What do you see in the future of cybernetics technology?

There are certain individuals who have suffered the complete loss of a limb, such as a traumatic amputation or a congenital disorder. In these cases, a functional prosthesis can be a life-changing boon, but the technology is still very much a work in progress.

Right now we have a long way to go with artificial limbs, although we have made great progress even in the last couple of years. Angel Giuffria has a bionic arm that she uses to even be able to do archery. https://archery360.com/2017/04/11/can-bionic-arm-shoot-bow-yes-beyond-awesome/

In an ideal world, a prosthetic arm would be as flexible and responsive to the user’s intentions as a natural arm—and as appealing as a natural arm, too. In some cases, a prosthetic arm may be as simple as a hook or a pair of tongs, but for those who can afford it, a high-tech prosthetic arm in the future could be a luxury upgrade to a normal human arm. Upgrading parts of your body would become a new form of status symbol that people would pay premium prices for. People might even finance out the procedure like one can now do with the latest models of various cell phones.

For an example upgrade, imagine if you were to upgrade to an extra thumb on your left hand. This would “unlock” many new types of legerdemain and maneuvers previously impossible. London designer Dani Clode created just such a prosthesis, which you can watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1TkiN309_4

Somehow we’ve turned it into this idea of fixing or replacing the human body, and that’s not what a prosthetic does, it extends the wearer’s ability, it extends the wearer’s self. It is an addition to the body.

 

 

This beautiful view of human enhancement is intrinsically Transhumanist, and a big part of the “ethos” of transhumanism, which has to do with transcending the limitations imposed upon one by Nature. Technology broadly has served this function throughout human history, with smartphones today significantly enhancing the abilities of humans who use them.

With additional work on prostheses, you could even perhaps add a third arm on your right side! The arm could be made of bionic flesh with articulated joints, but it would be controlled by your own nerve impulses, thus leaving the rest of your arm to function normally. You could then control the extra arm with your brain, but also with your existing arms. You could move the extra arm like any other limb. Imagine for a moment if you could allow the arm to move on its own. You could let it move in much the same way that a natural arm moves, but even more efficiently. Imagine reaching for the knife in the kitchen and your other hand immediately grabbing an onion to place in front of you. Imagine adding in spices with one arm and vinegar or soy sauce with the other while your third-hand tosses the wok efficiently, rotating everything inside for an even cooking surface area. If enough extra motor power were added to the arm, additional modular components could be added on the end, like say a drill or another very small set of fingers to pick up small screws.

This may sound like comical science fiction today, but much of what people do with their smartphones today might have sounded the same to people 30 years ago. People often follow utility, and if someone made a cybernetic arm that was amazingly good at something they wanted many would buy it.

 

These and many other useful enhancements to the human body are not far off in the future. It is critical that we as Transhumanists not only promote, but celebrate such achievements, and do so very vocally!