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Saturday, April 23, 2005

Re: we are becoming the borg :(

I just thought I'd illuminate the difference, and address why cyborg is indeed the correct metaphor to use. So without further ado, the difference between a cyborg, a robot, and an android.

Robot
There's little to say about robots, the key ingredients to classify one as a robot is that it operates automatically, without thought, without conscience, and acts in accordance with orders or its programmed "mind" - it is a machine.

Cyborg
Cyborgs can be thought of as cybernetic organisms, bionic humans, or simply humans with some form of mechanical/electronic augmentation or replacement for a physiological function of their body. A cyborg is born a human, and for those of faith, possesses a soul. There is however, the question of where the line is drawn - if a man loses an arm and replaces it with a mechanical prosthetic, but still retains conscious control of his limb, do we consider him a cyborg? To me, a cyborg has to fit additional criteria beyond the strict definition, "A human who has certain physiological processes aided or controlled by mechanical or electronic devices" (American Heritage® Dictionary). For me, a cyborg must either:

1. Be granted abilities beyond that of the average human with said replacement;
2. The replacement must function independent of the person's own brain's control (i.e. artificial respirators);
   
3. The replacement must be one that is vital to the person's survival (i.e. a major organ);
4. The device must be integrated with the body (otherwise technology would make everyone a cyborg - touch a computer? a calculator? a bicycle? CYBORG - this avoids that dilemma).
   

Android
This is where the confusion is usually made, androids are actually quite the opposite (theologically?) to that of cyborgs. An android is a robot that possesses independent thought processes, it is entirely mechanized, and resembles a human in shape and form (it is humanoid).

Consider I, Robot as an example of the distinction: the main "robot" character, Sonny is in actuality an android, because he is able to act on his own accord, while his counterparts are robots because they are programmed to think and act in accordance with specific parameters - they follow orders and programmed responses to situations, but they have no cognition.

We're at the stage now where we need a new term to describes the mechanization of thought. When a person stops thinking their own thoughts are they not subhuman? That's how I see popular culture: a bunch of dickless, mindless, subhumans. Unfortunately we can't lump them into any of these categories, because, surprisingly they do have a brain, they just fail to use it.

I propose we enlist the term "mindless fucktards," and from there branch off with:
mindless fucktardification - the act or process of making one a mindless fucktard; and,
mindless fucktardology - the study of mindless fucktards, with emphasis on rehabilitating those who are afflicted.

Posted by twoheadedboy @ 7:56 PM  ;  (perma link)  ;