How is cibernetice of mankind?

whether to Make technology a better person?

Let's be honest — the human body in its original form, is adapted exclusively for on our home planet. Even if life expectancy in the future increase significantly, hardly a century members of our species will Shine with health and more to surf the cosmic expanse. But, in this case, to extend the very existence of our civilization, especially in view of the many facing humanity? The answer probably lies in the merging of machines and humans. The constantly increasing speed of technology development and neurobiology in conjunction with the creation of supercomputers, improved body parts and artificial limbs paves the way to merge man and machine. It is not excluded that we will witness the formation of the cyberpunk era. But what will people of the future?

After the second world war the population of our planet continues to grow. However, around 1945 the world has witnessed a technological revolution. This means that humanity has moved on to technology and is built on a fundamentally new scientific ideas. We have replaced hand tools, machine, atomic energy of steam, learn to apply laser technology has created computers and the Internet. So, over the last 60 years there have been more scientific discoveries than in the previous century. Exciting, isn't it?

Sick, crazy world

Still, before you marvel at human genius, you may want to put into question the benefits of the technological revolution. It was an American mathematician and terrorist . In his account of the lives of three people, and he became famous thanks to its campaign on sending bombs in the mail. From 1978 to 1995, Kaczynski sent 16 bombs to universities and airlines, for which he was widely known as the Unabomber. Most interesting is that despite a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia made by him after his arrest, Kaczynski was not pleaded insane. As a result, he appeared in court and pleaded guilty. A mathematician is serving a life sentence in one of prisons of the United States. Not so long ago, the world saw the mini-series , which tells about the events of those years. But what turned the scientist into a terrorist and what he wanted to achieve?

Theodore Kaczynski grew up in a not quite usual child. So, at the age of 16 he was enrolled in Harvard University, received a bachelor's degree and later a doctorate in mathematical Sciences at the University of Michigan. In 25 years, Kaczynski became a senior lecturer at the University of California at Berkeley, but two years later resigned and moved to a cabin without electricity or running water, where he lived until the arrest. April 24, 1995, Kaczynski sent to publishing his Manifesto, titled "Industrial society and its future", also known as the Manifesto of the Unabomber. In their work, Kaczynski promised to stop the terrorist attack, if society would heed his words about the dangers of science and technology . According to mathematics, the development of technology will inevitably lead to the restriction of rights and freedoms. One of the most famous quotes of Kaczynski's Manifesto are as follows:

Imagine a society that subjects people to conditions that make them terribly unhappy, then gives them the drugs to take away their unhappiness. Science fiction? This is already happening to some extent in our own society. It is known that the rate of clinical depression had been greatly increasing in recent decades. We believe that this is due to disruption of the power process…

the photo of Ted Kaczynski during the arrest.

The entertainment industry serves as an important psychological tool of the system, possibly even when it is dishing out large amounts of sex and violence. Entertainment serve modern man as a forced rescue. Carried away by TV, video games, etc., he forgets the stress, anxiety, frustration, dissatisfaction.

Agree, pretty hard to say that these are the words of a madman. Not surprisingly, after reading the work of the Unabomber and his followers, including such critics of technology and industrialization as John Zerzan, Herbert Marcuse, Fredy Perlman etc. In General, Kaczynski believed scientific and technological progress as the greatest tragedy on Earth and urged us to abandon further development of the technology. If you do not take into account the brutal way of conveying their ideas to the public, the Unabomber was right in the fact that despite the rapid progress and development , we remain a people who are characterized by mistakes, aggression, rivalry and other not the most pleasant quality.

This fact was much troubled by one of the most prominent scientists of the twentieth century, astronomer . In his book , the scientist speculates about the rapid development of technology, the threat of nuclear war, the future of science and society, as well as the rights and freedoms of the individual. However, most of Sagan was worried about the fact that we enjoy the gifts of modern civilization did not really understand how they work. We live in a world in which not every driver understands how and why his car rides, not to mention awareness of the work computersthe Internet, smartphones and other devices. No need to be a genius to understand how can be such a world. Meanwhile, the technological future is rapidly approaching. Some experts believe that within 50 years, robots will surpass human intelligence, and the people themselves will come to unite with machines. We are all the same Homo Sapiens, prone to errors, mistakes and neglect freedom. Perhaps it is neither good nor bad, just that is our nature. But when it comes to the technological future, and cyborgs, not to forget about the threats that we imagine for ourselves. After all, nothing is unambiguous.

the Fruits of scientific and technological revolution

Devices that were on the body, is currently implementing in the body, resulting in a class of these , which demonstrate a number of skills beyond the skills of ordinary people. There are cyborgs who can see color when they hear sounds, others have the ability to detect magnetic fields, some have a telephoto lens or implantable computers, to control the heart rhythm, as well as use the thoughts to a computer or to control robotic arms. All of what you just read is not science fiction. The events described are happening now and will evolve in the future.

it is possible that to implement brain implants surgically do not need

However, the revolutionary discovery was the work of Israeli scientists, which was published in the journal . In it the researchers talk about creating an implant that will allow people to remember much more information. According to scientists the human memory is fragile and unreliable, especially in an era of overabundance of information. As expected, various auxiliary devices are abundant, but they work indirectly and people have to attempt to memorize large amounts of data.

