I’m talking about cell phones, people. Everywhere I look, someone has their hand to their ear yakkin’ it up loud and proud about their last visit to the proctologist. Teens seem most addicted to the constant contact that cell phones create. Not surprising considering the gregarious nature of teens and the fact that todays kids have “always” had cell phone technology. I think that if there was a way to implant a cell phone-like system into a persons head, a huge number of people would get it done. Then they could beam messges back and forth at the speed of thought.
This isn’t as far-fetched as it sounds. Experiments with monkeys have shown that mechanical arms can be accurately and precisely controlled by the brain via implanted sensors in the motor skill areas. As that technology matures, it may be possible to read speech patterns in the communications sectors of the brain and send that out over conventional cell phone networks.
I value my privacy too much to ever do this and I’m a misanthrope anyway. But I bet that a lot of people would look forward to such a convienant and intimate communication system.
I have no problem (yet). There is no guilt in turning my cell phone and pager off. The way I see it, if I want to talk to you, I’ll call you. If you also have your gadgets turned off, no biggy. I don’t want any Borg implants though, especially if you can’t turn them off.
I’m someone who really values their privacy. I have a cell phone (company phone) and I know the limitations on how cells work. I also have the ability to turn it off.
An implant might not have that ability. I doubt the government would allow “tech implants” without lots of regulations including all sorts of disclaimers to allow personal tracking (you know, in case terrorists decide to have them or something).
If implants were totally free of “black box” type technology, I would consider it. Not a cell phone though, give me a built in HUD with cool tracking features with maybe an intergrated “driver” mode. That’d be really cool.
One thing that interests me about the whole implanted phone thing is that it is virtual telepathy. You think the words, and they appear in someone else’s head.
Man, the illicit uses abound! Taking a test? have your friend in the next room (or country, for that matter) look up the answers and beam them right back. Espionage could certainly become more subtle. We already have creeps using their phones to take and send upskirt shots. Imagine the voyeuristic possibilities built-in cameras.
That brings up other potential headaches (hah!) Imagine telemarketers IN YOUR HEAD. What if a guy broke into the software of your phone? A whole new meaning for “hacking into a guys head.”
What else might we be able to do? What other problems could this create?
In Neal Stephenson’s The Diamond Age there’s mention of a minor character who went insane and killed himself because spammers put an advertising crawl across the lower right of his visual field… 24 hours a day.
i’m not too big on the cellphone thing at all, but finding them more a necessity and may have to give in soon, as there is a serious lack of payphones now… not sure if the payphones are gone due to the cellphones or vice versa… either way it drives me NUTS!
As long as I have the ability to turn my implant on and off at my command. I would have no problem with it.
Also, while we’re at it; can I order mine with built in GPS features. That way as a man, I would be totally justified in NEVER stoping and asking for directions again…
I’d buy into it in some way. I wouldn’t welcome a cell phone too much…but other information sources that I could draw on on-the-fly (as it were) would be useful.
But I’m a guy who bought into Lasik fairly early. If technology can help me I let it.
And you think that’s bad…wait until the software can be loaded directly so there’s no hardware required. Just hit your brain directly and off you go.
While your proposal for an army of cyborg monkeys is appealing, I have to think that while most of us can’t live without our cell phones, we also enjoy our privacy. I wouldn’t mind a chip that would allow me to download stuff to my brain like Neo learning kung-fu in the matrix, but that does not mean I want the world to be jacked into my own private thoughts.
I just can’t believe that there used to be a time not to long ago when we couldn’t just call someone whereever they were. It’s just too convenient, especially when you are trying to get a group of people to meet up somewhere. What did we do in the old days? Phone booths? Savages. In fact, I just can’t imagine why anyone would be against them. You always have the option of not answering a call.
I guess part of my clumsily stated point is that it seems like people are actually trying to become more borg-like as technology makes it easier. The amount of contact each person seeks out seems to increase in relation to their ability to get it. Before cell phones, people didn’t seem to need to talk continuously. But now that the entire world is just a flip and dial away, no one can go an hour with seeking the comfort of a phone conversation. It’s like grooming behavior in apes, except with a monthly fee. As much as people (claim to) value their privacy, I think that if the opportunity to jack in and share thoughts arises, people will take it and gladly surrender themselves to the collective.
