A lot of human casualties are associated with technological progress. Do not believe? Look at the statistics: the number of deaths in car accidents is much higher than the number of deaths resulting from a fall from a horse. Modern man is surrounded on all sides by killer machines: from hairdryers in the bathroom to televisions that can explode.
Science fiction writers have long solved this problem: in order not to be afraid of cars, one must become an automatic machine himself. By the way, a cyborg man may well become a reality soon. After all, progress does not stand still. Cyborg - who is that? Let's figure it out.
They are among us
So, for many, the cyborg is Robocop, Terminator and other heroes from the screen. Let us recall the most striking and cult of them.
Terminator (model T800). This famous 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, so the authors filmed more than one sequel. And even in 2015, the next part of the “Terminator” is planned.
Robocop is a cyborg cop. According to the script, it was made by the OCP company, and the basis was the officer of the police department Alex Murphy. The film was shot in 1987, and in 2014 its remake was released.
Another widely acclaimed painting is The Universal Soldier: Van Damme's cyborg confronts Lundgren's cyborg.
But still, the very first real cyber-man in the movie was not Terminator or Robocop, as you might think, but a sniffing 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 movie. The cult series Doctor Who also talks about the rebellion of cyborgs who came from the 10th planet of the solar system.
However, cinema is not the only arena for cyber people. They can be found in large numbers in the world of fighting game (computer games) - “Mortal Kombat”, “Soul Calibur” and others. All kinds of designers, toys, figures, etc. are also very popular today. For example, lego cyborgs.
Terminology
We will deal with the term. In the conventional sense, a cyborg is a bionic person, i.e. a creature with a mechanical body. This term appeared somewhere in the early 60s. The word cyborg contains two concepts. The first is cybernetic (cybernetic), the second is the organism (organism). This term means "living organism", which has been improved with the help of 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 daily. Players, watches, phones, tablets - today a person is without them, 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, 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 likely an invalid than a super-hero from the screen. So far, implantable devices only compensate for the shortcomings, but over time the situation will change. This can lead to increased physical abilities of a person.
Robot or cyborg
Who is a cyborg? A living organism in which mechanical devices are integrated? 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 replacement for what he lacked due to various circumstances. Technical implants of arms, legs, internal organs, etc. Today even purebred robots that have never even been human before are called cyborgs. For example, terminators from the saga of the same name. But still this is wrong.
Terminators (T800, for example) and others like him are cars, robots. Cyborgs are, first of all, people, living biological creatures. Therefore, calling the terminator a cyborg is not correct. Here the word "android" will be more appropriate.
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. An innovation was the creation by Touch Bionics of the i-Limb bionic prosthesis . 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 an artificial limb, presented by the Defense Technology Agency (DARPA). The peculiarity of this prosthesis is that it can be controlled mentally! The device connects to muscle tissue, thereby reading brain impulses. These, of course, are not the only developments in this area. But they all have one common fat minus: high cost and complexity in operation.
Bones
At the moment, this is 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.
The development of reinforcing the skeleton is in full swing. Scientists are developing a new technology: reinforcing a specific bone using titanium powder and foamed polyurethane. This should allow the porous structure of the implant to grow with bone tissue, which in turn will lead to a strengthening of the skeleton. It is not yet known whether these developments will be able to successfully complete and find practical application, but the idea is worthwhile.
Organs
Artificially reproducing the internal organs of a person is much more difficult than bones or limbs. However, here progress does not stand still. The most advanced medicine 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, so far this is only a development.
Soon studies of the intestines, bladder, lymphatic system, spleen and gall bladder are planned. And as for the most important and complex organ of the human body?
Brain
This is perhaps the most difficult task. There are two stages. The first is the creation of artificial intelligence. The second is the reproduction of the structure of the brain itself. Using computer technology, engineers tirelessly try to repeat the neural network of the human mental organ. However, they are far from the brain. For example, the Spaun software simulator in 2.5 hours projected what our main organ reproduces in 1 second. Another project called SyNAPSE can simulate about 530 billion neurons, thereby 1,500 times behind the brain.
However, creating a neural network is far from all. It must be made to "think." Those. create artificial intelligence. At this stage, it’s still empty. There are small shifts 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 that.
Is cyborg real?
So, how close is humanity to creating a real cyborg with a living brain and a metal body? The answer is: in the next twenty years, this is hardly technologically possible.
There is an opinion that in the future cyborgs with a body artificially grown in the laboratory, rather than metal, are possible. Such "people" will have improved abilities. But what should they be called then?
But still, the main reason is the unpreparedness of people to accept the existence of cyber people. Remember how hard society got used to the idea of cloning. Some believe that this is unnatural and contrary to the will of the Creator. Others are constrained by fear for their future, representing the rebellion of the cyborgs and the complete destruction of all living things. Of course, there are many supporters of this idea. But most likely it will take more than a decade for social and religious differences to subside.
Today, the development of biotechnology is in its infancy. 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 policeman will remain the imagination of the filmmaker, who is not destined to come true.