Comments on: Deus Ex: the Eyeborg documentary

By: smb12321

smb12321 — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 05:12:33 +0000

Ian,
I agree that folks won’t chop off limbs. In fact, the ultimate goal is probably to make mechanical parts so “human” that one cannot tell the difference. There will always be that subset wanting to proudly display their hardware but most folks would like eyes, ears, noses and hands that looked normal.

By: smb12321

smb12321 — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 05:09:38 +0000

I am hoping desperately for a breakthrough in eyes. Although it is now under control I have glaucoma that will one day lead to blindness. I am putting a lot of trust in technology and this video really was a shot in the arm!

By: Cybernettr

Cybernettr — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 20:33:46 +0000

Yeah, I didn’t quite understand that comment, and he didn’t elaborate on it, but it certainly sounded rather conspiratorial.

By: Ian Clarke

Ian Clarke — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 19:53:19 +0000

Thanks, Gorden – I enjoyed that. It does make you wonder how our future relationships with GAI will develop, especially when we augment ourselves and the differences lessen.

By: snake0

snake0 — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 20:34:16 +0000

This is two years old.. they said they would have functional firefighter helmets on the market by now, where are they? WHERE

By: Jod

Jod — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 18:38:39 +0000

that was freakin sweet but what’s really scare is those little places that are doing things we have no idea about

By: Gorden Russell

Gorden Russell — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 17:59:59 +0000

Here is something I found for you, Ian, on a short search. It’s from a review found at:

http://where-there-had-been-darkness.blogspot.com/2011/08/roger-zelazny-book-review-halfjack.html

The reviewer said:
“The main character is Jack, a cyborg pilot who usually keeps his cyborg parts covered with a fleshy bodyglove that gives him a human appearance. His girlfriend not only tolerates his cyborg parts, but she kind of likes them. Jack breaks up with her and returns to his ship, where he undresses and interfaces with the computer.”

This little bit of the story was excerpted:
“Blue-and-pink world below him, black sky above, the stars a snapshot snowfall all about, he bade the shuttle pilot goodbye and keyed his airlock. Entering the Morgana, he sighed and set about stowing his gear. His cargo was already in place and the ground computers had transferred course information to the ship’s brain. He hung his clothing in a locker and placed his body glove and hairpiece in compartments.

He hurried forward then and settled into the control web, which adjusted itself about him. A long, dark unit swung down from overhead and dropped into position at his right. It moved slowly, making contact with various points on that half of his body.”

Again, the reviewer:
“They have a conversation, where it seems the ships computer Morgana is a better match for Jack than the human woman had been.”

The final excerpt:
“Several hours later, when they lett orbit, he had already switched off a number of his left-side systems. He was merged even more closely with the vessel, absorbing data at a frantic rate. Their expanded perceptions took in the near-ship vicinity and moved out to encompass the extrasolar panorama with greater than human clarity and precision. They reacted almost instantaneously to decisions great and small.

—It is good to be back together again. Jack.

——I’d say.

Morgana held him tightly. Their velocity built.”

I so admired Zelazny’s style.

By: Gorden Russell

Gorden Russell — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 17:41:01 +0000

Back in the 1980′s there was a Roger Zelazny story titled “Halfjack” published in the magazine Omni. It was damn good. It was such a shame when Zelazny passed at too young an age.

That story should be in a collection, maybe somewhere on the web.

By: Gorden Russell

Gorden Russell — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 17:38:53 +0000

Getting your menu choices on your glove is pretty damn cool. In time you will get a drop down menu when you close your left eye, and you will choose items by left blinking and right blinking — a left squint will select your menu option.

By: Ian Clarke

Ian Clarke — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 17:08:40 +0000

I don’t believe people will ever choose to amputate limbs in order to upgrade to superior prostheses – it will be a gradual process whereby we initially remove our biological weaknesses, then metamorphise our remaining biological matter to ever-improving materials (Ray’s thoughts on this subject are probably my favourite part of ‘The Singularity Is Near’).

Of course, there will be some who resist – not me!