This video is sponsored by Adeptus Mechanicus.

From the moment I understood the weakness of my flesh…

When I was in college, we had to research a social movement for class. I chose the Cyborg Foundation, founded by the world's first documented cyborg, Neil Harbison. He was born greyscale colorblind, and has an external implant to let him sense colors. But he's been kicked out of movie theaters under suspicion of recording, and got held up by airport security for triggering metal detectors. The Cyborg Foundation was established in 2010 to provide resources and protections to augmented humans (and even some animals.) I was hoping they'd get an honorary mention in this video, since it's a real, ongoing example.

The flesh is weak.

Oh yeah, cyborg. My ultimate goal.

When our kids were growing up, we routinely referred to prostheses as " robot arms", &c. My late wife referred to her gold crowns as her "robot teeth", which amused our kids immensely, especially when I drew cartoons of a mouth which included teeth with robotic faces and limbs.

as an amputee let me tell you, it is already here comrade

Someone with a pacemaker is a cyborg so cyborgs are already in mainstream society

I think you hit the nail in the head for virtual reality being a solid route to cyborg civilizations. Assuming FTL never becomes a thing, space travel is not going to be a short affair. Access to simulated natural environments would most likely be the only route to maintain sanity… And a headset that shows you nature isn’t the same as neural augments that let you LIVE there.

Dude, the way you conceptualize ideas is so impressive. You draw connections that, in hindsight, seem obvious, but that's only true after they've been suggested.

I have hearing aids, wear glasses, and I have false teeth.

Tool usage. I mean, when you use a good tool, or a large mobile piece of equipment even, you forget that it isn't a part of you, when you're manipulating it. You don't think step by step which way to move the tool to make it do what you want, you just do it. That's the type of connection I expect augmentation would be like, driving a hi-lo.

To my mind, the line on 'cyborg' is when it's implanted into you. Glasses? No. Glass eye? No. Pacemaker, cochlear implant? Definitely yet.

Modern day biohackers should be considered a type of cyborg. Some have even given themselves new senses!

Everyone is all excited about turning into a robot, and I am just sitting here hoping they make a house cleaning robot soon.

Video games like Deus Ex introduced me to the concept of transhumanism, and it changed my outlook on how i see technology and biology. It helped me decide my future career path in human enhancement technologies. Im convinced that humanity will become cyborgs in a gradual trend of integrating technology into the human body. Exoskeletons and wearable technologies like smart watches are the very first step towards human augmentation. Brain computer interfaces are starting to get more attention with the neuralink. The emergence of AI could usher the singularity that could exponentially speed up the process of transhumanism. I'm 25 and im glad that ill be able to witness the emergence of cybernetics. I'll definitely augment myself well into my old age to prevent brain and body degradation. Imagine being 100 years old and you have a cybernetic body that is comparable to the top athletes, bodybuilders, and endurance runners? The future is very bright and i hope more people realize the potential of transhumanism and cyborgs.

Always enjoy some Issac on a Sunday.

Rimworld and Kenshi have taught me that in harsh environments, cybernetic augmentation is not always optional

Artificial augmentation to give me mantis shrimp color perception would be amazing.

Excerpted from a talk given by Hugh Darrow at the 2020 Human Plus Conference in San Jose. "We get carried away with the idea of bolting robot arms and legs to our fleshy torsos, but I firmly believe that the real core of what we can innovate lies within our meat - more specifically, in our brains. Deep brain implants are the way in which the human machine can truly be supercharged. Consider our gray matter; our neural DNA has been imprinted with a mammoth amount of information allowing us to parallel-process huge and complex data sets in quick order - but for all that, our "wet memory" is patchy and sporadic. We lack the ability to communicate data in complete fashion! Through the use of cognitive enhancement implants providing neurotropic stimuli, we are capable of creating a new level of neural synchrony that can effectively boost brain capacity; and via wireless data-parsing subsystems, a form of "radio telepathy" is a real and viable concept. Faster brains processing more data, reacting quicker, capable of streaming that data in real-time to other similarly accelerated posthumans -- this is the real frontier." - Deus Ex: Human Revolution

Praise the Omnissiah! Another voxcast from Magos Isaac!

في المستقبل البعيد وبفضل التكنولوجيا المتقدمة سوف يتساوى الخيال مع الواقع ويمتلك الإنسان قوى الآلهة ليحول الكون والأكوان المتعددة إلى جنة خالدة ❤

I think the purely automated AI path we're on now is a dead end, people just haven't realized it yet. After we realize it our attention will shift to cybernetics.

