Man and Machine

You ever feel like you are in a rush to get things done? Do you have to rush everywhere in your vehicle? Are you glued to your computer? It seems to me that you are being automated. Automation is the use of control systems that reduce the need of human intervention.

It seems that texting is all the rage these days. Why not not call that person and tell them the news? Is it faster to text them instead? Or more convenient? I'm sure that whoever that you text, you know them pretty well. That being said, you should know their schedule and when you can call them. So why not call them when you can? It seems like the cell phone is doing the talking and not you.

Everyone uses e-mail for job purposes, to check prescriptions on-line, to send resumes, audio and video clips and more. The only real mail we get now is junk mail. There's even junk mail in our e-mail now! Does it really take that long to send real mail once in awhile? The receiver will feel a more personal touch from you and remember it longer than an e-mail.

If you have a vehicle, it's a luxury because of gas prices that fluctuate. I have seen people drive to a store or shop a block away. That's absurd. Americans are getting lazy if you're doing this. Are you really that pressed for time? What's wrong with walking a block or two? And you waste the most gas starting up your vehicle for short trips.

We are all getting less in touch with one another, because machines and electronics are doing all the work. Advancement is technology is great, but at what price? It alienates us and we use our feelings not as much. We are starting to talk less and expressions are being replaced by smilies now....

When you hear talk of cyborgs, are you lost? A cyborg is a cybernetic organism that has both artificial and natural systems. Whether it's internal or external. This is far more advanced than a robot. Robots are programmed to do a limited amount of things, and they need an input of commands to do them. Cyborgs do not need an input of commands, it is a self regulating organism. A cyborg is an organism or could be a mammal. Most people think that the term cyborg applies to mammals. This term can be used for any organism.
Being a full fledged cyborg, like Robocop, T1000, or the Billion-Dollar Man, isn't that far away.

If you have an implanted pacemaker, you are part cyborg. Older people that have hearing devices in their ears have cybernetics ears. Do you have a wireless phone device attached to your ear? Then you are a cyborg. It may not seem like it because of the portrayal of cyborgs on t.v. and films. Those are the extreme versions.

Now there are chips that people can implant in their wrists that has data like your blood type, allergy information, your drivers license, medical history, drug information and more. All the doctor's have to do is scan your wrist, and all the information he needs is instantly there. The C-Leg prosthetic, when attached to a human, is a bionic limb. When you take certain drugs to enhance a specific ability, you are a cyborg for awhile. Don't think so? Think about it. A human body is an organism and if you introduce an artificial system in it, you're a cyborg.
What's scary is that we already live in a cybernetic organism. A city and a network of roads when filled with people is a social cyborg.

I'm pretty sure no-one saw this coming, or was even prepared for this. Have you seen the Terminator films? It focuses on the inevitable, computers taking over the world, dooming humans. I'll bet that will never happen. Since most of us are cyborgs anyway, the human part of us will find a way to stop artificial life from taking over. Still though, we have a lot if information stored on servers, computers and the Internet.

Now in the works are computer interfaces that link up with your eyes, and programs that can be operated with your thoughts. Ever seen those people that depend on life with an iron lung? Sadly, even though they can't leave the table, they are cyborgs. If you are in the hospital and are hooked up to respirators, IV feeding tubes, catheters, or anything else that you have to depend on to live, you are a cyborg. (Albeit a sick one.)

Is it too late? Or are we already complacent?

Gecko Joe, Man and Machine Associated Content