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Week 12 [18.06-24.06.2018] How we`ll become cyborgs and extend human potential

Humans will soon have new bodies that forever blur the line between the natural and synthetic worlds, says bionics designer Hugh Herr. In an unforgettable talk, he details "NeuroEmbodied Design," a methodology for creating cyborg function that he's developing at MIT, and shows us a future where we've augmented our bodies in a way that will redefine human potential -- and, maybe, turn us into superheroes. "During the twilight years of this century, I believe humans will be unrecognizable in morphology and dynamics from what we are today," Herr says. "Humanity will take flight and soar."
https://embed.ted.com/talks/hugh_herr_how_we_ll_become_cyborgs_and_extend_human_potential

Questions:


1) What do you think about this video?

2) Do you like the idea of extending human abilities by adding/replacing body parts with robotic ones?

3) Would you like “upgrade” your body, maybe to become a full cyborg?

Comments

I think that it's a kind of science-fiction topic in the video above. Honestly, there are so many abstruse words that i can't even understand their meanings. Without hesitation i would say that i don't like the idea of extending human abilities by adding or replacing body parts with robotic ones. We are living still on Earth and there is no need to do it. I like my body and if it is not about war, i can't imagine my body upgrading to full cyborg.
Vladlen Kyselov said…
That`s interesting point of view, for me nowadays robotizing body is a way to help elder or disabled people. But if in the future there will appear some kind of robotic parts for usual human body, I would think about "upgrade"))
Unknown said…
I think that in a sense we already do it. For now it's just for medical reasons - there are a lot of artificial body transplants, like for damaged limbs etc. I think that generally it will not be a norm for people to modify their bodies - we don't like such invasive methods if they are not necessary.
Maybe if such improvements would come in a form of medications, for example "strength pills" then they would be probably much more popular.
Iman Masjedi said…
It was a great video, I've always been interested in robotic technologies.
In my opinion, the human body and human abilities increase with the help of robots. One of the advantages of robots is the lack of sneezing problems, such as muscle and skin problems.
Each telecommunication that is available in the world has problems and disadvantages, which, as time passes, reveals their drawbacks and limitations. The use of robot technology in the human body still has a long way to go.
Unknown said…
1. I think that this is very surprising as the cultivation of organs in flasks.
2. I did not want to remove my foot to try myself as a cyborg. But the idea that you can’t just use a mechanical limb as a support, but also feel this limb as a part of yourself, is a great progress.
3. No, my body suits me. And I think that the body of a cyborg does not solve the problem of aging and dying, so I will be happy to live in my body.
Vladlen Kyselov said…
I don`t think that pills are some kind of robotizing your body it`s just a doping and lots of sportsmen already using it if i understood the phrase "strength pills" correctly
Vladlen Kyselov said…
I am absolutely agree with that there is still a massive work to be done to possible upgrading our body with robotic parts to make it valuable for us.
Vladlen Kyselov said…
I guess that nowadays it`s just a question of support for disabled people.
I think that potential of cyborg body is not discovered even at 5% of it`s possible result, maybe it will be possible to replace heart with mechanic one and implement some repairable parts that will allow us to live as long as we want.
Unknown said…
As a child I liked to see the terminator very much. I always wanted to have a mechanical hand that turns into a weapon. But I also remember that after this film I was afraid of airplanes and sunrise because it was associated with the nuclear explosion that was in the film. Now I don't want to have a mechanical hand but the exoskeleton is nice. From what I read, we are getting closer to a practical exoskeleton. Exoskeleton is similar to armor but it doesn’t protect you but it makes you stronger. I think it will replace wheelchair. I always liked it in star wars when Luke got a new mechanical hand when he lost his own. I would like to have some superpowers or armor like Ironman.
Vladlen Kyselov said…
Having a robotic suit is also some kind of extending human abilities with machine so I think a lot of people would like to have one. I am the fan of cyborgs and as soon as it will proven that replacing your body with mechanic one is safe I will give it a try.
Filip Sawicki said…
Becoming a cyborg is inevitable, however we aren’t there yet. I like the idea of extending human abilities or prolonging life, but as with everything it has its own dangers. Right now this technology allows disabled people to function normally, which is a huge achievement already. In the future I think I would like to upgrade my body, but surely not to the level of becoming a full cyborg.
Illia Kalinin said…
It's a nice video with some new information for me. I love the idea, but there are a few things that may turn it wrong : cyborg-hackers or a new kind of robbers. etc. Until it is not fully tested the answer is no.
Unknown said…
Well, I'm upgrading my body anyway, buy training hard, so I dont think I would really like to make my body uglier(I think that it's quite beautiful). So no, that's not what im interested in
I really liked the video! It's great! Very interesting! Immediately you feel that the fantasy of computer games and books is happening next to us. A little more and we will be in the future. At the moment I'm not interested in replacing any of my body parts with artificial ones. But I can't deny that I will not think about it in the future. Undoubtedly, this technology will help people with various problems and diseases. Perhaps in some professions, it will also be useful.
Patryk Górski said…
1) What do you think about this video?

