This short video of mine on my YouTube channel might interest people who are interested in robots and the possibility of humans augmenting themselves with mechanical prostheses to become cyborgs. It was a big topic among the chattering classes in the ’90s and Noughties. BBC Radio 3 aired a short series of discussions with writers, scientists and the performance artist Stelarc about transhumanism and its possibilities with the title ‘Grave New Worlds’ in the 90s. Those interviewed included the writer described as a ‘fruity old perv’, J.G. Ballard, biologist and SF writer Paul McAuley and Stelarc, who explores cyborgisation in his performance.
I recorded this edition of ‘Front Row’ on tape, and lacking any sophisticated tape to video transfer equipment I simply re-recorded with my camera by placing the tape deck in front of it. It was a radio programme, so there are no visuals. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy it. The programme was discussing the topic following the publication of two books, Maria Omani’s Cyborg: The Man Machine and Kevin Warwick’s I, Cyborg.
Here’s my blurb for the video.
‘This edition of BBC Radio 4’s arts review discusses cyborgs and the robotic augmentation of humans following the publication of Maria Omani’s ‘Cyborg: The Man Machine’ and Kevin Warwick’s ‘I, Cyborg’. Warwick is the professor of robotics at Reading University who inserted a computer chip into himself allowing him to control remote machines. Also speaking is the philosopher Kevin Ansell-Pearson. The programme discusses the desirability and philosophical implications of cyborgisation for speech and communication, immortality and the possible revolt of cyborg workers dissatisfied with doing dangerous and boring work. The programme also has audio clips from The Six Million Dollar Man, Bladerunner and Robocop.’
I think the term ‘man machine’ is a reference to the evil robot in Fritz Lang’s pioneering SF epic, Metropolis, where it is described as a maschinenmensch, which translates as ‘machine human’. Warwick is very enthusiastic about the possibility of artificial telepathy and people being able to communicate their thoughts directly without speech. Ansell-Pearson criticises the idea on the grounds of the aesthetic quality and complexities of speech and that the transparency afforded by artificial telepathy may not be desirable, as sometimes you need to hide your thoughts. It’s the same argument Douglas Adams makes about his biological universal translator, the Babel Fish, in the Hitch-Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. By providing complete translation between races and cultures, it has created more and bloodier wars than anything else. And then there’s the planet in The Restaurant at the End of the Universe that was so quiet and well-behaved that it was cursed with telepathy. In order to stop themselves broadcasting every thought in their head to all and sundry, its inhabitants now have to talk loudly and constantly. Another way of blocking it out is to play host to Disaster Area rock concerts.
Omani notes that the issue of immortality is at the heart of many religions and was explored in ancient mythology, such as that of the Tithonius. Tithonius was a youth beloved of one of the Greek goddesses. She asked Zeus to give him immortality but forgot to ask for youth, so she had to watch him becoming increasingly old and decrepit with the advancing years. Ansell-Pearson also comments that immortality would fundamentally change how we see ourselves as humans. Both Socrates and Nietzche srgued that it was death that cause us to reflect on our humanity. Not that I think we’re anywhere near becoming immortal, with or without machines, just yet.
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