How Close are We to Developing Cyborgs?
The answer to this question depends on what we consider a true cyborg. The standard definition for the term is merely a human that is integrated with machine parts. By some intuitive definitions, even a person wearing glasses or driving a car would be considered a cyborg, though usually it refers to a closer integration than this. Even by a more rigorous definition, anyone with an implant with moving parts — such as those of us with pacemakers, cochlear implants, or heart pumps — are true cyborgs. So, by many definitions, developing cyborgs has already been done. However, when we hear the word “cyborg,” we often think of the cyborgs in science fiction, which tend to have more extensive synergy with mechanical components than a person with a pacemaker. Cyborgs in science fiction may have enhanced bones and muscles so they can run faster and have more endurance, or artificial eyes or other sensory organs to enhance perception. Developing cyborgs and the consequences that result from them
