Early skirmish in the cyborg human war
The announcement today that the Peking Olympics will not allow double amputee Pistorius to compete as a sprinter highlights in a small way what will increasingly be a dialogue on our human culture. How do we interact with those folks among us who are no longer just 'flesh and blood'? Pistorius, who is just 21, uses prosthetic carbon fiber blades to get around. He has been competing against able-bodied athletes in his native South Africa. But the Olympic Committee considers the blades to be artificial aids which would give him an immediate advantage.
Whatever the merits or lack thereof in this story, it is a harbinger of things to come as science continues to hone in on tools- chemical, physical, mechanical- to help people do what they do better. Thinking that this is not an issue, and a thorny one, is ignoring reality.
Do I know what to do? Heck no! But I do know I'm thinking about it. After all, as an aging male with an active lifestyle, I am likely to be considering such aids myself. Where our parents generation have artificial knees, hips, and heart valves, we are likely to be able to choose even more dramatic assists.
All of which raises questions.
Whatever the merits or lack thereof in this story, it is a harbinger of things to come as science continues to hone in on tools- chemical, physical, mechanical- to help people do what they do better. Thinking that this is not an issue, and a thorny one, is ignoring reality.
Do I know what to do? Heck no! But I do know I'm thinking about it. After all, as an aging male with an active lifestyle, I am likely to be considering such aids myself. Where our parents generation have artificial knees, hips, and heart valves, we are likely to be able to choose even more dramatic assists.
All of which raises questions.
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