Becoming a Cyborg The Verge

Today in great reads: The Verge's Ben Popper has a killer story up about the world of underground body hackers--those souls brave and crazy enough to perform surgery on themselves to give themselves new powers and strengths. It goes beyond regular cyborg ideas, partly because the guys are doing it themselves, with no safety net. Example: some embed a rare earth magnet under one's skin, which allows the hacked person to detect electromagnetic fields. There's a video of the surgery/hack, and it's a bit graphic but pretty awesome. Check out the story here.

7 Comments

Since its all in the fun of hacking and abusing the human body, can I squish this man's melon head and see what comes out of his ears as well!;) Oh, at the end, I will call it science, lol.

That was a very interesting article. This some body modification that I could actually get behind. While not for me, I have never had any issue with stretched out ears or industrial piercings but its the suspension enthusiasts and the like that I worry about. Now that modifications are starting to serve real purpose I actually have an interest. However, having rare earth magnets under the skin sounds like a worrisome proposition as I can see them getting pulled out, through the skin, by another powerful magnet. That doesn't sound too fun.

@AdamWM

I have spoke at length with quite a few people about these magnets, and they really are very safe. They aren't powerful enough to cause and danger near other magnets.

I mean obviously magnets on the scale of say an MRI would obviously be very dangerous, but thats just something that you have to account for when you have it, which is no different then if you have screws or plates inside you.

There are alot of very interesting things going on with Grindhouse Wetworks, and the possiblities of the things they are working on are quite astonishing. I must give credit to Tim, while being a very interesting and funny guy, he has some balls to be pioneering some of these things.

I won't comment on this general concept because it's far from anything that I might try, and I'm just not interested.

I will comment on the magnets -- there is a lot of potential for injury with this implant.

Some examples

Magnetically based security systems are still present in a lot of libraries. The checkout units produce a relatively large magnetic pulse -- strongest where the security marker is expected. It could get your attention.(Note that these things have been around since the 70s and have a fine safety record -- they're not dangerous in any normal circumstance),

Microwave ovens typically still have magnetrons inside them as far as I know. They're called magnetrons for a reason. Not an issue normally, but should an enterprising individual attempt to repair one.

Subways in an Asian country have stray fields strong enough so that metallic objects on the floor stand up and dance around. This was reported in PopSci.

There are many more things of this nature.

@ford2go

I can't speak for acctually tearing down and repairing microwaves, but as for security check points, and security devices as well as the EMF fields in subways. The most that has ever been reported by anyone I know with this implant has noticed only vibrations from the magnet, which is acctually the whole reason for getting it.

These aren't powerful magnets, they won't rip out of your skin if you come up against another magnet (Normal daily circumstances crazy things like MRI's excluded) We are talking just strong enough to stand up a small paper clip, not even lift it off of a table.

Once you have this implant, and get used to it. You can sense the size, shape, and strength of am EMF. Which is just REALLY cool.

Your biggest risk while getting this implant is that of infection when getting it insterted, which is no more dangerous than peircing your ear with a professional tattoo artist.

EMF fields aren't ninja's, they can't really sneak up on you, with this implant you will know where they are before you get to them. You will know if you are walking into a very high powered magnet, in which case you will know when to not get closer. The chances of running into a situation like this? Slim to none, depending on your profession that is.

If the subways over seas have EMF fields that would be dangerous, you would know well before you got there.

I would compare the risks involved with the rare earth magnet implant with that of getting an ear pierced to be honest.

Just no MRI's when you have it, that wouldn't go well.



June 2013: American Energy Independence

Five amazing, clean technologies that will set us free, in this month's energy-focused issue. Also: how to build a better bomb detector, the robotic toys that are raising your children, a human catapult, the world's smallest arcade, and much more.


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