10 Possible Transformations Of The Human Body With The Help Of Technology
Technology is evolving exponentially, and it’s not only changing the world around us but also the very nature of the human body. Just a few decades ago we used to watch movies like Blade Runner or Terminator thinking that the sci-fi tricks were a distant future, but here we are in 2018 and we can already see the first applications of those ideas in the real world.
As a matter of fact, there are so many incredible ways science is changing us. In this post, we will show you 10 possible transformations of the human body with the help of technology. Let’s check them out!
Real-Time Language Translation
We open this list with a transformation that probably seems very natural. You must have heard of language apps and tools like Google Translate, but now technology is making a big leap forward. Multiple projects, including Waverly Labs and Google’s Pixel 2, use simple gadgets to ensure close-to-perfect real-time language translation. The technology is still in its development stage, but it’s definitely ready to use even today. It’s predictable that the demand for translators or writing services will decrease more and more each year.
Augmented Vision
Augmented Reality (AR) is the integration of digital information with the user’s environment in real time. AR uses the existing environment and overlays new information on top of it, just like these MINI glasses provide drivers with augmented vision. Besides glasses, there are also bionic eye devices (aka contact lenses) with tiny circuits and LEDs that enable users to project images, text, and other information directly into the eye.
Smart Vision
If you thought the augmented vision was cool, what would you say about smart vision? It’s an advanced contact lens technology that allows people to take photos and videos using the features of a professional camera, such as zooming or automatic exposure adjustment. Besides that, smart vision is also able to store data within the lens, while a simple eye movement changes the battery of the device.
RFID Chips
Radio-frequency identification (RFID) uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track tags attached to objects. In terms of human body transformation, it means implanting an RFID chip in the hand to eliminate a variety of small activities like carrying keys, credit cards, etc. The RFID chip can unlock and open doors, pay bills, and replace driving tickets, but it could soon become the means of identification as well.
Exoskeleton
Iron Man has some really cool equipment, doesn’t he? Okay, exoskeletons will not exactly make you as strong as the famous movie character, but they could definitely enhance your physical abilities. On the other hand, the act of walking is an elusive dream for paraplegics, but tools such as ReWalk exoskeleton fundamentally change the health and life experiences of individuals with spinal cord injuries.
Smart Drugs
Technology will transform the human body not only from the outside but also from the inside. Namely, scientists are developing smart drugs that will replace traditional pills. The latter mostly have generic effects and cannot adapt to the individual needs of a patient, while smart cures personalize medical procedures and target precise pain points within our bodies. Smart drugs are already popular among students who want to boost their cognitive performance, but the real deal is about to boom with the emergence of tailored illness treatments.
Brain-Computer Interface
A brain-computer interface (BCI) is basically a device that can monitor and extract brain activity to enable a machine or computer to accomplish tasks, from playing video games to controlling a prosthetic arm. The BCI technology does not only help persons with damaged sight or paralysis. On the contrary, it improves human communication and enables remote operations that seemed impossible only a few years ago.
3D Body Part Printing
Technology has become so advanced that it can actually print human organs. Just take a moment and think about it—we can now 3D print body parts that actually mimic real organs and even bleed when cut. Besides that, the final product has the same consistency and color as our natural organs. This is a huge improvement in medicine; now surgeons can practice in a much safer environment, where patients can have damaged body parts replaced with artificial organs.
Designer Babies
A designer baby is a child that is created through a genetic screening or genetic modification process. Genetic modification helps doctors to prevent health issues, but the process itself brings us multiple ethical and moral side effects.
Growing Organs
Last year, more than 17.5 million surgical and minimally invasive cosmetic procedures were performed in the US alone. But with the rise of programmable stem cells, people could actually grow their own organs. The emerging technology of growing body parts from human cells taken directly from patients is now providing new hope for amputees and patients on organ-transplant lists, but also for all sorts of so-called cosmetic procedures.
CONCLUSION
As technology evolves exponentially, it keeps making a bigger impact on our everyday lives. The influence of science is so immense that it changes both our mental and physical capabilities. In this post, we showed you 10 possible transformations of the human body with the help of technology. What do you think about these changes and which one do you consider to be most important?
