Tag: Identity

To Merge or Not to Merge

Olivia S.
Reading Time: 2 minutes

In the age of rapid scientific advancements, the concept of creating hybrid creatures—a fusion of human and animal characteristics—is no longer confined to science fiction. With technologies like CRISPR and genetic engineering advancing, we are inching closer to realizing such possibilities. This philosophical exercise allows us to reflect on the implications of merging human and animal traits.

If I could hybridize with one animal, I would choose the dolphin. Dolphins are highly intelligent and exhibit advanced communication skills, social behavior, and unparalleled aquatic abilities. They are often seen as a symbol of harmony between intellect and nature, making them an ideal choice for a hybridization experiment.

Why a Dolphin?

Dolphins possess traits that are uniquely appealing:

  1. Cognitive Abilities: Dolphins have large brains relative to their body size, exhibiting problem-solving skills, self-awareness, and complex emotions. Integrating such traits could enhance human intellect and emotional intelligence.
  2. Communication: Their echolocation and intricate vocalizations could revolutionize how humans interact and understand one another, even at great distances.
  3. Physical Capabilities: Dolphins can dive deep, swim at remarkable speeds, and safely navigate underwater. These abilities could allow us to explore and thrive in aquatic environments, potentially opening new avenues for undersea colonization or resource acquisition.
This image was created by ChatGPT on Nov 27, 2024. https://chatgpt.com/c/67477210-1b48-8009-8980-d0f132f14cb7

While the idea of becoming part dolphin is thrilling, I would want to limit the physical transformation. My ideal hybridization would involve the following:

  • Enhanced Brain Functionality: Incorporating traits that improve problem-solving, memory, and emotional regulation.
  • Adapted Physiology: Gaining the ability to hold my breath for extended periods and swim efficiently. This could include minor anatomical changes, such as slightly webbed hands and feet.
  • Echolocation: Developing this ability could revolutionize navigation, even on land, particularly in low-visibility environments.

The extent to which I would give up my humanity is limited by how much these changes would impact my ability to live among humans and maintain my identity. While I value the enhancements a dolphin’s traits could provide, I would avoid changes that would:

  • Compromise my ability to communicate in human language.
  • Alter my physical appearance to the point of alienation.
  • Undermine my capacity for deep human connections.

Maintaining a balance between humanity and the enhancements would be critical to ensuring that the transformation enriches, rather than detracts from, my existence.

Hybridization raises profound ethical questions. Would such changes alienate individuals from society? How would we regulate who can undergo such transformations? These are questions we must address as we explore the potential of genetic engineering. Organizations like The Center for Genetics and Society are already fostering conversations around responsible use of such technologies

Hybridization offers an exciting glimpse into the future of humanity’s evolution. By thoughtfully integrating traits from other species, we could enhance our capabilities and deepen our connection with the natural world. However, this must be done cautiously, ensuring that we preserve the essence of what it means to be human. What animal would you hybridize with, and how far would you go? Let the philosophical debate begin.

Explore more on this topic:

What do an Author and Music Artist Have in Common… Societal Revolution!

Lavell A.
Reading Time: 2 minutes

Both Donna Haraway’s essay “Cyborg Manifesto” and Janelle Monae’s album “Dirty Computer” share a similar tone in their message.  They challenge the societal norms regarding what really defines human identity.  Through their pieces, they blend aspects between humans and technology producing numerous additional possibilities on how one would view themselves.  In turn here, the goal both creators seek to achieve is to inspire people to feel comfortable with showing their true selves even if there are others that may oppose you.  Be who you really are.

            To start us off, Haraway’s cyborg is designed to blur the societal boundaries placed on human and machine and the binary gender roles of male and female.  The idea of being found in between any of these roles are uplifted instead of shot down which takes us to Monae’s album where that is the whole central idea.  Those who are termed “Dirty Computers” are the same people that defy the societal norms.  The cyborg identity is designed to be adaptable and limber (easily shaped or changed).

            The difference between the two pieces is that Monae’s album depicts the side that sees this freedom as unlawful much more than Haraway.  Haraway mainly focuses on the relationship of the cyborg resembling that of liberation.  Monae adds more worldbuilding to her story to signify that even though personal change is good and should be celebrated, everyone doesn’t think the same way.  Her character is being fully persecuted against by the authorities of her world, because she wanted to be more than what society would allow.

