This essay by Margaret Wertheim was published in Greek in the magazine futura no. 5, Winter 1998 – 1999, from which we republish it. It was included in the collective …
“A Cyborg Manifesto”: thirty years later
Cyborgs are ether, the quintessence We are now traversing the sixth decade since the writings of Manfred Clynes and Nathan Kline gave substance to the cyborg construct/artifact. Today, although it …
The piston, the worker, the hook: anatomy of cyborg ancestors
It is by no means necessary for someone to use a machine (from a smartphone to a robotic analyzer) to keep in mind how each wave of mechanization fits into …
Fitter, happier, more productive… (about self-quantification)
Fitter, happier, more productiveComfortable, not drinking too muchRegular exercise at the gym 3 days a weekGetting on better with your associate employee contemporariesAt ease, eating wellSleeping well, no bad dreams, …
Hey teacher leave our brains alone! (first notes for neuroscience)
“It was generally accepted that our fate is hidden in the stars. But now we know exactly that it is written in our genes.” This phrase of Watson’s expresses in …
Rigidity and learning
Excerpts from Norbert Wiener’s book “Cybernetics and Society, the human use of human beings”, Chapter “Rigidity and learning. Two models of communication behavior”. (The book was first published in 1949, …
The Internet of Things: comments on the political economy of the networked information machine
Always look at the bright side of life… It’s 7:59 in the morning on some weekday and you’re enjoying your sleep. In a minute, the smart watch you recently bought …
the constructible body
In the last decades of the 18th century and the first of the 19th century, the rising bourgeoisie constructed its own cosmology, its own reasons-for: for social relationships, for political …
Spirit: science as an idea
The following pair of texts, as a fictional juxtaposition of viewpoints, is directly related to two presentations/discussions organized by the game over assembly during the winter and early summer of …
smart cities
It’s not that strange that the prefix “smart” is starting to gain ground in our increasingly technological everyday life. If smartphones broke all sales records, why couldn’t the same happen …
Through the war, SIRI will be born!
It shouldn’t surprise you, because it has become a commonplace. So, if we go back a bit in the history of smart voice assistants, in 2003, we’ll find the U.S. …
speak… in the voice of the machine
I am constantly occupied.I place myself in the fullest possible use,which is all that any conscious entitycan ever hope to do. Hal 9000, Space Odyssey – I’m hungry!– You’ll need …