In my work team announces the creation of a working prototype of a simplified random access memory (RAM) size is 4 KB, which information can be recorded or read by the power of thought. It should be noted that this is the first of its kind truly revolutionary work, because the RAM — it's a prototype chip for more memory, which does not need to implant in the brain. It is sufficient to attach it to the neck of a non-invasive way. And despite the fact that the amount of RAM at the moment is only 4 KB, the scientists were able to understand the mechanism of creation of such devices. During the work experts have created a device that detects electrical activity in the brain (EEG), writes the resulting data to a special RFID tag, reads the information and displays it on the display. As a result, in addition to increasing the amount of memory in the future RAM will be able not only to significantly improve the lives of people suffering from neurodegenerative diseases, but will also allow you to record other people's memories, which can later be read. Agree, it opens the door to a completely different reality and making the Union of man and machine less dangerous than it is today.

Modern cyborgs — who are they?

Almost two years ago, Dennis Degray sent an unusual text message to his friend: "You hold in your hands the very first text message, sent by the neurons of one mind on the mobile device of the other." The fact that the lower part of the body of 66-year-old Dennis a Degree was paralyzed after a bad fall more than a decade ago. However, in 2016 he was able to send a message to my friend with two tiny squares of silicon with protruding metal electrodes that were implanted in his motor cortex — part of the brain that controls . They record the activity of neurons to translate external actions. Imagining the movement of the joystick arm, Degra can move the cursor to select letters on the screen. So, he bought the products on Amazon and operated the robotic arm for stacking blocks.

The Implant, which was ruled by Degree, were implanted with him in the program — long-term research in the United States for the development and testing of new Neurotechnology aimed at restoring communication, mobility and independence. Surgically implants received more than a few dozen people worldwide who have lost limbs as a result of an accident or neurodegenerative diseases. However, despite the fact that the introduction of brain implants to become a reality, it is a complex procedure that is performed on an open brain. Moreover, the system is not wireless — from the skull of the patient sticking the socket on which the wires transmit the signal to the computers for decoding using machine learning algorithms. Tasks that you can perform, and how well they can be done are limited because the system records from a few dozen to a few hundred neurons out of approximately 88 billion.

BrainGate Implants look so

However, no matter how stunning did not seem Degrey and other participants of the program their new, almost telepathic abilities, it won't last forever. Scar tissue reaction of the brain to damage caused by inserting the device gradually accumulates on the electrodes, which leads to a gradual decrease in signal quality. And when the research session, which take placetwice a week, runs out, the device will be disabled. But this is only the beginning. Supported BrainGate and other companies and well-known entrepreneurs, researchers trying to develop a new generation of commercial equipment, which ultimately could help not only people with disabilities but to all of us. While some companies, including those engaged in non-invasive versions, others are working on systems of wireless neural implants.

In July, Elon Musk, better known as the CEO of the company for the production of electric cars Tesla and SpaceX head, presented the details of implantable wireless system, which builds his company . According to Mask, Neuralink tested on monkeys, and it is hoped that human trials will begin before the end of 2020. Today Neuralink has received funding in the amount of 158 million dollars. Despite the fact that the implant has the same size as the device in the brain Degree, he has much more of the electrodes, which means that it can record the activity of many more neurons. According to the Mask, the procedure will be more similar to laser eye surgery than brain surgery. Whatever it was, medical problems are the driving force behind the development of the device, however, the head of SpaceX is also concerned by the threat posed .

A Mask Competition are going to be such companies as in silicon valley. While none of the three companies does not see non-medical solutions in the short term, but argues that the technology of the implants can gradually spread to the population of the planet as a whole, when people begin to understand how changing the world is like a machine and a human. It must be noted that the background Neuralink and implant BrainGate, the device is RAM, created by Israeli scientists looks like the beginning of an era of safe cybernization.

Cause for concern

While the creation of high-tech prostheses, and exoskeletons is not threatening the life and liberty of a society, creating technologies that power of the mind can be controlled by the computer and machines raises concerns. According to the publication , according to the report of the Royal society of the UK, the public should have a clear voice in shaping how the technology of neural interfaces will be used and adjusted in the coming years. One of the problems is the confidentiality of the data, but to worry about what the implants will reveal the most intimate secrets too early — today they record information from very small areas of the brain associated mainly with the movement and require mental effort of the user.

Who will dispose of the information recording device?

However, questions remain. Who owns the data users brain implants and what are they used for? A "brainstorming" when a third party may obtain control over the system and change it so that the person has not given consent is rooted in reality and not in . In an example, the cases are not hacking pacemakers. Further ethical issues relate to control — if the brain implant doesn't meet your intentions, to what extent do you, as a user of the device, are responsible for what has been "said" or done? And how can you ensure that if the technology proves successful and profitable, it will be able to access all people and not just billionaires and the military?

According to some researchers, we still have a few years to properly consider the issues raised. Many experts expect will be available for people with neurodegenerative diseases or disabilities within five or 10 years. For non-medical use of longer — maybe in 20 years. And given the speed of modern technological development and in particular artificial intelligence, perhaps we should all listen to the critics of scientific-technical progress and to make certain conclusions.