            Both ladies all together hope to share a hopeful tale in which no matter whomever it concerns should truly become one with themselves.  Your identity shouldn’t be restricted by other people or governmental identities and if they are in any way, you should stand up for yourself and what you believe in.  Embrace your fluidity. Celebrate it.  And live beyond the limitations set before you.

Blade Runner and the Corporate Future: A Vision Becoming Reality?

Jaylyn J.
Reading Time: 2 minutes

Blade Runner hit the big screen in 1982, it offered a dystopian glimpse of the future, complete with towering corporate skyscrapers and a cityscape dominated by neon and perpetual rain. This world is the Tyrell Corporation, a creature responsible for manufacturing the genetically engineered replicants. The company’s slogan, “More human than human,” encapsulates its eerie fusion of power and ambition. But as we take stock of our contemporary world, the big question looms: Are today’s corporations inching toward the Tyrell blueprint? Or is Blade Runner a hyperbolic critique that can never be fully realized?

First, consider the Tyrell Corporation itself. It’s a monopoly of staggering proportions, wielding influence over life and technology. In our world, we see echoes of Tyrell in real-life tech conglomerates. Companies like Amazon, Google, and Meta possess an astonishing level of control over information, commerce, and communication. The development of generative AI, facial recognition, and advancements in biotechnology are increasingly blurring the lines between human and machine, mirroring Tyrell’s world of near-human replicants. For instance, Boston Dynamics’ lifelike robots or Neuralink’s brain-machine interface experiments are striking reminders of Tyrell’s once-fictional vision.

But does this mean we are truly headed toward a Blade Runner reality? Let’s think about the concern.

On one hand, the growing privatization of what were once considered public domains—such as space travel, with Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin—suggests that these tech giants are expanding in ways previously unimaginable. The consolidation of data and wealth grants these corporations influence comparable to that of small nations. And yet, the dystopian setting of Blade Runner serves as a hyperbolic warning rather than a direct prediction. Tyrell’s world is exaggerated to jolt us into self-awareness, to make us wary of unchecked corporate power.

Still, in our time, there are significant safeguards—government regulations, whistleblower protections, and an increasingly vocal global citizenship—that work to reduce monopolistic abuse. These checks aren’t fail-proof. Climate change, for example, reveals the tension between corporate profit and environmental responsibility. Think of how companies market eco-friendly practices, sometimes more for PR than genuine impact, echoing the superficial gloss of Tyrell’s “advanced” society.

Ultimately, Blade Runner serves as a thought experiment rather than a clear map to the future. Yet, as corporations continue to shape our world, the film’s themes remind us to remain vigilant and reflective. If nothing else, the story tells us that progress without accountability can indeed become a dystopian nightmare—and that’s a lesson we shouldn’t dismiss lightly.

This post is a response to a challenge set, as a result of Task 2, by Frank Polster, a fellow course participant on Stephen Downes’ MOOC, E-Learning 3.0. https://jennymackness.wordpress.com/2018/11/09/e-learning-3-0-the-human-versus-the-machine/

Ushering A New Era: Blurring The Line Between AI and Human

Devin P.
Reading Time: 2 minutes

In the past few years, the distinction between human and artificial intelligence (AI) has dramatically shifted. What we once considered to be science fiction, confined to the lens of cyberpunk in media, is readily becoming a reality. Tools that use artificial intelligence, such as ChatGPT and other AI models, are increasingly capable of incredible feats. They can now mimic human conversation, critical thinking, creatively find solutions, and make decisions based on evidence-based logic. This has led us to question: what does it even mean to be human? If what once separated the machine from the human has been conquered, what can we use to distinguish ourselves now? The boundary continues to steadily blur.

One significant change has been the advancement of AI in the creative realm. AI-generated art, music, and even prose have gained massive popularity. AI is no longer restricted to performing routine or mechanical tasks. It can work in spaces once deemed exclusive to the complexity of the human brain, providing more evidence of the growing blur between what is human and what is AI.

