Cybernetics and the future of humanity

Cybernetics and the future of humanity

Cybernetics covers the science of communication between both living things and automatic control systems, the way that technology is changing, and evolving has allowed these systems to grow bigger and better. Cybernetics, robotics and biology have become popular themes within the film industry and sci-fi genre, allowing the public to know/ become more aware of what they are. A common machine that has grown more awareness over the last few years would be a cyborg, machinery that has both artificial and natural systems, which uses artificial intelligence.

Looking at cybernetics, I also looked into biotechnologies and how this is being integrated into services provided to humans, for example back in 2016, the very well-established NHS announced that it will be providing funding for further testing of the Argus, the bionic eye. Ten people underwent the surgery in which medicals tried to tackle an inherited disease that causes blindness known as Retinitis Pigmentosa, with the operation carried out the NHS then assess how the bionic eye contributes and improves these people with everyday life and to what extent is it helping them.

This surgery allows the use of new technologies to change the quality of someone’s life, by replacing the damaged retina with a bionic one. This is just one of many great examples of how the new technologies are making a good impact on society and lives.

This video shows the process of the bionic eye being inserted into an elderly man and just exactly how it works, enhancing his quality of life.

Furthermore, with bionics being integrated into the medical field, it is not the only form of new technologies being used, Dr. Ajit Sachdeva calims “VR has reached a tipping point in medicine”. This being virtual reality. VR is being incorporated “faster than ever” before into the medical field, an amazing example of this is burn patients, found to be one of the “biggest beneficiaries of VR technology” in which patients undergoing daily cleaning to skingratfs play a VR game called “SnowWorld, which features imagery designed specifically to distract burn patients from pain. Patients who play the game during treatment report up to 50 percent less pain than similar patients not playing the game, according to preliminary research” working like a form of a painkiller.

I think that these technologies are being recognised and used for the right reasons and the fact that they are being brought a lot more attention to and allowing lives to be changed is going to / already making a huge impact on people’s lives. Although people are still trying to adapt to the science of technologies being mixed and used in human life, there is a huge place for it in todays society.

moorfield editors. (2016). print this pageForward logoFacebook logoTwitter logo NHS England to fund Bionic Eye Surgery. Available: https://www.moorfields.nhs.uk/news/nhs-england-fund-bionic-eye-surgery. Last accessed 1st dec, 2018.