Author: Simone H.

Hybridizing Dolphins?

Simone H.
Reading Time: 2 minutes

If I could hybridize with any animal, I would pick the dolphin. Dolphins are smart, social, and playful, which are qualities that I feel connect with humans. By merging with a dolphin, I could boost my thinking skills and emotional awareness while building a stronger bond with nature.

This hybridization should be balanced while still being significant. I picture a creature that resembles a human but has some characteristics of a dolphin, such as the ability to use sonar to improve awareness and communication, larger lungs to hold my breath, and some blubber to stay warm in various settings. Additionally, this hybrid would be more empathetic, utilizing the dolphin’s social skills to help me connect with people on a deeper emotional level.

Another interesting aspect would be the possibility of adapting to underwater life, like having webbed fingers or feet for swimming more efficiently. Imagine being able to explore the ocean depths with a dolphin’s grace while still retaining the ability to engage with the human world. This could open up new experiences and insights into marine ecosystems.

However, the topic of what it means to be human is brought up by mixing with other species. If it meant better understanding the interconnectedness of all living things, I would be willing to give up some human characteristics, such as the urge to adhere to rigid social norms or certain anxieties. I would want to strengthen my capacity for deep emotion, creativity, and clear thought rather than lose it.

In the end, I’d want to create a being that blends the best of both worlds: the emotional and intellectual strengths of humans combined with the instinctual wisdom and adaptability of dolphins. This new creature could help connect people and the ocean, encouraging better care for our environment and a deeper love for marine life. By fostering this connection, we could inspire others to appreciate and protect our oceans, ensuring a healthier planet for future generations.

#Dolphins #BP04

Machinehood Business

Simone H.
Reading Time: 2 minutes

In cyberpunk stories like Machinehood, we see how corporations gain power and control over people’s lives, especially through technology and resources. In Machinehood, the “pill funders” manage productivity-enhancing drugs that many people need to work in a highly competitive world. These corporations shape society by making people dependent on their products to survive, which mirrors how some companies influence our lives today.

For example, large tech companies like Amazon and Google have a significant impact on our daily routines, from the way we shop to the ads we see. They gather vast amounts of personal data, shaping what we see, hear, and even buy. Companies like Facebook have even been shown to influence political views by tailoring news feeds to certain audiences. Amazon’s control over its workers’ schedules and the conditions in their warehouses reflects how some corporations prioritize profit over people’s well-being.

Machinehood also highlights the dependence on performance enhancement, which is becoming more common in the real world. In gig economies, workers often rely on apps and metrics to keep up, similar to how people in Machinehood use productivity drugs. This is concerning, as it raises questions about whether society is pushing people to act like machines, losing personal choice and privacy along the way.

While Machinehood’s vision is extreme, it still warns us about the path we’re on. The story’s portrayal of corporations controlling every aspect of human life might be exaggerated, but it’s based on real-world trends that we can see today. This cautionary tale encourages us to think about the need for regulations and ethical standards, so that corporations don’t have unchecked power over individuals’ lives. While we may not reach the full dystopian world of Machinehood, it’s a reminder to be mindful of how much control we give to corporations.

An illustration of a dystopian corporate-controlled future inspired by cyberpunk. Depict towering, dark skyscrapers with neon signs displaying company logos and advertisements. A cityscape with workers in mechanized uniforms or connected to various machines, showing dependence on technology. Some workers are consuming pills or injections, symbolizing reliance on productivity enhancers. Surveillance cameras and drones are visible, emphasizing the lack of privacy. The scene is dark with vibrant neon lights illuminating specific signs, adding a sense of dominance and control by corporations. Overall, a sense of overwhelming corporate influence and lack of individual autonomy pervades the atmosphere.

Cavallaro, Dani. Cyberpunk and Cyberculture: Science Fiction and the Work of William Gibson. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2000.

#BP05

Fiery the Angels Fell

Simone H.
Reading Time: 2 minutes

Human augmentation is advancing fast, and I think it will become a big part of everyday life during my lifetime and long after. With developments in bioengineering, neural interfaces, and genetic editing, it’s easy to imagine a future where we can enhance our physical and mental abilities in ways that once seemed impossible. From devices that monitor our health to brain-computer interfaces that could improve memory or let us control technology with our minds, the line between natural and engineered might get very blurry.

There will probably be a lot of options for enhancing ourselves. Augmented reality contact lenses or neural implants could help us process information faster. Gene editing might eliminate genetic diseases or even improve traits like intelligence or physical strength. Exoskeletons could help people with disabilities or make physically demanding work easier. These advancements could give us more control over our bodies and abilities than ever before.

I’d be open to some augmentations, especially ones that improve quality of life. Things like better vision because I do not have 20/20 vision like I used to, real-time health monitoring, or tools to help with focus and memory sound great. I’d also consider neural interfaces if they could help with learning or managing tasks. But I’d be against any changes that could take away my autonomy or sense of self. For example, I wouldn’t trust augmentations that allow companies to monitor or control the tech in my body because I am already skeptical of some AI and companies having acess to my data and such but I would be uncomfortable with enhancements that create unfair divides between people who can afford them and those who can’t.

