Stories like Cyberpunk 2077 present a future where flesh and silicon will be essentially indistinguishable. Human bodies upgraded and optimized with functions we do not possess, replacement of parts in a matter of minutes, total absence of rejection... the list goes on. But in real life we already have some pioneers. Perhaps our readers remember Neil Harbisson, the first cyborg recognized by a government, and today we meet Joe Dekni, a young artist who, in mid-October, implanted a system based on echolocation. Just like bats.
Bionic legs, electronic arms controlled by the mind, custom-made parts using 3D printing. Medicine and robotics are making impressive advances in replacing what we have lost. However, there is also another movement that seeks to optimize and expand the intact human body. Some place it under the label of transhumanism, and others prefer the term cyberpunk, but the ultimate goal is similar: to be 'more than human' with technological assistance. One of the most recent demonstrations took place in Barcelona, in mid-October. The Transpecies Society foundation was the place chosen by Joe Dekni, a young 22-year-old artist, to integrate into his body an echolocation system.
Dekni achieved this thanks to the help of the aforementioned Neil Harbisson, and his team of engineers. Self-proclaimed as a mixture between artist and alchemist, Dekni explained his interest in perceiving something "paranormal and invisible", and opened his intervention to the public to demonstrate that it is "another perception of life". When this artificial organ is activated in his cheekbones and ears, Dekni can feel the vibrations generated by his surroundings, which he described as "a burning sensation, and at the same time a feeling of satisfaction", combined with "happiness and pain".
The artist has fulfilled the desire to obtain an additional sense that goes beyond the physical, but what's next? Are there others waiting to do something similar? A new generation of artists prepared to experiment with their bodies and silicon? At the same time, I'll leave a question: Would you be willing to receive such an implant?
