would keep ageing, unless body preservation is progressed or Garnier come up with a better skin tightening cream. There are ethical, economical and social issues which would accompany this. The world would become even more over populated than it already is, if there aren't people dieing as often as there is now. This would lead to over crowding, a shortage of food and products, employment issues and others.

Overall, there may be research projects into this entire concept, however the actual possibility seems to be quite a while in the future. Who knows, you may be reading this blog with your head in a pickled jar in 4083.

http://inventors.about.com/od/estartinventions/a/Eniac.htm