Human augmentation has a lot of potential to make life better, but it also raises some serious ethical questions. As these technologies become more common, we’ll need to find a balance between innovation and fairness, making sure they improve our lives without undermining what makes us human.

#BP06

Blog Post #2: Do you like our Owl?

Simone H.
Reading Time: < 1 minute

The issue of what it means to be human is explored in both Blade Runner and Neuromancer, although they take distinct approaches to it. In Scott Scott’s Blade Runner, the replicants—bioengineered beings who are nearly indistinguishable from humans—are the main subject. The replicants have feelings, desires, and memories, which raises the issue of what really makes a human? Is it a person’s biological make-up or their ability to feel, think, and suffer? The distinction separating human and non-human behavior becomes fuzzy by characters such as Roy, who demonstrates greater emotional complexity and empathy than many human characters. Blade Runner raises the possibility that mind and emotional experience, rather than biology, are what make humans human through these replicants.

On the other hand, William Gibson’s Neuromancer digs into similar subjects by means of the characters’ interactions with cyberspace and artificial intelligences. In this book, a combination of the technology and the organic shatters human identity. The main character, Case, is a “cowboy” who travels around cyberspace, a virtual environment where the distinction between truth and illusion is hazy. Traditional ideas of human autonomy and intellect are questioned by the AIs in the book, such as Wintermute, who raises the possibility that consciousness and agency can exist outside of the human body. The way that technology blurs the lines between human identity is further illustrated the character Molly, who has cybernetic modifications.

In a world of advanced technology, both pieces explore the fundamental questions about mankind. While Blade Runner explores the existential and emotional struggle of the replicants, Neuromancer explores the ramifications of human contact with AI and virtual realities. Concurrently, they contemplate how technology transforms our perceptions of awareness, identity, and the essence of being a true human.

#BP02

Blog Post #3: More Human Than Human

Simone H.
Reading Time: < 1 minute

In Donna Harays 1985 Manifesto, she envisions a post-gender world, where identity embraces fluidity and hybrid, it also crosses traditional boundaries. There concepts are explored in Janelle Monae 2018 album, Dirty Computer, which explores themes of identity, oppression, and emancipation in a dystopian setting.

Janelle reflects Haraways concept of fluid identity through her multi-faced personas. She embraces diversity and self expression in her songs, as well as in her album covers. Diversity, self-expression, and fluidity all surface in her music Django Jane and Pynk both defies strict identification boundaries. Aligning with Haraways vision of moving beyond fixed gender roles and embracing a more complex sense of themselves.

Technology is portrayed in Dirty Computer as a source of monitoring and empowerment. This supports Haraways idea that integrating technology could undermine repressive societal systems, by saying that adopting it can strengthen individuals and communities. Dirty Computer also tackles the persecution of nonconforming people, echoing Haraways criticism of conventional wisdom. In Janelles album the song Take a Byte criticizes the monitoring on disadvantaged identities, it shows a world in which people who do not fit in, are oppressed.

The album highlights the value of intersectionality and community. By highlighting the struggles of race, gender, sexuality Janelle promotes a sense of solidarity. Even knowing the artist outside of just this album she has always been an advocate for sexuality, gender, and more. She advocates for a free world from persecution for fluid identities by exploring and embodying Haraways concepts.

#BP03

The Use of AI & Its Ever Lasting Change

Simone H.
Reading Time: 2 minutes

The line separating humans from non-humans has become more blurred in recent years, especially with the growth of robotics and artificial intelligence. In the past, people understood humans to be sentient, creative entities, whereas machines were thought of as tools meant to carry out particular duties. But the quick advancement of AI has started to cast doubt on this idea. AI systems can already handle sophisticated activities like language processing, decision-making, and even creative pursuits like music and art composition that were previously assumed to require human intelligence.

The growing use of AI in daily life is indicative of a shifting boundary. AI-powered algorithms, AI-driven virtual assistants like Siri and Google and Alexa, and even AI-powered customer support representatives are the new becoming standard. The difference between human and machine interaction has become more unclear as a result of these systems relationships with humanity. Also, artificially intelligent social robots made for care or companionship they challenge the limit byt developing bonds with people. They begin witth the set up, they ask about your voice, the things you like, they are often times always on and can hear everything your saying regardless of if you are speaking to them or not. Which I feels like it becomes scary, and a somewhat invasion on privacy.

I believe what prompted this change was multiple factors. AI is getting increasingly integrated in daily life because to the continuous search of efficiency and convenience, as well as changes in culture that see technology as a vital part of the human experience. Also, ethical questions around AI’s rights and consequences of robots taking on typically human responsibilities are gaining importance as society grows more accustomed to using AI. These previous advancements are symbolic of a broader tendency within the cyberpunk genre, where the blurring of conventional lines forces us to reevaluate essential facets of identity, morality, and the essence of humanity in a more technologically advanced society.

#BP01