Organic Human

What makes us human beings I ask myself many times, in this ever changing world where ideas and constructs evolve on a decadian stage? With all the advancements in technology from biological, ecological, symbiotic and synthetic integration within or on the human body, what then was once pure flesh and blood may, it seems, soon cease to exist.

With the ever-present risk of pollution in the atmosphere and the cellular modified foods we consume on a daily basis, one begs to question what exactly are going to be the outcomes of these extended biological additions to the human anatomy and physiology over the course of time.

Scientists, technologists, and physicists in the area of materials, and the digital and biological sphere are embracing what is being considered the fourth industrial revolution, where we no longer produce physical components from materials obtained from the land but instead are grown or synthesized in or on the human body. Instead of creating peripheral encapsulations, we have become the core base of scientific exploration. In the human anatomy—though admittedly now being realised by scientists as not fully understood—there are aspects that are just now being realised because of the advancement in technology, and the analytics available have enabled us to determine more interestingly unique and accurate findings.

How, then, does one extend human's existence on a massive scale in a global economy dead-bent on mainly capitalistic gains on an astronomical scale? We can see that the negative outcomes are many:

• oil pollution
• Plastic pollution
• Waste spillage
• Poisonous waterways
• Air pollution
• Food pollution
• Soil pollution
• Noise pollution

And the list goes on and on.

What, then, are human beings to do with all of these external negative factors? Are we to embrace these new scientific paradigms which lead us to become biologically less human than before? It may be argued that because the body is cellular, hence biological, microscopically and digitally there can be a symbiosis between external components and grown or growing components on and in the human form. What then? Do we lose our humanness for extended lifespans or magnified abilities by becoming more robotically engineered? What is the outcome of merging the two or three? Have we ceased to believe we can help change the cause but instead have decided to deal solely with the effects? Have most human beings become global lab rats without knowing that they are? These are questions worth asking I believe.

Pros of Science

I must confess though that there are also pros to science and innovation to mankind. There have been more developments within this decade alone than many of us would have ever dared to believe or deemed possible.

• Prosthetic limbs advancements with robotics technology
• Surgical tools that help detect human interior complication which was not possible before, tools used to assist doctors in some of the most complex and challenging surgeries

The fact is there are many organisations which propose to keep the essence of man's consciousness in stack form. But let's get back to the technology advancements.

Nanobots and Cyborgs

Nanobots are nanomachines, which are artificial mechanical constructs which on a microscopic scale. In today’s world with the advancement of science and technology in various fields, these are used in areas where it was not possible before.

Areas such as the health field to securities. In the Health field, I can see where there can be an advantage for cameras to be inserted into the body, such as veins and arteries so that obstructions can be removed. Where it becomes a bit more cyborg-ish is when these mechanisms are built so as to be implanted into the body for tracking and monitoring purposes unawares. This might seem Sci-Fi-ish, but the fact is, we are there already. The technological advancement is so in our face that in this instance we can’t even see it—literally!

So what are we to do as organic humans? How do we retain the pureness or untainted-ness of the human geno in an ever polluting, biological war relevant world? How does one evolve without becoming biologically enhanced artificially? Do we have the option or is it a case where there is no escape from this so-called inevitability of advancements that are soaring full speed ahead. We are here. No longer do the movies make us imagine the unknown or the what ifs. We are already here.