Technology and Inevitable Assimilation

Technology has been around for many years, from the spears of hunters, to the guns of World War One, to the GPS guided missiles used today and throughout history, the medical fields have been right along side the spears, guns and missiles trying to repair the damage. Today’s high tech world holds ID chips in roaming pets that have lead to ID chips in humans and robot toys for children that have lead to robotic arms and legs for amputees. Technology has lead to many things, and hundreds of groups have drawn thousands of lines, but nowhere does there seem to be signs of technology slowing down. On the contrary, the rule of technology is just beginning.

As I write this, a company called Cyberkinetics is developing “technologies that restore function, including limb movement, sensation and communication, for those with a wide range of central nervous system conditions, diseases and injuries” (“Cyberkinetics”). Good. They are working toward helping injured people, so why are there groups trying to shut down Cyberkinetics’ research? Mostly, the reason is fear. Cyberkinetics has recently developed the BrainGate Neural Interface System that allows a person “to use his thoughts to control cursor motion and/or replicate keystrokes on a computer screen.” Of course, in order to get to this point, a small chip, about the size of a baby aspirin according to Cyberkinetics, must be implanted into the brain. Not only does one sit through brain surgery, but one hundred electrodes attached to a silicon backing will be poking into your brain enough to keep the sensor in place.

Chips that control computers may eventually lead to chips that control wheelchairs, or better yet, slim frames that fit over a paraplegics’ legs that help them to walk again. Why stop there? These chips use electric signals from the brain to tell the computers and frames what to do, so simply bypass the broken spinal cord and reconnect the brain with the legs through wireless chips.

William Donelson has had a local piercer place a small chip in his hand that allows him “to log on to his computer, open doors and unlock his car” (Bahney) all with the wave of his right hand. Donelson, twenty-one at the time, was a computer networking student looking to show how close we are to a time when there will be a fine line between human and machine. The tiny chips have been safely implanted in roaming pets and livestock for years. Soon chips just like his can be used to do almost anything that used to require a key, remote or swipe card. Bahney also reports that while many people look fearfully at movies such as “The Matrix” and “Blade Runner,” Donelson is part of a group that is trying to show how close we are to widely accepted implanted chips and other such technology. (Bahney)

The that’s just the beginning. Combined with the chips placed in so many people’s brains, it will eventually be played off as another simple innovation: “Picture the possibilities,” a smooth voice will say over the radio. “You will no longer have to get up to turn down the lights. No more messing with complicated remote controls, just think about changing the channel and there it goes.” Of course sibling rivalry will have fun with such “innovation.” Three kids sitting in the same room would be able to change the channel on each other just by thinking about it and there will be no way to prove which was the culprit.

Another scare that has popped up is that of cancer. With studies on whether or not cell phones cause cancer still leaving that issue up in the air, the scare seems very really to many people. Along with many metals used in electronics corroding when inside the human body for long periods of time, there are many fears, but there have always been doubts about technology and we have survived by using out judgement. Simply stated, keep improving and work it out along the way.

The popularity of Computers has soared and technology in general has shown no signs of slowing. As the possibilities grow the chips and other components are getting smaller, leading to computers like Apples new MacPro that can hold up to three terabytes while still looking like the average desktop (Apple). MP3 players that hold more and more as they get smaller show that computers are getting closer to humans; higher end MP3 players even blend in to clothes and wireless headphones make it easier to move, even play basketball, without catching wires.

Apply the brain chips and cochlear implants, and everyone can have permanent music that they can turn on merely by thinking. And no one else can hear it, the music is feed straight to the brain in the form of electric signals. All that will give new meaning to the phrase “I have a song stuck in my head.”

Technology makes life easier, entertains, and speeds everything up. Technology is the essence of progress, the main thread pulling evolution, and no matter how skeptics try to stop or even curve the path of technology, there seem to be only two ways to go; technology will either consume us or make us stronger, just like most things in life.

donate plasma.

I officially bleed for money. I'm a professional bleeder. I haven't done it much, but I'm working on doing this more regularly. Donating plasma is awesome for many reasons, which I'll spend some time detailing for all those interested. 

(note: I'm fairly sure that Plasma donors are referred to as just that, "donors", but from here on out I may refer to them as "bleeders" just for my own twisted bit of humor.)

The place where I am currently signed up is BioLife in Bellingham (near Whatcom Community College). I'd expect there are many different places all around the United States and probably in other countries, but I'm only knowledgeable at the place I'm currently at; at BioLife, the bleeder get $20 for about an hour of sitting there with a needle in their arm. If they go a second time in the same calendar week (Monday through Saturday) the bleeder get $30 dollars for the second session. 

