The advanced world in which we live every day brings radical transformations in various areas of life (laboral, educational, personal, social, cultural, among others), which require humans to adapt to them almost immediately to the current of these dizzy changes that shape our cotidianeity.In this sense, the concept of liquid modernity, coined by sociologist Zygmunt Bauman, who refers to a malleable society, darkens, where the only permanent is change and takes strength the notion of individuality of the postmodern subject.In areas such as Science and Technology, this term has largely influenced, since the network society links its own advances and realizes the creation of cyborg aesthetics, humanoid robots and similar projects that aim to emulate human actions, highlighting the power of the human brain in the creation of these.The Red Society was born in the two last decades of the 19th century. From that moment on, experienced growth was exponential, since in just 20 years the number of Internet users increased (almost 5 billion in 2022). This great change that only lasts 20 years can be considered one of the greatest technological transformations in history, such as the invention of the railway, the imprenta or the whole process of the industrial revolution.This concept was defined by Manuel Castells (1998) as “the new social structure of the Information Age, based on networks of production, power and experience”. Having regard to this definition, each element mentioned has certain characteristics that are interconnected with each other and which are in his book The information age: economy, society and culture (vol. I) (1998):
- Social structure of the era of communication: The Network Society is the basis that determines the day to day of people, since it established and created new patterns of behavior. Around it, information flows emerged, which in turn produced millions of infinite connections made by individuals. Information and communication are power and the Red Society has enhanced this fact, as information creation is its material basis.
- Production relations: They are very connected to the interaction of man with nature and how it transforms to the generation of goods and services that satisfy their needs.
- Experience: It is the fundamental nucleus of human relations.
- Power relations: Power is understood as the ability to know the rest of individuals to exercise control over their minds. He is in the mind of the subject, by ende, according to which his ideals, thoughts and feelings will act in one way or another, so if one can enter his mind, they can control his actions.
According to this author, Internet is society. It expresses the social changes that occur in each of the countries and accompanies all the daily activities of the individuals that make up it.Within this framework, the Network Society has an intrinsic bond with the liquid modernity, which represents constant change, scientific-technological advances and the transformation of the individual and his consciousness.The sociologist Zygmunt Bauman, in his book The culture in the world of Liquid Modernity (1900) states that it has lost its misional role, since it is immersed in a consumer society, its function is not to satisfy existing needs, but to create new needs, and at the same time to ensure the permanent dissatisfaction of those already anchored.Thus, the current culture resembles a large store whose stands rebosan of desirable goods that change daily, in competition for the unbearable attention fleeting and distracted from potential users/clients. The above gave rise to the creation of transhuman aesthetics such as cyborgs.Cyborg Foundation defines the term cyborg as “the union between cybernetics and organisms." Since both are in an exponential evolution, the definition of this term is also constantly changing. From this perspective, cyborgs are people who have decided to supply deficiencies or implement new functions in their body through electronic devices. They can even develop new skills that the rest of humans do not possess.In your book Cyborg (2009), Igor Sádaba Rodríguez mentions that these are also one of the lines of research and transformation that contemplates the transhumanism, for its potential to optimize the biological limits of the human body. Its features include:- Combination of an evolved organism and a machine.
- Use of technology to improve your skills or senses.
- Adjustment to changes that require the body or the environment.
- Improved skills or new functions.
- Ability to continue to evolve.
Currently, there are several cases of real cyborgs such as the following:- Neil Harbisson: It is known as the first human cyborg It was recognized as such by the British government. In fact, it appears with your artificial eye on your passport photo. To do so, he needed a medical report to confirm that his artificial eye was part of his body and needed it. He was born with acromatopsy, a problem that prevents him from seeing the colors, so I only saw in black, black and gray. That's why, implanted an antenna in his head, that allows you to “scuchar the colors”. In addition, it allows you to receive images and even calls in your body. Harbisson considers this as a new sense gained thanks to technology. He along with Moon Ribas are the Cyborg Foundation creators, whose goal is to extend human senses and capabilities with cyber added.
- Moon Ribas: Incorporated sensors into your arms so you can experience a real-time vibration in your body every time there is an earthquake on Earth. She called him a seismic sense. After a few years, he changed the place sensors and incorporated them into his feet. It also changed them from place to other parts of your body to experience the movement from another perspective. Sensors are connected to a seismograph online that transmits vibrations no matter where the earthquake is present. With these sensations, Ribas created various artistic works such as dances or recitals.
- Kevin Warwick: This professor of Cybernetics tried in 1998 an experience that I was looking for the connection of the human body with a computer. It was subjected to an operation to implant an RFID chip in its arm, whose goal was to obtain a communication between the systems of its body and the chip. In the midst of the experiment, several antennas were installed to receive the chip information at the university in which they worked. In addition, a computer was collecting data from the process that lasted 9 days. The project was called Cyborg 1.0But it didn't end there. In 2002, this evolved and denominated Cyborg 2.0. In this project, Warwick was deployed 100 electrodes to arm nerves that would bridge to collect the information sent to the brain. He wanted to convert the nerve signal by performing movements on a digital signal that could be managed with a computer.