It was great, but it had also very futuristic approach - I like it.

2) Do you like the idea of extending human abilities by adding/replacing body parts with robotic ones?

Yes, I think that this is the future. But then, what about sports? Sport will become useless, because it will be about better parts of your body, and it leads to money.

3) Would you like “upgrade” your body, maybe to become a full cyborg?

I don't know, it's hard to tell something about it. Maybe yes, maybe no.
The problem with these talks, and with this science in general, is that there are basic assumptions still not questioned. Primarily, an assumption that biology and neurology follow the same digital, polychotomous, that our machines do. But because we impart our intuition upon the world, instead of being able to do the opposite. we tend to believe that our nervous system is somehow matchable with digital action.

The verge is this: We need to invent analog computers and have a better understanding of physics without the constraints of digitization, THEN we will make that connection we wish for. Until then, we will have this limit of the computer/brain comparability. How do we connect the digital to the analog? The future will not be becoming computers, but to reinvent computers to become analog, and use that new way of computing and electronics in symbiosis with our hijacking of biology, genetics.
Marcin Górski said…
Nowadays, robots are trendy topic. Thanks for your video I can look the other way. It's something strange for me because I'm afraid of replacing people by robots.
I don't like that idea. I know that world is developing very fast and it can be possible in near future but human body is human body, we shouldn't change it.
Last question? Of course not! As I said, I can't imagine that I hope that will never happen.
Unknown said…
I'm not into Sci-Fi topic, but I think that upgrading body should be only done due to disability to help people live normally. Upgrading someone to become superhuman is in my opinion absurd and ridiculous. It makes many threats and helps terrorism to extend.
Peter Clemenza said…
1) What do you think about this video?
Super cool, the embedding doesn't work, but judging by the title, this guy must have been a master at making up sci-fi stories. I wonder what he tells his wife when she sees him being drunk at 4 am.

2) Do you like the idea of extending human abilities by adding/replacing body parts
with robotic ones?
That's a nice idea. I wonder what part would have been replaced by men most often.

3) Would you like “upgrade” your body, maybe to become a full cyborg?
I would have replaced my arm to a raw metal-robotic denture. Imagine acting like a terminator during parties. Where is John Connor.
Cecylia said…
After watching this video I just have to say “wow”. I have heard of it but I did not know how interesting topic it is. Potential of mechanical limbs is so big and possibilities of being cyborg are impressive and also scary. I would love to have exowings and if I am worried about something, I just can go out and fly somewhere but on the other hand it could be used in military and they could make cyborgs for killing people. Extending human possibilities by using mechanical limbs is really interesting. For example If firefighters had exoskeletons their work would be much easier and faster and more lives could be saved. And I think it is just one of thousand ideas of using such a great technology.

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