Technological progress involves a lot of human casu alties. Don't believe? Look at the statistics: the number of deaths in car accidents is much higher than the number of deaths due to falling from a horse. Modern man is surrounded on all sides by killer machines: from hair dryers in the bathroom to TVs that can explode.
Science fiction writers solved this problem a long time ago: in order not to be afraid of cars, you need to become an automaton yourself. By the way, a cyborg man may well become a reality in the near future. After all, progress does not stand still. Cyborg - who is this? Let's find out.
They are among us
So, for many, the cyborg is Robocop, Terminator and other heroes from the screen. Let's remember the brightest and most iconic of them.
Terminator (T800 model). This well-known cyborg was played by Arnold Schwarzenegger. His famous "I'll be back" and "Hasta la vista, baby" are known to everyone, even those who have never watched the saga. The film was a huge success, soThe authors removed more than one sequel. And even in 2015, the next part of the "Terminator" is planned.
Robocop is a cyborg cop. According to the scenario, it was produced by the OSR company, and Alex Murphy, an employee of the police department, served as the basis. The film was made in 1987 and remake was released in 2014.
Another acclaimed painting is "Universal Soldier" of Van Damme's cyborg versus Lundgren's cyborg.
But still, the very first real cyber-man in the movie was not the Terminator or RoboCop, as you might think, but a snuffling and whistling character from Star Wars. This is Anakin Skywalker, or rather what is left of him, enclosed in a special life-support suit. It was he who paved the way for all the other "brothers" in the big cinema. The cult series "Doctor Who" also tells about the uprising of cyborgs who came from the 10th planet of the solar system.
However, the cinema is not the only arena for cyber people. They can be found in large numbers in the world of fighting (computer games) - "Mortal Kombat", "Soul Calibur" and others. Also today, all kinds of constructors, toys, figurines, etc. are very popular. For example, Lego cyborgs.
Terminology
Let's deal with the term. In the conventional sense, a cyborg is a bionic person, i.e. creature with a mechanical body. This term appeared somewhere in the early 60s. The word "cyborg" (cyborg) contains two concepts. The first is cybernetic (cybernetic), the second is organism (organism). This term means "living organism",which has been improved with special mechanical devices.
Technological progress has its own peculiarity: the desire for minimalism. So, large landline phones have turned into small mobile phones that we carry with us every day. Players, watches, phones, tablets - today a person without them is like without hands. Thus, man and technology evolve together. And it is quite possible that sooner or later this will be the beginning for real cyborgs.
Fake, by the way, already exist today. These are people who wear dentures, pacemakers, titanium plates on bones, hearing aids, contact lenses and ceramic teeth, after all. Now imagine that somewhere there is a person who has all this installed at the same time. Isn't it a cyborg?
Today, such a person is more of a disabled person than a screen superhero. So far, implantable devices only compensate for the shortcomings, but over time, the situation will change. This can lead to an increase in the physical capabilities of a person.
Robot or cyborg
Cyborg - who is this? A living organism in which mechanical devices are built? Or a robot that contains biological components? Initially, a cyborg was called a person who was on the verge of dying. All mechanical devices served him as a substitute for what he lacked due to certain circumstances. Technical implants of arms, legs, internal organs, etc. Today, even purebred robots, who have never even been people before, have come to be called cyborgs. For example, terminators from the saga of the same name. But it's still wrong.
Terminators (T800, for example) and others like him are machines, robots. Cyborgs are, first of all, people, living biological beings. Therefore, calling the terminator a cyborg is not correct. The word "android" would be more appropriate here.
Limbs
Over the past 50 years, humanity has advanced far in the field of organics. Today it is possible to replace up to 60% of the human body. The highest achievements are in the field of creating artificial limbs. The innovation was the creation of the i-Limb bionic prosthesis by Touch Bionics. This device is able to read muscle signals from the remaining limb and interpret the movements that a person is trying to make.
The most breakthrough invention is considered to be an artificial limb, presented by the Defense Technology Agency (DARPA). The peculiarity of this prosthesis is that you can control it mentally! The device is connected to the muscle tissue, thereby reading brain impulses. This, of course, is not the only development in this area. But they all have one common fat minus: high cost and difficulty in operation.
Bones
This is by far the easiest replacement for anything in the body. Most often, artificial bones are made of titanium. However, since 3D printing has become widely used, high-precision plastic elements have also been used.
Developments are in full swing to strengthen the skeleton. Scientists develop new technology: reinforcementconcrete bone with titanium powder and polyurethane foam. This should allow the porous structure of the implant to overgrow with bone tissue, which in turn will lead to a strengthening of the skeleton. It is not yet known whether these developments can be successfully completed and find practical application, but the idea is worth it.
Organs
Artificially reproducing human internal organs is much more difficult than bones or limbs. However, progress does not stand still here. The furthest advance in medicine has been in the field of creating an artificial heart. And every day this technology is getting better. Scientists predict the imminent creation of artificial eyes and kidneys. There are successes in working with the liver. However, this is only development so far.
Explorations of the intestines, bladder, lymphatic system, spleen and gallbladder are planned soon. And what about the most important and complex organ of the human body?
Brain
This is perhaps the most difficult task. There are two stages here. The first is the creation of artificial intelligence. The second is the reproduction of the structure of the brain itself. Engineers with the help of computer technology are tirelessly trying to replicate the neural network of the human thought organ. However, they are far from the brain. For example, the Spaun software simulator projected in 2.5 hours what our main organ reproduces in 1 second. Another project called SyNAPSE can model about 530 billion neurons, thus 1500 times behind the brain.
Howevercreating a neural network is far from everything. She needs to be made to "think". Those. create artificial intelligence. At this stage it is still empty. There are small advances in Apple - the so-called Siri. But that's all. In general, many scientists raise doubts that at this stage of development, humanity is capable of something like this.
Cyborg - is it real?
So, how close is humanity to creating a real cyborg with a living brain and a metal body? You can answer this: in the next twenty years, this is hardly technologically possible.
There is an opinion that in the future cyborgs with an artificially grown body in the laboratory, and not a metal one, are possible. Such "people" will have improved abilities. But what should they be called then?
But still, the main reason is the unwillingness of people to accept the existence of cyber-humans. Remember how hard it was for society to get used to the idea of cloning. Some believe that this is unnatural and contrary to the will of the Creator. Others are shackled by fear for their future, representing the rise of the cyborgs and the complete annihilation of all life. Of course, this idea has many supporters. But it will likely take more than a decade for social and religious divisions to subside.
Today, the development of biotechnology is at an early stage. Therefore, it is difficult to even imagine what a cyborg of the future will be like. But one thing is clear that the famous cyborg cop will remain a film director's fantasy, which is not destined to be embodied inlife.
