Issues of the body

How would you like a fifth limb..? Artificially enhanced legs..? A cochlear implant perhaps? How about an implant in your brain that's capable of sending text message like information to another receiver? Far-fetched it may seem, however, ever increasing advancements in technology and technological research seem to be making such ludicrous ideas a possible reality...

The idea that; " the body is an array of sub-assemblies called organs that carry out specific functions (e.g. legs are for walking, the eyes are for seeing etc.)" To quote Dr Gavin Stewart (2010), is obviously an approach that society agrees with... It is these "sub assemblies" and the notion that the body 'parts' are replaceable however that is at the very centre of a mass debate. Do we really want artificially enhanced organs, limbs and such like? Where do we draw the line with such scientific explorations?

It is undoubtedly a 'good thing' that the human race is now capable of replacing damaged limbs , with artificial ones. Take for instance the case of heroes such as Ben Mcbean, the marine that was blown up by a Taliban land mine in Afghanistan resulting in the loss of an arm and leg. Without scientific advancements in areas such as limb replacement, Ben would never have been able to run a marathon little over two years after his horrific injuries.

However scientists are exercising their capabilities more and more, and creating ever more advanced technologies. Take for instance the Cochlear Implant.

"A cochlear implant is a small, complex electronic device that can help to provide a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard-of-hearing. The implant consists of an external portion that sits behind the ear and a second portion that is surgically placed under the skin"

Giving a profoundly deaf person back the sense of sound is a remarkable scientific achievement for the human race. However could it be that the innate ability for humans to constantly strive for a better standard of living could in-fact lead to a world in which Frankenstein like monsters are roaming the streets. Could it be the case that society will become over obsessed with such scientific capabilities and step into a realm of creating artificial intelligence that one day could lead to the demise of our planet?

Society as we know it seems to be functioning pretty well so far. So it is my theory that we don't need to change an awful lot. The idea of scientists creating artificial intelligence is remarkable but actually quite a scary thought to me. Various questions fly around my mind when hearing the words "artificial intelligence". For instance what would happen if these so called "artificial intelligence" bodies become more and more intelligent? Could it be that a new strain disease may inadvertently arise from such research? Could this technology slip into the hands of a terrorist group, and instead of being used for the good of man kind actually be used as a weapon against us? It is questions like these that seem far-fetched, however i feel that these are possibilities that should be taken into account. Its time to stop and think, how far do we take such scientific explorations? When do we call it a day in the interests of society?

In the strive for better standards of living, ever greater scientific achievements and alike are we humans in-fact obliviously creating our own demise?