As for cyborgs, another line was crossed recently. Neuralink implanted it's first brain chip, and the patient couldn't be more happy with it. He's asking for more, including controlling a humanoid robot. Combining the two is also possible, to have artificial limbs you can control with your thoughts, like the natural ones. And ultimately the goal is full brain augmentation, that makes you smarter, connects you directly to the internet, lets you mind-control machines, makes backup copies of you mind, and so on. This is a bit further away, of course. A few decades minimum, but could still happen in our lifetime.

I am totally getting cybernetics when technology advances far enough for them to give me super powers

You can't make a robot, be a robot

I'm not a true cyborg, but I've had a few implants. Getting old, slowly replacing my body parts... Is SFIA having its 10 year anniversary soon or have I missed it? Crazy its been that long! This episode is another banger, thank you! 125% speed for the first listen, now its down to 90% for the second listen (as my bedtime story).

My bedtime relaxation go to

The thought of an augmentation that tricks you into thinking that you are eating a full meal with fixings and dessert made me think of Violet Beauregarde from Willy Wonka. What could go wrong? lol

1:00 My uncle who lived in Fairbanks, Alaska back in the 80s described it that way. Half the population was waiting out various statutes of limitations in other states, and the other half had no intention of going back.

0:10 cyborgization is undenyably an important step, a big part of the transhumanist goal for uplifting improving and freeing humanity and other species we could and should uplift, but its not the end goal, not even full digitizing of the human mind would be ideal, since that would open vulnerablities like computer viruses wiping humanity out, instead i like the idea of the orchid cage more, organic minds and enough meat to support them but built into a robotic body with its own digital twin copy of that organic mind, both connected, like the two hemisphere of the brain, it may sound strange or redundant, but it would shield against devistating threats like radiation, or computer viruses, and even if somehting damaged or destroyed one of the new humans minds there is a constant imediate backup maintaining the individuals conciouness while the damage is repaired, no time lost like with back up saves of the mind, adendum i nearly forgot to mention the iportance of using genetic engeniering to enhance the organic parts, incress resenctence to radiation, cancer, cellular regeneration of organ and brain tissue, and better resiliance to being frozen to allow for cheap cryo stasis to finaly be a reality making sub light space travel much more merciful on the human mind, and less resorce demanding. see info on tardigrades, wasps and axolotl for all required traits we need to give to our own species... and id argure, earth life in general, there is no reason not to enhance the regeneritive abilities of all native life to be more robust.

Main problem with cybernetics for me is getting obsolete and forced subscriptions. What if the producer does not want to support a cyber implant 2 years after surgery? What if they subscription plan goes to "+ads", so you cannot wake up without 30 min of ads in the morning?

I think we can have 3 different scales of cyborgs, which have some some level of overlap. Internal vs external, replacement vs addition/enhance, and optional vs mandatory. For example a prosthetic limb is external, replacement, and mandatory. It's outside of your body, it's replacing your old leg/arm, and you have to have it to walk. A cellphone would be external, additional, optional. It's not something in you, it's offering options that you didn't have before such as Internet access and communication, and you can function without it if you choose to (despite what teenagers think).

I think that the transition into cyborg or having cybernetics, as we think of them in sci-fi, would require a couple of things. Basically, they would need to be "smart appliances" in that they offer some higher order of functionality over the natural and also that they can be installed even without a previous medical condition. It's true that current medical devices are, strictly speaking, cybernetic implants, but I think they are more inline with prosthetics rather than cybernetics as far as terminology goes.

I can definitely vouch for questioning the line between man and machine, not only do I have glasses like your example, but I also have an Omnipod (tubeless insulin pump), and a Dexcom G6 (continuous glucose monitor). I would upgrade to a Dexcom G7 but I am waiting for it to be compatible with Omnipod.

My friend Bruno a retired lumberjack from Slovakia wiill maybe be the last willing Cyborg. He lives self sustained in the White Mountains in New Hampshire. No need for electricity or phone or address or neighbors. He hunts, fishes, forages, grows veggies, fruit, nut trees..Even when he occasionally must go to "pavement " once a month for his liquor and bullets, is a big deal for him.

Cyborgization is just a stepping stone to robotization. I don't think a civilization that takes the 80/20 step would not go that one step further. Unless there is something stopping the ghost from living in the machine. Who knows?

The process for this has already begun. I myself only got an artifical lens in one of my eyes but it is a start.

