Critical Annotated Webliography Q1 - Cheyenne

Question 1: Cyborgs are hybrid entities that are neither wholly technological nor completely organic, which means that the cyborg has the potential not only to disrupt persistent dualisms [in language and thought]…but also to refashion our thinking’. (Balsamo). Drawing on current scholarly work, discuss ways in which the cyborg is still a transgressive figure.

I search the sources that I used in my Webliography by using the Google searching engine. Since Cyborg is a hybrid of human and machine and it is a topic that combines with many things with creation, fiction, future and technology. I used many articles, which contain scientists’ and inventors’ ideas. I focus on searching like “Cyborg”, “Cybernetic Organism” and names of scholars, who has mentioned in some articles.

Cyborg is a unity of human and machine. It shows up in science fiction and films in often. Can cyborg really force rethinking of binary opposition? According to “Transhumanist Values” from philosopher Nick Bostrom who is a leading thinker of the idea “Transhumanism”, he claimed tranhumanism is not only a movement to advocate the technology will bring advantages and disadvantages to human in the future. Also, need to find out how to make a better life for people. According to Bostrom’s version of Transhumanism, he expects technology can be used to amplify our intellectual capacity and improve our physical capabilities to transcend our frail bodies with all limitations. A new human being will be appearing in a new form of life. The quality and ability of this kind of “human” will be evolved to a advanced level and we will not able to classify them as Humans purely and simply anymore.

"Reinventing Humanity - The Future of Human-Machine Intelligence” by a scientist and inventor Ray Kurzweil said in one of his comprehensive archive of works. Professor Kurzweil thinks a radical evolution of the human species is coming in the next 40 years and expects technology will bring the “Singularity” comes faster. According to his definition, “Singularity is a future period during which the pace of technological change will be so fast and far-reaching that human existence on this planet will be irreversibly altered.”(Kurzweil, 2006), professor Kurzweil said there will be no distinction between human and machine or between physical and virtual reality in the world at that time, because of development of machine intelligence, rapid innovation in gene research and nanotechnology. He forecasts the revolutions will allow us to transcend our frail bodies with all limitations. Through the use of nanotechnology, we will be able to slow down the process of aging to live as long as we choose and solve many of our biggest threats, like environmental destruction, poverty, and disease and world hunger. He thinks integration of human and machine is occurring. We can see this in the field of biotechnology obviously, such as many DNA and genres experiments in recent years.

"Space historian sees Cyborgs in our future” mentions a space historian, Roger Launius in her article. Himes referred his point-of-view on cyborg to spread some questions for readers to think about the relationship between human and space. Launius believes it will become an important role in space exploration in the future. He added cyborg can do some works that human or machine can not do. Because of that, Launius believes that our fantasy in science fiction will come true. Even now, He sees that we have already begun the transformation and may already be Cyborgs, which people based on whether they use something to assist a function. For example, People wearing glasses, hearing aids, carrying around MP3 players and sporting hip and knee replacements, using handheld mobile phones, etc. Different with another article "Cybernetic Organism: Cyborg Pride and Culture”, the author has different aspects for the definition about “Cyborg”. Anzies analyzed some examples to strengthen his thoughts about Cyborg. He commented cyborg as a biological entity, which has had a machine, computer and internal attachment attached to them to assist them in some way, such as artificial leg and joints that the original organic part is being replaced with an inferior part. On the other hand, hearing aid, cane and eyeglasses these kinds of external attachments would not make a human being to cyborg, because they do not change a person's body structure. Anzies believes despite cyborgs are the beings that have to rely on machines to function and cyborg is a still a living being because it has its own will and can function. Cyborg is not only a human or machine and it is kind of transgressive figure.

Is there any real example of “cyborg”? Professor Kevin Warwick has made the answer. In his article “Cyborg 1.0”, he defines cyborg as a unity of machine replaced organism of human. With his conception, he made himself became the first “Cyborg” in the world. In August 1998, he inserted a silicon chip in his forearm and connected himself to a computer. He could operate daily commodities without moving. Four years later, in 2002, he connected his nervous system to a robot to turn himself into a cyborg. The importance stance by Kevin is he also believes humans will become cyborgs and no longer be stand-alone entities. Through the experiment of Warwick, we can see that cyborg is a transgressing figure with human and machine. It is not only a fantasy now and it can be real in our life. Actually, we can see there are quite many cases of merger of man and machine in recent years. Normally, it uses as medical science area, such as artificial body parts, defibrillators and silicon chips. As it is an integration of human and machine, and human is relying on the machine to function in these cases. Human is not a pure human because the machine becomes a part or an organism of him/her body.

Through the above readings and scholarly works, all scholar also thinks “cyborg” is the trend of future and merge of human and machine is practicable. I believe in our future, “Cyborg” is not only a science fiction in books or films. It will be a real and very common. The boundaries between human and robot will be disappearing. Also, human will has strong bodies as robot and smart intelligence. Human can live for a long period of time and with no diseases. Moreover, Cyborg will take parts of our life and become as helpers for our use. Technology development will be made people is no longer as a pure human being. With the development of biotechnology, nanotechnology and robotics technology, human will be merged into a non-Biological intelligent artificial beings and a Biological human beings finally – “Cyborg”.

References

Anzia. M. “Cybernetic Organism: Cyborg Pride and Culture” associated.com. 5 Nov, 2007. Accessed 6 March 2009.
<http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/439572/cybernetic_organism_cyborg_pride_and.html?cat=15>.


Bostrom.N. “Transhumanist Values” nickbostrom.com. 2003. Accessed 5 March 2009.
<http://www.nickbostrom.com/ethics/values.html>.


Himes.S. “Space historian sees Cyborgs in our future” 15 Feb,2007. Accessed 5 March 2009.
<http://ahs.keoleian.com/2007/02/space_historian_sees_cyborgs_i.html>.


Kurzweil.R. “Reinventing Humanity - The Future of Human-Machine Intelligence” kurzweilai.net. 15 Feb,2007. Accessed 5 March 2009.

<http://www.kurzweilai.net/meme/frame.html?main=/articles/art0635.html>.


Warwick.K. “Cyborg 1.0” wired.com. Feb 2000. Accessed 5 March 2009.
<http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/8.02/warwick.html?pg=1&topic=&topic_set=>.