The Brain is a Cyborg

The Human Brain is one of the most enduring mysteries known to Science. Every decade, new theories are formulated, and old ones discarded. Recently, the Brain has come to be seen as highly elastic and adaptable. This fascinating ability to rewire itself is what makes physical re-education so efficient in stroke victims, for instance.

Although science has yet to decode the hidden language of neurons, cognitive scientists have used EEG (Electroencephalogram) technology to scan brain activity and understand certain brain patterns and their functions. By mapping such patterns to specific digital (computer) commands, one may theoretically manipulate a computer. This article, recently published, shows that when a person attempted to use his/her brain patterns to manipulate a cursor on screen, the person's brain automatically amplified the brainwaves in response. This is a groundbreaking discovery as it suggests the brain's elasticity is not restricted to the body and the healing process.


Left: Brain signals in the first trial, when the subject was able to hit the target just under half the time. Right: Brain activity after about 10 minutes of training, when the subject could hit the target with 94 percent accuracy. The signal is stronger than in the earlier trial, and stronger even than when the subject actually performed the imagined movement.

According to the article, the subject did not even have to imagine movement after 10 minutes of training, and was able to instinctively move the cursor as he would a limb.
This leads me to my point: the Brain is a Cyborg because it inherently possesses the ability to append new devices to itself, figure out how they work, and use them as if they are natural appendages. The implications are impressive, far-reaching, and raise many questions about the difference between Man and Machine.

If Man's biology can understand and make Machine part of itself, where do we draw the line?