I wanna be a cyborg

An interesting topic might be to explore ascension. An evolution from organic beings to cybernetics augmented beings to pure energy beings.

Another great episode of a topic I've adored for many years.

Strongly recommend you check out the Amon-Iram SCP stories. Machinery-cult ancient civilization where prosthetics and augmentations were commonplace and sometimes considered sacred. Interesting take on the concept!

I recently had cataract surgery. When this is done new corrective lenses are also "installed". This was the case with me. I can now see distance as good as I could when I was 19. I'm well on my way to becoming a cyborg.

I have been contemplating what it could be like to link with your partner, and how this could become the stage of the relationship before getting engaged. Those moments where words fail to relay adequately what you feel/mean would no longer be a thing since you could literally send them how you feel, or even send full images/videos of your daydream.

From a seminar by Hugh Darrow for BBC Four, Spring 2009 "The form and function of what are commonly known as cybernetic limbs - that is, mechanical augmentation prosthetics - can be summed up in a single word; improvement. These augmentation technologies replace feet, hands, legs, or arms with a synthetic model that can easily replicate, if not surpass, the abilties of an organic limb. In cross-section, cyber-limbs are composed of muscles made from electroactive polymer bunches arranged around artificial bones that are, in turn, formed from dense superplastics or lightweight metal alloy foams. Fluid shock-absorbing joint mechanisms complete the mimicry of human form, and to give the limbs a more "realistic" sense, they are typically coated with a nano-scale artificial epidermis that resembles flesh. Inside the limbs, microcomputer units interface directly with biochips implanted in the organic parts of the augmentee's body, translating nerve impulses from the brain directly into action and motion. Far more advanced then the crude constructs of the past, these human augmentations allow us to become better, faster, stronger." -Deus Ex: Human Revolution

The issues, temptations, and pressures that athletes feel with regard to steroids would be mirrored by the introduction of cybernetics.

Isaac: "We just dont call them that" Me: regularly calling my spouse a cyborg because they have an arm-mount glucose meter lol

23:45 Getting bored of something may be a necessary part of intellectual being. We wouldn't turn off boredom. If it truly got to that point, we would eventually turn off ourselves.

The thought occurs, actually wired into human hardware cybernetics might be short-lived if it becomes a big thing at all: Solving the problem for how to wire something into the human body might be harder than reading, and even writing, motor and sensory data to the human brain wirelessly. Then you don't even connect a prosthesis, outside of tethering it, and you can be commanding drones, either ones that look like real arms, legs and eyes or hands that fly around attached to a little quadcopter mechanism

I commend your voice therapy progression, Issac. Keeps improving with each video. Well done, sir!

Some world building that mare my Sunday that much better. Excellent work as always, Isaac.

That Star Trek scene was probably my favorite moment of the series

I wear shoes nearly all the time I’m outside. Also, I’m nearly always in clothes. Thus, I am an argumented human.

Some of this makes it seem slightly more likely that a potential future like Nier:Automata or Stellar Blade could be a possibility.

I have always thought humans merging with machines/software is the natural progression for humanity. There will be the classical human with no augmentations, Humans merged with technology, Humans enhanced solely by bio/dna and last 100 sentient machines.

I can't tell if the intro music was ghost in the shell or mechanicus ⚙️ Either way, both are flawlessly apropos to the video

I have a question about time . We experience the flow of time as it's processed by the brain and it tells us the "speed" its passing (which has a little variability depending on the situation like fear/excitement/boredom) If we augmented ourselves to live longer, could you also speed up your thinking so that it feels like you're living a lot longer - but really its just the perception of time?

the post human series by david simpson is one of my absolute favorites. i think parts of it are free on amazon. highly recommended

Ah.. You had me at Brain in a jar 😂😂😂.. Omg who wants to become a toaster with a brain or a disembodied consciousness ? Yikes.. I see the future and its scary

That whole digital steak thing brings up a problem with a post scarcity world where indulgences are infinite. Like that WALL-E spaceship

So someone piloting a war mech like an Armored Core with a neural link would be a cyborg? That's cool!

Great stuff as usual.

Hi Isaac Arthur. Can you please do a video or short on "embedded information"? Huge fan of the channel for years!

I love this origin story for Cyberstan

Cyborg meaning Borg there is no escape you will be Assimilated 😂😂

speak for yourself, my mom got her knee replaced and I immediatly declared her a powerful cyborg.