This shift in the boundary can be attributed to several factors. Firstly, the improvement of machine learning algorithms has allowed AI to produce more sophisticated and nuanced outputs. Secondly, access to large datasets has enabled AI to learn more about human style and complexity. AI algorithms have deeply studied human nature in an attempt to provide tools that can identify and solve individuals’ unique needs. Thirdly, societal and economic pressures are pushing for the adoption of AI in industry, as it offers efficiency and cost-saving potential.

The blurring boundary raises some critical questions. As AI becomes more integrated into society and creative processes, will human contributions still hold the same value? Where do we draw the line for AI decision-making in ethical matters? Would we let an AI decide to take someone off life support, or will that always remain a human responsibility? The bottom line is clear: AI will continue to advance, and we will soon have to reevaluate what we know about human identity and human intelligence.

Between Human and Machine: The Future of Identity

Luci S.
Reading Time: 2 minutes

In a world where identities are often limited by strict categories like gender, race, and social rules, both Donna Haraway’s Cyborg Manifesto and Janelle Monáe’s album Dirty Computer challenge these limits. Haraway, writing in 1985, imagines a future where fixed gender roles don’t exist, and being a cyborg allows for a more flexible sense of identity. Monáe, in her 2018 dystopian album, highlights how people are punished for not fitting into society’s expectations. Both works push us to rethink traditional ideas of humanity and identity, offering new ways to see a freer, more diverse sense of self.

A Cyborg Manifesto by Donna Haraway

The ideas in Donna Haraway’s Cyborg Manifesto strongly connect with Janelle Monáe’s album Dirty Computer. Both works explore the idea that identity is not fixed, and they break down traditional categories like gender, race, and sexuality. In Dirty Computer, Monáe creates a world where these aspects of identity exist on a spectrum, challenging society’s norms. For example, in her song “Django Jane,” she emphasizes self-determination and personal power, which aligns with Haraway’s vision of a future where identity is shaped by personal experience, not by society’s strict standards.

Dirty Computer Album Cover by Janelle Monáe

Monáe blends the ideas of technology and identity, calling herself both a cyborg and a queen. This mix reflects Haraway’s idea of the cyborg as a symbol of identity that breaks free from traditional boundaries. In “Make Me Feel,” Monáe talks about love and attraction in a way that shows the fluidity between masculine and feminine qualities, showing that relationships are complex and cannot be limited to strict categories. This mirrors Haraway’s call to embrace the complexity of identity. In the song “Pynk,” Monáe celebrates femininity and self-acceptance, showing that accepting all parts of yourself leads to freedom and happiness. This challenges society’s pressures to conform. Monáe also discusses how technology affects identity in the song “Dirty Computer.” She highlights both the positive and negative effects, showing how technology can give people more freedom but can also be used to control and restrict them. This ties in with Haraway’s cyborg, which represents the merging of human and machine and offers a new way to look at identity.

In conclusion, both individuals, Monáe and Haraway, encourage us to think differently about identity and society. They push us to see identity as something fluid and diverse, showing the importance of accepting individuality and breaking free from society’s rigid rules. Their works inspire us to imagine a future where everyone can be what ever they want to be.

Moving Past Restricting Norms to a Post-gender World

Katie H.
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Restricted Identity vs Fluid Identity (Katz-Wise, 2020)

Haraway’s “Cyborg Manifesto” depicts a world that moves past limiting dualisms to a world that is post-gender. In this post-gender world, identity is fluid rather than restricted. Several of Haraway’s ideas can be seen in Janelle Monae’s album Dirty Computer.

Track 14, “Americans,” in Dirty Computer is a call for a post-gender world that is more just, more equitable, and where identity is fluid. The song touches on race, gender, and sexuality. It depicts a wish to move past traditional norms for a more just society where identity is fluid and not restricted to categorical norms. Some lyrics from the album include “I like my woman in the kitchen,” “A pretty young thang, she can wash my clothes / But she’ll never ever wear my pants,” “You see my color before my vision / Sometimes I wonder if you were blind / Would it help you make a better decision,” “Until same-gender loving people can be who they are / This is not my America,” and “Until black people can come home from a police stop without being shot in the head / This is not my America” (Monae, 2018). In the song “Americans,” Monae discusses the male/female dualism and the gender norms that come with it among other norms like race and sexuality. Females are expected to cook and clean, while men get to “wear the pants” in the relationship. Both Haraway and Monae want to move past these traditional norms to a more equitable society where identity can be fluid and is not forced to be confined to rigid traditional structures.

