From: Charles Hixson (charleshixsn@earthlink.net)
Date: Mon Jul 28 2003 - 15:51:13 MDT
Brett Paatsch wrote:
> Just finished reading "I, CYBORG", by Kevin Warwick.
>
> ...
> I would be interested to hear what others think of
> Warwick's claims to have been the first cyborg and
> ...
>
> Brett Paatsch
Perhaps "cyborgness" should be considered a graduated phenomena rather
than a flip-flop. This would put the first people to wear furs to stay
warm at the most primitive level of cyborg.
OTOH, a person with a pace-maker is definitely more of a cyborg than a
guy with an implanted tracker. (Cyborg: Cybernetic Organism.
Cybernetic from the Greek steersman. ref.: Norbert Weiner.)
So far nobody is very far along the path towards a cyborg, because we
don't have the technology. Closest are those in iron lungs, those
wearing pace-makers, etc. Eyeglasses would also count, though more
primitively. I take off my glasses to read a book, put them on to read
a computer screen, and change pairs to see things at a distance. At
each range the appropriate choice steers my vision into focus. If we
look at the history of the word, it has meant something that makes the
individual melded with the mechanical steersman more capable of doing
things. It hasn't been about making it easier for outside forces to
control him (though that has often been an obvious side effect).
-- -- Charles Hixson Gnu software that is free, The best is yet to be.
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