From Man to Machine

In September 2021, the book „Mensch. Maschine. Kommunikation.“ will be published. It is edited by Sarah Brommer and Christa Dürscheid. One chapter (by Oliver Bendel) is in English and is entitled „Chips, Devices, and Machines within Humans: Bodyhacking as Movement, Enhancement, and Adaptation“. From the abstract: „This contribution about bodyhacking as movement, enhancement, and adaptation has three purposes. First, it aims to clarify terms in this field or to draw attention to the fact that they are used differently. Second, it wants to shed light on and explore a phenomenon that has a history but is also making history at the moment. Third, it wants to bring possible fields of application into play which remain unexplored, or which lie in the future. Literature analysis and own considerations and conclusions are used. The article first defines and distinguishes ‚biohacking‘, ‚bodyhacking‘, ‚human enhancement‘, ‚animal enhancement‘, ‚cyborg‘, and ‚transhumanism‘. It then addresses selected examples of bodyhacking. The author lists typical and known applications, ordered by their different objectives. He discusses actual and potential developments, for example as a response to potential crises and disasters (including pandemics) and in the context of satellites and foreign planets. On this basis, a brief philosophical discourse takes place leading to a summary and outlook. It turns out that bodyhacking brings opportunities with it, especially for the self-determined person, who takes his or her own body as a starting point and deals responsibly with the potentials. In this way, it can break with outdated conventions and create a new view of the body and its relationship with the environment. Moreover, it promises solutions to present and future problems. Of course, it also harbours moral and health risks.“ The book is available for pre-order now.  More information via www.narr.de/mensch-maschine-kommunikation-18471-1/.

Fig.: From man to machine