WE ARE CYBORGS
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The word cyborg- a short form of "cybernetic organism"- was first used in a 1960 paper on space
travel. A cyborg was defined as an organism "to which [external] components have been added for the
purpose of adapting to new... environments." According to this definition, an astronaut in a spacesuit is an
example of a cyborg, as the spacesuit helps the astronaut adapt to a new environment space. More
recently, the word has evolved to refer to human beings who have mechanical body parts that make them
more than human.
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Although super-humans like RoboCop are not yet a reality, advances in real-life cyborg technology
allow some people to compensate for abilities they have lost, and give other people new and unusual
abilities. An example is filmmaker Rob Spence and his bionic eye. Spence injured one of his eyes in an
accident. Instead of replacing his damaged eye with the typical glass eye, Spence had a prosthetic eye with
a camera implanted in his eye socket, The Eye. The Eye is not connected to Spence's brain or optic nerve,
but it can record what Spence sees. Spence has used his camera eye to record interviews for a documentary
about people with bionic body parts.
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A more advanced type of bionic eye, called Argus II, was used for the first time by Larry Hester. A
disease of the eye left Hester blind and in total darkness for over 30 years. But in September 2014, the 66year-old was able to see again. The device consists of an implant in his left eye that connects his optic nerve
to a pair of special glasses. When the device is turned on, it allows Hester to see light. Although his vision
isn't completely restored, Hester can make out the shapes of objects, allowing him to see a world that had
been in darkness for over three decades.
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Some types of cyborg technology replace a lost ability by connecting directly to a person's nerves.
Born partially deaf, Michael Chorost completely and suddenly lost his ability to hear in July of 2001. Two
months later, doctors placed a cochlear implant, a kind of computer, inside his skull. This type of implant
connects to auditory nerves and allows a deaf person to hear again. While Chorost's hearing isn't perfect,
he continues to upgrade his implant as researchers improve the technology. Around the world, over
300,000 people have now been fitted with cochlear implants.
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Steve Mann's cyborg technology changes an existing ability. In 1981, Mann, a researcher and
inventor, created 36 kilograms of wearable computer equipment that allowed him to change his reality. If
Mann didn't want to see certain kinds of advertisements, his computer equipment would cover those
advertisements with things that he actually wanted to see. So if he looked at a cigarette ad, for example,
he would instead see an article that he wanted to read, In the 1990s, Mann reduced his computer
equipment down to the size of a pair of glasses. Mann's device, the EyeTap, is now permanently attached
to his head.
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These examples of cyborg technology have enabled people to enhance or change their abilities and
improve their lives. But does everyone want to utilize cyborg technology? It might be too late to decide.
Cyborg anthropologist Amber Case argues that most of us are already cyborgs. Anyone who uses a
computer or a smartphone, Case claims, is a cyborg. Consider the data that you have in your smartphone.
It keeps information for you, so you don't have to remember it: notes, phone numbers, email addresses,
messages. It also allows you to communicate with friends and family via telephone, text messages, email,
and social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr. Your computer and smartphone give
you abilities that you would not otherwise have.
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The potential benefits of cyborg technology are evident, but can this new technology be harmful,
too? For example, when Steve Mann's EyeTap was forcibly removed at an airport, he had trouble walking
and couldn't see correctly without it. The technology that had given him new abilities had apparently
affected his abilities to walk and see. What might happen if, or when, more of us start to use devices like
the EyeTap? Could we become too dependent on cyborg technology - and become less than human?
1. Which of the following best summarizes the text?
a. Cyborg technology will help people improve their natural abilities in the future.
b. Cyborg technology has a few benefits but also many serious drawbacks.
c. Cyborg technology has been used to help people in need and also enhance their abilities.
d. Cyborg technology will not exist for a long time due to its impact on people’s health.
2. Why can be an astronaut considered as a “cyborg”?
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3. Find a word in paragraph 2 that means “ to give someone something to replace the thing they have
lost”
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4. Which of the following can be understood from paragraph 2?
a. The Eye sends the signals to Spence’s brain and help him recognize the images.
b. Spence wanted to replace his glass eye with The Eye after the accident.
c. Spence can only use The Eye to record the images he sees.
d. The Eye improved the quality of Spence’s eyesight.
5. How is the bionic eye used by Larry Hester different from Spence’s?
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6. Is the following statement TRUE or FALSE? Justify your answer by referring to the text.
“Before July 2001, Michael Chorost hadn’t had any problems with his hearing.”
a. TRUE
b. FALSE
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7. Which of the following CANNOT be understood from paragraph 5?
a. Mann’s device is different form Hester’s as it does not replace a lost ability.
b. His device works as a content filtering, by changing the thing he sees.
c. In time, Mann could turn his device into a more practical one.
d. The EyeTap has been attached to Mann’s head since 1981.
8. Do you agree with Amber’s claim? Why? Why not? Explain by referring to the text.
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9. What do the following words refer to?
a. it (paragraph 6): ________________
b. it (paragraph 7): ________________
10. Read the quotation below. Explain it by giving evidence from the text.
“Technology brings you great gifts with one hand, and it stabs you in the back with the other.”
Carrie Snow
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