Track 10, “I Like That,” in Dirty Computer depicts an individual embracing a fluid identity and breaking away from traditional norms, which aligns with Haraway’s vision for a post-gender world where fluid identity thrives breaking past restricting society. Lyrics include “I’m always left of center and that’s right where I belong / I’m the random minor note you hear in major songs” “I don’t really give a **** if I was just the only one,” and “I never like to follow, follow all around” (Monae, 2018). Monae’s lyrics in “I Like That” depicts someone moving away from traditional norms instead of following them. Both Haraway and Monae picture a world where identity is fluid instead of being restricted to traditional norms, which leads to a more equitable and fair world.

References:

Katz-Wise, S. L. (2020, December 3). Gender fluidity: What it means and why support matters. Harvard Health Blog; Harvard Health Publishing. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/gender-fluidity-what-it-means-and-why-support-matters-2020120321544

Monae, J. (2018). Dirty Computer [Album]. Wondaland; Bad Boy; Atlantic.

Complexed Identity: The Intersection of Haraway and Monáe

Jazmine F.
Reading Time: 2 minutes

Haraway’s cyborg work is explored in many ways in Janelle Monáe’s album. Haraway’s work presents a radical way of thinking about identity and the boundaries of identity as fluid. Whereas, Monáe’s album presents a dystopian environment where individuals face persecution of being non-conforming individuals. There’s a connection between these works in exploring identity and unfolding the complexity of gender and technology. Haraway argues that a cyborg is a blend of human and machine, which plays a major role in society today. For example, technology is evolving and constantly advancing how humans function, and technology is a tool that takes away from the responsibilities of humans. This leads us to wonder what it means to be a human? What is identity? Do we have to follow the social norms of identity?

Monáe uses her music to create a situation that describes the themes of identity and oppression. She creates a future where those who challenge the societal norm are persecuted. The imagery and vision of the music reveals a society that will erase norms out of the framework, which relates to Hararway’s resistance within the system of oppression.

There is another vital alignment between the two works: they align with the embarking complexity of identities, which is important for liberation. Haraway’s manifesto discusses technology as a tool for liberation that allows for forming new identities that will eventually challenge traditional structures. In addition, Monáe’s music uses futuristic themes and visuals to highlight the relationship between technology and identity. The control of Monáe’s album goes back to how technology plays a role in society, but in this case how technology perpetuates oppression.

Both of these works challenge us to rethink the real understanding of identity and how technology plays a role in developing humans. Monáe uses her music to create imagery that embodies the idea of Haraway’s cyborg and encourages the listeners/readers to celebrate and be true to themselves. Overall, we are challenged to think of a world that is constantly changing, especially with us: the things around us that influence us (technology).

The works create an inspiration to embrace the complexity of true norms and embrace the diversity that everyone has.

We are the future. We are artists. We paint our identity.

From Manifesto to Music

Sydney V.
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Donna Haraway (September 6, 1944 – present) By jonatkins
https://www.timetoast.com/timelines/donna-haraway-september-6-1944-to-present

In Donna Haraway’s Cyborg Manifesto, she discusses a world where gender is not limited to binaries but instead is fluid. Her work rejects the rigid gender roles and societal roles in general of our world, such as man versus woman and human versus machine. She calls for us to make the world a place where fluid identity is accepted.

Janelle Monae utilizes similar themes in her album Dirty Computer. Monae challenges traditional ideas of gender and sexuality in many songs in her album. For example. in the song “Make Me Feel,” she explores fluid romantic attraction and rejects the binaries we typically see in society. Her characters in the album also express a variety of gender and sexual identities. In the song “Screwed,” she explains how freedom is found in the true expression of one’s identity.

Monae also criticizes societal boxes that are typically implemented. In her album, she uses the term “dirty computers” to represent groups that are marginalized for being different than the majority. This can be translated to groups such as racial, ethnic, and LGTBQ+ communities in our society today. She uses her album to resist these social constructs and promote non-conformity. Monae also discusses the complex relationship between technology and humanity. Technology is used to dehumanize and deindividualize the individuals in the album; however, technology is also used by the non-conforming people to channel their individuality and fight back against the majority. This highlights the complexity of the widespread implementation of technology in our society. Technology can create both positive and negative effects on society.

