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CyborgImage:7of9.jpg The term cyborg, a portmanteauof cyberneticorganism, is used to designate an organism which is a mixture of organicand mechanical (synthetic) parts. Generally, the aim is to add to or enhance the abilities of an organismby using technology.
OverviewThe concept of a man-machine mixture was widespread in science fictionbefore World War II. Edmond Hamiltonpresented space explorers with a mixture of organic and machine parts in his novel "The Comet Doom" in 1928. He later featured the talking, living brainof an old scientist, Simon Wright, floating around in a transparent case, in all the adventures of his famous hero, Captain Future. In the short story "No Woman Born" in 1944, C. L. Moorewrote of Deirdre, a dancer, whose body was burned completely and whose brain was placed in a faceless but beautiful and supple mechanical body. The term was created by Manfred E. Clynesand Nathan S. Klinein 1960 to refer to their conception of an enhanced humanbeing who could survive in extraterrestrialenvironments. Their concept was the outcome of thinking about the need for an intimate relationship between human and machine as the new frontier of space explorationwas beginning to take place. A designer of physiologicalinstrumentation and electronic data-processing systems, Clynes was the chief research scientist in the Dynamic Simulation Laboratory at Rockland State Hospital in New York. According to some definitions of the term, the metaphysicaland physical attachments humanityhas with even the most basic technologies have already made us cyborgs. In a typical example, a human fitted with a heart pacemakermight be considered a cyborg, since s/he is incapable of surviving without the mechanical part. As a more extreme example, clothingcan be seen as a cybernetic modification of skin; enabling us to survive in drastically different environments by constructing things that aren't naturally existing in those environments. A notepad can be seen as rudimentary memory augmentation. Indeed, our neurology is extensively modified during the process of learning skills in the operation of machinery (such as the reflexes developed in learning, and continuing, to drive a motor vehicle). The boundary blurs even more when controlled fireor agricultureare thought of as modifications to our digestion processes. (See "Beyond the Body," below.) This is not a common use of "cyborg" in science fiction, but it is an accepted use in cyberneticsystems theory. In the feministthinking of Donna Harawaythe cyborg becomes a starting metaphor for exploring ways of breaking down the nature/culture binary. She demonstrates how the desire to separate these two aspects of the world is becoming increasingly difficult and attempts to utilise this confusion of borders in order to create new ways of acting politically. This line of thought is known as cyborg theory. The term fyborg (a portmanteau of "functional" and "cyborg") was coined by Alexander Chislenkoto differentiate between the cyborgs of science fictionand the everyday ways humans extend themselves using technologies such as contact lenses, hearing aids, and mobile phones. James Litten coined the term cyborgation to describe the action or process of becoming a cyborg. A 1972science fictionnovel by Martin Caidintitled Cyborg told the story of a man whose damaged body parts are replaced by mechanical devices. This novel was later adapted into a TV series, The Six Million Dollar Man, in 1973. A book titled Cyborg: Digital destiny and human possibility in the age of the wearable computer was published by Doubledayin 2001. Some of the ideas in the book were incorporated into the 35mm motion picture film Cyberman. Isaac Asimov's short story "The Bicentennial Man" explored cybernetic concepts. The central character is NDR, a robot who begins to modify himself with organiccomponents. His explorations lead to breakthroughs in human medicinevia artificial organsand prosthetics. By the end of the story, there is little physical difference between the body of the hero, now called Andrew, and humans equiped with advanced prosthetics, save for the presence of Andrew's artificial positronic brain. Asimov also explored the idea of the cyborg in relation to robots in his short story "Segregationist", collected in The Complete Robot. Today, the C-LEG system is used to replace human legsthat were amputated because of injury or illness. The use of sensors in the artificial leg aids in walking significantly. These are the first real steps towards the next generation of cyborgs. Cybernetic organism, beyond an individualGenerally, the term "cyborg" is used to refer to a man or woman with bionic, or robotic, implants. More broadly, the full term "cybernetic organism," is used to describe larger networks of communication and control.For example, cities,networks of roads, networks of software, corporations, markets, governments, and the collection of these things together. A corporation can be considered an artificial intelligence that makes use of replaceable human components to function. People at all ranks can be considered replaceable agents of their functionally intelligent government institutions, whether such a view is desirable or not. The prefix "cyber" is also used to address human-technology mixtures in the abstract- this can include things that aren't normally considered to be technology. Pen and paper, for example, as well as speech, language. Augmented with these technologies, and connected in communication with people in other times and places, a person becomes capable of much more than they were before. This is like computers, which gain power by using Internetprotocols to connect with other computers. Cybernetic technologies include highways, pipes, electrical wiring, buildings, electrical plants, libraries, and other infrastructure that we hardly notice, but which are critical parts of the cyberneticsthat we work within. ExamplesNon-fiction
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de:Cyborg es:Cyborg fr:Cyborg it:Cyborg ru:?????? nl:Cyborg ja:????? pl:Cyborg fi:Kyborgi sv:Cyborg zh:??? Categories: Humans| Portmanteaus| Fictional technology| Robotics| Biotechnology| Implants
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