26 February 2010

Transhumanism




Transhumanism is one of my big, mostly non-political interests. I'm fascinated with ideas on how to change humanity in ways that make us smarter, healthier, or just more capable in ways we may not think about. (This has a lot to do with my fascination with Lady Gaga, who's image seems straight out of transhumanist ideals.)

I did not realize how close we are to all kinds of practical transhumanism already, though. Apparently, anyone can now implant an RFID into his/her body, and interface it with electronics, making it impossible for anyone to steal and use the stuff.

Honestly, even though Lepht Anonym leads with the RFID, the far cooler thing comes later when he/she talks about implanting magnets and such to actually be able to sense radiomagnetic fields. I can't explain how useful that kind of sense seems to me, especially in the modern world. In terms of saving electricity, you'd know which devices were still running despite being off, and it would be a constant reminder to unplug things. It would also help keep you from electrocuting yourself while doing small repairs, or keep you from frying your motherboard while you have the case off. (He also put small magnets in his hands to be able to to hold small metal pieces effectively.)

More than anything, it's that the guy did this at home, for just a few hundred euros. That is what lets us know that the future has arrived.

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