Scene from “Dirty Computer” https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8343642/

In conclusion, both Cyborg Manifesto and Dirty Computer emphasize the fluidity of identity and technology’s role in helping and hurting society. Monae uses Haraway’s ideas to comment on the lives of marginalized people in today’s society, including racial and gender minority groups, which is extremely relevant to us today.

How Janelle’s work is inspired by Haraway

Zoe C.
Reading Time: 2 minutes

In the 1980s, Donna Haraway’s cyborg manifesto challenges normal societal ideals about gender identity and the line between a human and a machine. Now, when we get into the year like 2018, Janelle Monáe’s dirty computer helps bring these things to life in the modern day. Her album is a mix of Afrofuturism, being queer, and rebelling against an oppressive system. Both of these works explore the idea of breaking down these super strict categories of identity, and they both use the cyborg as a metaphor to betray this message. Cyborg represents a machine and an organism hybrid, which rejects the usual classifications of gender, sexuality, and humanity. Haraway’s cyborg insists on gender fluidity, where identity can be constructed by yourself, similar to non-binary and today’s age. In Computer, Monet presents a dystopian world where those who don’t conform to the norms of society are labeled as dirty. They are dirty computers and outsiders who are looked down upon because of their queerness and their refusal to fit into what society says is correct. But they can erase their refusal or be cleaned when they reclaim their identity, similar to Haraway’s cyborg, which is the change in our categorization. Monaé’s character, Jane 57821, moves through the futuristic world that is filled with control, surveillance, and punishment her songs, like Pynk and Django Jane, touch on themes of being gender fluid and defying normal gender roles. The album is a celebration of being queer and expressing your freedom while rejecting the norms that society expects you to live by. This is similar to the ideas that Haraway describes in her work. Haraway sees the cyborg as a metaphor for blended identities, while Monet shows how the blending occurs in the real world. There is a mix of race, gender, and sexuality that becomes the forefront of liberation. In both works, technology is a crucial component. Haraway sees technology as a tool for breaking down the oppressive system and blurring the lines of identity in the traditional sense. At the same time, Monet uses literal and symbolic representations of freedom and control. The album is a manifesto that calls for the same kind of post-gender post-race that Haraway envisions. Her album is an anthem for marginalized communities that urges listeners to embrace their differences and rebel against the control society that we live in.  

Blog Post #3: More Human Than Human

Khalil F.
Reading Time: 2 minutes

With Haraway’s “A Cyborg Manifesto”, she explored a world where there is a utopian idea that had no need for the labels that gender brought. It dreamed of a concept where cyborgs have no sexual development and don’t need to be organic have the specific identities that people face in real life. I think that the idea is really cool, the thought of no need for certain pressures for how to live and love people, and how to be a person based on what people thought of your own gender. In Janelle Monae’s album “Dirty Computer”, there is a very similar idea when it comes to the conflict. In “Dirty Computer” the idea of being a woman, being queer, being a minority, was seen as something bad, or “dirty”. The main character that was shown throughout the album that was supposed to be “cleaned” of all of those thoughts and ideas. I think that it is very similar to how “A Cyborg Manifesto” was about, but in the opposite sense.

In the film that goes with the album for “Dirty Computer” the android Jane 57821 is seen struggling with her own identity as the society she lives in tries to remove all her ideas of being queer.


While “A Cyborg Manifesto” has the idea of a perfect place that doesn’t have complex ideas on what it means to be a person, “Dirty Computer” punishes people for challenging those beliefs. It is seen as something bad to a lot of people in the real world just to be different, and Haraway thought to challenge those beliefs and the concept of what identity means. I think that Monae also has a similar thought, dreaming of a world where these things do not matter, and people are simply free to be who they are. In “So Afraid”, Monae sings about how she feels scared to even admit the feelings she has. Considering that it is fine for her to stay in her shell and not be proud of who she is. But these fears are presented as a normal thing. It is okay to be scared to challenge peoples beliefs, but as seen in “A Cyborg Manifesto”, it is not necessarily a bad thing. It can actually make everyone feel more comfortable, and not weighed down by certain labels.