According to Warwick and Dr. Peter Kyberd, the experiment was a success. The nervous system of the arm was connected to the Internet and was able to control an artificial arm located in England. Thus, he ensured that In the future, the body and the brain have no reason to be together.- Rob Spence: He lost an eye when he was a child and decided that he wanted to regain his vision and ideate an electronic eye. Thus the idea of a protein eye was born It includes a video camera to record from your point of view. The eye has a concrete area to house the electronics. In addition, it is able to wirelessly send the images to a receiver. It also features a battery that can be recharged. This device has been called Eyeborg and has been constantly improved in recent years. The next goal is to confuse yourself with a natural eye. For now, Spence doesn't stand up connecting his eye to his brain. However, this would enhance the senses and even would get a better night view.
As technology evolves, it also increases your potential to modify our body and abilities. One cannot think of cyborgs as a matter of the future, but as part of our present. In the midst of the technological revolution, we are likely to increasingly meet with people who decide to bet on technology to improve their lives.Biotechnologies and information technologies have established a new paradigm of analysis from which the subject of the new millennium conforms. Thus, classical ontology from which traditionally defined the human being gives way to another in which technology plays a crucial role, since it is no longer an external element to the body, but acting in what it is called the cyborg.The cyborg -acronym cybernetic organism- is the current postmodern ontological condition of what was the organic human body of modernity and represents a liberating figure, which between reality and fiction, presupposes the “subversive” condition of the new technological human.This technical attitude faces others of a technical character, arousing an interesting debate around the culture-naturalness binary. Since the technophile field, transhumanist philosophy has been committed to the disappearance of the physical body, which in some way also propose some versions of cyberculture.Undoubtedly, the Network Society and liquid Modernity have brought multiple transformations that the human being can choose to concrete in order to optimize their abilities and senses in order to experience unique experiences that are the result of the broad advances of technology over the years, as British scientist Arthur Clarke said: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is equivalent to magic.”Do you want to validate this article?
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cecilia frontera
Hello! My name is Cecilia Frontera, and I am passionate about education and technology. As an e-ducator and change agent, I firmly believe that we can leave the legacy we want to see in the world through our words and exemplary actions, always thinking about the common good and positively transforming people’s lives.
Regarding my academic background, I hold a Master's degree in Artificial Intelligence with Summa Cum Laude honors (Andragogy Autonomous University, USA), a Bachelor's degree in Educational Technology (National Technological University FRBA), a diploma in Public Relations and Human Resources (Gestar Educativa), and a teaching degree in Language and Literature (I.S.F.D N° 21 "Ricardo Rojas").
As an international reference in education and technology, over the last ten years, I have trained more than 10,000 professionals from various institutions and companies in Latin America and Europe.
Currently, I work as an undergraduate and graduate professor at prestigious private Latin American universities such as Universidad del Valle de Guatemala (Guatemala), Universidad de las Américas (Ecuador), Universidad Siglo 21 (Argentina), and as a pedagogical advisor at Anáhuac Online University (Mexico).
Additionally, as a writer, I have collaborated on internationally recognized works such as "Dimensões Transmídia" (Ría Publishing - Portugal) and "Edutainment y gamificación: aprender puede y debe ser divertido" (Frovel Publishing - Mexico). Moreover, I have written forewords for books like "Emoción y desempeño en profesores universitarios" (Inmersión Digital Publishing - Mexico) and "Neurodidáctica y Neuroenjoyflip: Aprender puede ser divertido" (Amazon).
My authored books are: "La narrativa transmedia: propuestas interactivas para trabajar en el aula" (Sb), declared of cultural interest by the Senate of Salta (2021), "E-ducadores Transmediáticos. Docentes que (r)evolucionan el aula" (Bonum), declared of interest for Social Communication and Education by the Port Authority Legislature (2022), "NeuroTecnoEducación. Claves para gestionar los pensamientos, las emociones y la tecnología dentro del aula" (Bonum), and "Alfabetización y competencias transmedia. Propuestas didácticas para en Nivel Secundario y Superior" (Sb), in which I participated as editor along with Marina Falasca.
I have been a columnist in the "Education" section of Infobae newspaper and have been interviewed by media such as Clarín, La Voz del Interior, La Capital, and Radio Mitre.
For my innovative and disruptive educational work, I have been awarded several mentions and prizes such as the "Special Mention Premio Vivalectura 2018" (Digital Environments category), "Docentes Pioneros TICMAS 2019" Award, "ProMaker Medal 2021" (Professional ProMaker category), "Educa Latinoamérica 2022" Award (Excellence in Education category - Argentina), "Distinguished Graduate Level Professor 2023" recognition from Universidad Marista de San Luis Potosí (Mexico), and "Artificial Intelligence in Continuous Innovation of Anáhuac Online 2023" Award from Anáhuac Online University (Mexico).
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