Our Biophysical Future
Tiana McGuire
The Zabjek and Kehler article on joining AI with prosthetics in order to create a ‘smart’ bionic limb, had a striking statement that, “the seamless communication, the interaction between humans and machines to solve problems together.”, would be the key to not just using technology to help disabled bodies perform as able bodies but to create a “super-abled” body. The comment has an unspoken assumption that the human body is lacking, that there is a need for technology to use it’s advances to further human biology.
This is a very interesting assumption and one that Cyprus born artist Stelarc has been exploring through his performance art for the last 30 years. I first became aware of Stelac while researching body suspension, via piercings through the flesh, that took place outside of cultural practice. Stelarc had done a series of suspension in the 1980’s. The foundation of Stelarc’s vision is that the body is obsolete and in part that “The body's LACK OF MODULAR DESIGN and its overactive immunological system make it difficult to replace malfunctioning organs. It might be the height of technological folly to consider the body obsolete in form and function, yet it might be the height of human realisations. For it is only when the body becomes aware of its present position that it can map its post-evolutionary strategies.” (Stelarc.org/?catID=20317) Stelarc’s artwork creates an opportunity to pose the logic question of ‘has the human race reached the point where it is evolving faster than nature, and in order to allow for humanity to continue to thrive and grow that it must take technology into the flesh itself in order to thrive in the future?’ to the public.
In the 2008 piece ‘Ear on Arm’ Stelarc teamed up with a group of surgeons and stem cell consultants in order to implant a functional ear into his arm. The ear had a microphone implanted along with it that would transmit what was heard to external speakers. With further plans to plant a bluetooth enabled speaker into Stelarc’s mouth, so that people could use their mobile phones to call Stelarc who could then speak to them via the ear on arm and could then hear the caller inside his cranium. Additionally if the a third party stood close to Stelarc and he opened his mouth, that person too would be able to hear the caller. This would enable an acoustic presence from another location, and the ear on arm would become an internet accessible organ for the body.
This is a very interesting assumption and one that Cyprus born artist Stelarc has been exploring through his performance art for the last 30 years. I first became aware of Stelac while researching body suspension, via piercings through the flesh, that took place outside of cultural practice. Stelarc had done a series of suspension in the 1980’s. The foundation of Stelarc’s vision is that the body is obsolete and in part that “The body's LACK OF MODULAR DESIGN and its overactive immunological system make it difficult to replace malfunctioning organs. It might be the height of technological folly to consider the body obsolete in form and function, yet it might be the height of human realisations. For it is only when the body becomes aware of its present position that it can map its post-evolutionary strategies.” (Stelarc.org/?catID=20317) Stelarc’s artwork creates an opportunity to pose the logic question of ‘has the human race reached the point where it is evolving faster than nature, and in order to allow for humanity to continue to thrive and grow that it must take technology into the flesh itself in order to thrive in the future?’ to the public.
In the 2008 piece ‘Ear on Arm’ Stelarc teamed up with a group of surgeons and stem cell consultants in order to implant a functional ear into his arm. The ear had a microphone implanted along with it that would transmit what was heard to external speakers. With further plans to plant a bluetooth enabled speaker into Stelarc’s mouth, so that people could use their mobile phones to call Stelarc who could then speak to them via the ear on arm and could then hear the caller inside his cranium. Additionally if the a third party stood close to Stelarc and he opened his mouth, that person too would be able to hear the caller. This would enable an acoustic presence from another location, and the ear on arm would become an internet accessible organ for the body.
What does Chinese Medicine think of the implantation of technology into the body? As I near the end of my first year of studies in TCM, I can gather that bionics would not be seen as positive. From my understanding and from lecture by Jackie Sheck, scars on the body create blockages and stagnation. Qi cannot move freely by these blockages. From this perspective the multiple surgeries on Stelarc’s arm to implant the ear will have disrupted flow of Qi from all three of the Yin arm channels. This would impair the Lung channel, the Heart channel, and the Pericardium channel directly. Indirectly this would inhibit the flow of Qi through the circuit of the channels as well, leading to Qi vacuity in the Large Intestine, San Jiao, and Small Intestine channels. I think it is also important to take note that not all of Stelarc’s surgeries were not successful. He initially had to remove the micro-speaker due to infection, and had issues with necrotising tissue at the initial site of intended ear implantation. When the nature balance of a healthy human body is compromised, even with the most careful intent, the body is susceptible to pathogenic attack. I find this to be ironic as the lack of modular design of the body is part of the philosophy behind why Stelarc finds the body to be obsolete.
I believe that technology has not reached a place where it is stable enough to take on the nuances of the human body. Each year we see huge gains in technology, what this also means is there is an equally huge wake of obsolescence in its path. What will happen to humanity version1.5 when “super-abled” humanity 3.0 rolls out?
References
Stelarc.org
Alex Zabjek & Therese Kehler, May 9, 2018. Researchers create ‘smart’ bionic limbs. http//www.ulberta.ca/newtrail/featurestories/2018/may/researchers-create-smart-bionic-limbs
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