Also, there are many other ways to get money, such as a recently offer that added an extra $5 per visit if an appointment was made and the bleeder was on time. Recruiting is another way to make some extra extra cash. If a bleeder tells someone else about the program and that other person signs up and donates at least twice, the recruiting bleeder gets $10 added to their card. 

(note the second: If you sign up at the BioLife in bellingham...and have no one else to say recruited you...help a starving college student out and give them my name? That'd be awesome. Thanks.)

Speaking of the card, I'll explain that a bit. It's a regular debit card, they give you a PIN and it can be used anywhere they'll take debit cards. When you sign up as a bleeder they give you all the information about the card though.

The first time also requires a pretty long appointment for painless paperwork and an even more painless "physical". The physical pretty much consists of marking on paper any tattoos and piercings and also checking eyes, nose, ears and a couple glands (in front of ears, down neck, along collar bone, etc.). Once that appointment is over with, you donate for the first time and can from then either on come in by appointment or just show up.

The only down side I can think of is that I can no longer donate whole blood because I'd have to wait two months to donate plasma again...and I was only one donation away from one of those cool little pins. :, (

It's pretty cool. I'm helping people out medically by donating something that my body can simply make more of. Of course, it's also a reminder to me to stay healthy. I've been eating healthier and recently started an aerobics gym class. I know myself well enough to know that I need to give myself a reason to guilt myself into being healthier, and this is a pretty damn good reason.

Soon I'll type out a walk through of what all happens in one donating session, but for now I've got to go to a middle school talent show to support the local kids. 

Online Comic Strips

     Lately I've been trying to pick up comic book reading. I'm not able to through money around and easily as I'd like, though, and have found that many comic artists these days post their strips on teh intarwebs. I've read many comic strips online, but only two have really grabbed and kept my attention: Questionable Content and  Misfile. For my first "official" post, I've decided to promote these two of the strips.

     First is Questionable Content, my current favorite. When I first found it months ago, I sat for hours each weekend trying to catch up, and now I can't wait for each new strip. This comic strip updates every weekday and has over one thousand strips so far. 

     Questionable Content has really come a long way since it's beginning, both in story line and the drawing abilities of the artist. It's main story line follows Martin--an indie boy--who owns a quirky little robot, and meets Faye--the new girl in town--that quickly moves in with him, but refuses to date. The two other main characters are Dora, who owns the coffee house everyone hangs out at and many work for, and Hanners, an OCD young woman that lives in the same building as Martin and Faye and ends up hanging out with the others. Many other characters make several appearances, but keeping track of them all is quite a task. 

     I like this strip for it's awesome art, well thought out strips and odd humor. I really can't convince you with just words, GO READ IT! : )

     Second is Misfile. I check this strip just as often as the first. It also updates five times a week. The main story line is based on the odd thought that each person has a file in heaven that contains all they are, and one angel accidentally messes up two of the files; the file of a teenage boy that turns into a girl from the "misfile" and the file of a teenage girl that looses the last two years of her life. The two learn of each other through the angel, are not allowed to tell any others, and quickly become friends. The angel plans to correct the files once he is allowed back in heaven, but is currently sentenced to Earth to do good deeds to counter all the trouble he's caused throughout the years. 

     Sub-story lines include: Ash dealing with his overnight sex change, Emily having second thoughts about going through her last two years of high school exactly how she had the first time, them both trying to help the undisciplined angel in his good deeds, and the street racing that Ash is involved in before and after the misfile, and Emily entering and learning about the racing culture through her friendship with Ash.

     This strip has come a way with it's art, too, though not as far as Questionable Content has.

Intro?

I'm generally a quiet person. Posting thoughts on the internet is the main way I share thoughts and ideas, creations and discoveries, for typing to those that want to read is much easier than talking to those that don't want to hear me. 

I'm currently in school. For what, I'm not sure. Perhaps art, that seems to be what I most commonly settle on when asked. No matter what it will be, I'm currently working on a three year degree from a little community college on the Can-Am border in the far West.

I listen to music and people, I read books and faces, and I try to absorb as much as possible. I also have an inconsistent, odd sense of humor; I'll laugh at the simplest of things and tell complex jokes, though subtle sarcasm is my favorite humor. 

That is all I can think to say of myself. Any thing else about me you'll have to find by continuing to read. : )