This real-life cyborg has an antenna implanted into his skull

Summary

Neil Harbison, a co-founder of the Cyborg Foundation and a cyborg himself, shares his unique experience of integrating technology into his body to overcome color blindness. With the Eyeborg, a device that translates color frequencies into sound, Harbison has been perceiving color audibly since 2004. The technology has not only enhanced his sensory capabilities but also expanded his perception to include infrared and ultraviolet colors. The narrative explores the evolution of societal reactions to his cybernetic enhancements, reflecting the growing acceptance of wearable and implantable tech. Harbison envisions a future where human augmentation is commonplace, with individuals possessing enhanced senses and additional body parts, marking a significant shift towards a cybernetic society.

Takeaways

• 🎼 Neil Harbison, a founder of the Cyborg Foundation, identifies as a cyborg and has a device called the Eyeborg that allows him to hear colors.
• 👀 The Eyeborg translates the frequency of light into sound, giving Neil the ability to perceive colors through a specific note related to the light frequency.
• 💀 Neil underwent surgery in 2004 to have an antenna integrated into his skull, which he feels as part of his body and enhances his sense of being a cyborg.
• 🌈 The Eyeborg has expanded Neil's sensory capabilities beyond normal human range, including the perception of infrared and ultraviolet colors.
• 📡 Neil also has Bluetooth capabilities with the Eyeborg, enabling him to receive colors from different places on the planet.
• 🤖 Professor Kevin Warwick and entrepreneur A. McGraw Stroh are examples of other individuals who have integrated technology into their bodies.
• 🛠️ Dangerous Things, a company founded by A. McGraw Stroh, sells DIY body hacking kits, indicating a growing interest in personal bionic enhancements.
• 🧠 Some gamers use brain stimulators to achieve superhuman focus, showing the crossover of technology into different aspects of life.
• 🔮 Bionics researcher Michael McAlpine predicts that technology will advance to give normal humans advanced capabilities beyond biological limitations.
• 📱 Neil Harbison's experience with the Eyeborg reflects how quickly technology is changing societal perceptions and interactions.
• 🔄 Over the years, public perception of Neil's antenna has evolved from a light to a microphone, a hands-free phone, and now is associated with Google Glass.
• ⏱️ As we progress into the future, it is anticipated that wearable technology will become normalized, followed by an increase in implanted technology and the merging of humans with technology.

Q & A

What is the Cyborg Foundation and who is one of its founders?

The Cyborg Foundation is an organization that advocates for the rights and integration of cyborgs into society. Neil Harbison is one of its founders.

What is Neil Harbison's condition and how does the Eyeborg device help him?

Neil Harbison was born completely colorblind. The Eyeborg device allows him to hear and sense colors by transposing the frequency of light into the frequency of sound, thus giving him a form of color perception.

How has the Eyeborg expanded Neil Harbison's sensory capabilities beyond normal human capability?

The Eyeborg has expanded Neil's sensory capabilities by enabling him to perceive not just visible colors but also infrared and ultraviolet colors, which are beyond the range of normal human vision.

What kind of surgery did Neil Harbison undergo to integrate the Eyeborg?

Neil Harbison underwent a surgery where his head was drilled and an antenna was integrated into his skull, making him feel like a cyborg and giving him a new body part.

How does the Eyeborg's technology relate to the frequency of light?

The Eyeborg's technology is related to the frequency of light as it translates the specific frequency of light into a corresponding note in the audio range, which Neil hears.

What additional feature did Neil decide to include in the Eyeborg?

Neil decided to include Bluetooth in the Eyeborg, which allows him to receive colors from other places on the planet.

Who is Professor Kevin Warwick and what did he do in 1998?

Professor Kevin Warwick is a researcher in the field of bionics. In 1998, he implanted a chip in his arm, which was a radio frequency identification device.

What is the name of the company that sells do-it-yourself body hacking kits?

The company that sells do-it-yourself body hacking kits is called Dangerous Things.

What is the future of bionics according to Michael McAlpine?

According to Michael McAlpine, the future of bionics involves not only repairing impaired capabilities but also enhancing normal human capabilities, potentially giving humans abilities that biology never provided.

How has the social reaction to Neil Harbison's antenna changed over the years?

The social reaction has evolved from thinking it was a light, to a microphone, to a hands-free phone, and currently, people think it's related to Google Glass or that Neil is filming them.

What does Neil Harbison predict for the future regarding technology and human integration?

Neil Harbison predicts that by the 2040s, it will be normal to have technology implanted and to merge humans with technology, uniting cybernetics and organisms.

What is Neil Harbison's current strategy to avoid confrontation with people who think he is filming them?

Neil Harbison is considering moving the sensor of his Eyeborg down to create less confrontation with people who might think he is filming them.