Queue up Mechanicus intro folks, it's time to hail the Omnissaiah

The flesh is weak, so we transcend through circuits and steel our wills we mend strength not born, but built and designed with every upgrade our power refined!

Oh this is a good one! While I’d be satisfied just by being uploaded, life as a cyborg is wonderful to imagine!

Work for Space Systems Command in El Segundo. We need to get you onto one of our podcasts! Thanks! - Carlo Niño

I wear a constant glucose monitor so technically I am already part cyborg for 14 days at a time

14:25 i have never realised the health benefits of virtual food.

Is there anyone else who was hearing violin music in the background of this video, especially around 5-6 minute range?

I think neocortex can be replaced by electronic too. To save consciousness they could save intact only some deep cores of thalamus.

As long as its voluntary even I would get cybernetics, but only as needed

This video is right up my alley. I'm brainstorming a society like this with Androids and cyborgs

In a limited way, I am a cyborg...both my natural lenses have been replaced due to cataracts. I see far more clearly than I have in my life. Even prior to cataracts, I was very nearsighted. Now, I almost don't need glasses... slightly nearsighted. I am one happy and grateful cyborg- no longer slowly going blind...seeing the world clearly is a very good thing.

I hope to be part of this new humanity. It would be sick.

Such a cool subject. I cant wait to mod my bod

I'd certainly replace my eyes with artificial ones if it could result in much better vision. Imagine being able to see a lot more of the electromagnetic spectrum, at your will and discretion.

Unlike Adam Jensen, I asked for this.

Raise Up, Cybran Nation!

I only want brain augmentation for near-unlimited memory storage space

when does" Aliens Have Contacted Us... Now What?" come out?

Noah was permitted to grow a vinyard. 🤕

remember guys its way more badass to get bionic upgrades after losing the original in battle

"Just over the horizon" Double meaning? 😂

Bless Isaac, may your fame grow

I'll take laser eyes.

I’m interested in perceiving more wavelengths of light. Cyborg eyes might be cool.

VICTOR For Darkseid

❤ video request: sci-fi Sunday episode about an episode about a potential exoplanet where life evolved to live like the fungi of Chernobyl ❤ maybe what it would take to adapt humanity to live harmoniously with such a world that hosts an ecosystem based on radiation instead of sunlight, biological and cybernetic augmentation to allow increased radiation resistance, and with those changes would ultimately entail both for the individual and for the society of that world ❤ i’ve been watching your show since your channel was only like two years old, I absolutely love your work, thank you so much for continuing to put out such awesome and inspiring videos ❤

A brain in a jar will never go far! Better get connected. 🤖

Replace my digestive system with batteries. It's broken and I spend most of my time cyborg'd with the toilet

Great episode as always. I think you are severely underselling the mental health aspect of widespread cybernetic enhancement, especially extensive ones - I also feel the same way about mind uploading. Humans are already naturally very vulnerable to dysphroia. Alienating a human mind from the bodily functions and sensory experiences it's used to, even if it's just a substitution rather than a deletion, is likely to be deeply traumatic. The more substitutions made, the more severe the trauma. A robotic hand or a robotic eye or robotic guts are sure to be fine, and even a combination of all three would be hunky dory, but the idea of a human foregoing eating for a more energy-efficient option? I think it'd just destroy people, mentally. Our brains are wired to need to eat, need to breathe, to percieve things in a certain way, otherwise we'd just 'break' mentally. Just like people would get 'homesick' for earth, they would get 'bodysick' for their flesh. Now obviously there are plenty of examples of very, very mentally broken groups of people throughout human history achieving great things. Plus, our neurological understanding of mental health grows more extensive with every year - maybe we'd just pop our dysphoria pills for the month and do our thing. Obviously posthuman intelligences and artificial intelligences would help remedy this, too. But regardless I think that it would be a paradigm hugely dominated by managing dysphoria and those 'bodysick' symptoms. A colony in the Oort cloud with hyper-efficient electronic metabolism might eat not because they need food, but to stave off insanity.

Related to today's topic and an excellent example of the Cyborg subject would be this book: Hardwired - the book by Walter Jon Williams I highly recommend it to anyone who is a cyberpunk fan!

Weird. YT wouldn't let me comment until I came back... That's the longest intro I have ever experienced!

If we’re evolving our tech at the same rate we are now, internal cybernetics will be out of date the day it is put in?

Will have to watch Bicentennial Man again

The only augmentation I would like would be to remove constant pain... (Maybe emotional as well as physical!)