Sign Me Up for My Upgrade! - EcoTrain's Question of the Weeek

I'm back again on the @ecotrain, and this week the QOTW is whether we would like to gain superpowers via biotech implants.

To give a rough outline of the scenario: Apparently today's technology is on the brink of providing WiFi chips into our nervous system, which could enable us to learn anything instantly, get X-ray and night-vision, or a number of other conceivable “superpowers”. What follows are a few of my immediate reactions to this, as they popped into my mind while sitting at the Auckland airport in a semi-daze, trying to type the hours away.

Instant Knowledge, Do I Really Want It?

First of all, would I want something like this for myself? I mean, as nice as it sounds to go on-line without a device, just by thinking about it, it must have its downsides. I actually remember responding to a comment regarding the same question, where I said I would wait at least until the second generation came out. This is actually what I have done with smart-phones, or even just regular cell phones, and I haven't regret it. The first generation tech, while capable of doing what it was designed to do, tends to be notoriously inefficient in it. And remember what happened to the first deckers?

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Cyberpunk Realism as a Deterring Example

I like to recall Shaddowrun, the futuristic cyberpunk role-playing game from the 80's, which I used to play in the 90's. Though it wasn't spot on with all of its interpretations of the following half-a-century, it was amazingly accurate predicting the internet and multinational corporations rising to power. Part of it's lore were “deckers” who could literally plug their brains into the matrix of its version of the world-wide-web. Very cool, and pretty close to the topic at hand. But I particularly like the story of what happened to the first deckers: They got their brains fried! So this is the type of cutting edge I'd rather avoid.

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What if Everyone (Around You) Was a Superhero?

Okay, but let's say they tech is safe, and it is becoming as common as smart-phones are today. You wouldn't want to be left out, right? Just remember when fax machines and answerphones started dominating businesses. When you needed to have a website, even if the only info it had was your mailing address and phone (+fax!) number. When anyone without an e-mail address could soon be considered out of the game.

Once this implant is affordable (for me as first-world mainstream), I would be a fool not to get one. The thing is, until then the question is not even up to debate. And once we're there the abilities it offers can hardly be considered superpowers. Only a slight edge compared to all the rest of the world who still can't afford one. Granted, that would still be most people in the world, but the same thing already goes for everyone who still doesn't have a phone today, or let's just say anyone who can't read or write. Seems like we already ARE superheroes in a way, simply for doing what we're doing on our little screens!

How to Use Our Powers?

So finally, let me address what I think is the essence of this QOTW. If I was to get an implant making me a walking encyclopedia (and for reasons of simplicity I want to ignore the night-vision, super strength, and all the other superpowers), what would I do with it?

My immediate reaction is that I would share it with others, who are less fortunate and can't have one. Oh, how altruistic of me! I could use my access to all the world's knowledge to be a healer, a teacher, some type of problem solver of impoverished communities. But then a quick glance in the mirror of realism makes me see the hypocrisy in this supposed selflessness.

After all, I just established that I am already a type of superhero (along with all of us using the internet) in a relative global sense. I could be using my current powers, my access to information, to do all this! Anyone who has some practical experience as say a paramedic, and the internet at their fingertips, could perform close to everything a medical doctor does. When it comes to teaching people to find and use information, not even that much is necessary. In fact, just being able to read would enable me to pass on this knowledge to others...

Am I doing any of that? No! So honestly, what would I REALLY be doing with a chip in my brain? Who knows... maybe learning all the languages in the world to immerse myself in comparative linguistics, or some equally pointless activity that satisfies my compulsiveness. At least I wouldn't turn it against anyone, or I don't think I would.

So in the end, maybe all those amazing powers wouldn't make a lick of a difference. In fact, I might be better off without them.