Of Chimeras and Cyborgs

In a previous post, I mentioned I believed that software is the inverse of all things organic. So if I took that premise and abstracted with some mathematical heuristics, I get the following equation:

This means that the interaction of technology and biology gives us not annihilation as all those doomsday AI fear-mongers would have us believe, but rather, the collision begets a single entity! Numerologists regard the number 1 as a symbol of creation. It’s pure and strong, much like mother nature. It is an elemental building block.

All of this could very well be part of the next step in our evolution, according to this article about The Rise Of The Biobot: Mixing Biology And Technology. What a great thing, since many people are benefting from the advancements micro and nanotechnologies that can now interact and replace central body functions. Humans are now truly pushing the boundaries of what we consider “cyborgs”, which is a portmanteau for cybernetic organisms.

The article also mentions that the mixing of two systems like this isn’t an entirely new phenomenon. Cyborgs are essentially a new form of chimeras that have long been observed in genetic research. Chimerism range from naturally occurring organisms having both male and female sex organs like this lobster, to this human-pig hybrid created by scientists. Obviously, the latter raises lots of ethical concerns, and the same concerns hold for these biobots. Policies and regulations are needed, like any other human endeavor.

Or is this unity like an unachievable universal dream, and the number 1 merely marks a limit, that of which we may never reach? Whatever the case may be, I hope cyborg research stays a step ahead of AI, or else that math equation might end up being equal to 0! Then we will have to bring in the likes of Elon Musk to get us out of that pickle.

In the meantime, enjoy this photo of a chimeric mouse I found on wikipedia!