[ExI] the next big thing: was RE: proposed moratorium...

Keith Henson hkeithhenson at gmail.com
Mon Apr 20 23:28:20 UTC 2009


On Mon, Apr 20, 2009 at 8:08 AM, Anne Corwin <sparkle_robot at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> --- On Mon, 4/20/09, Keith Henson <hkhenson at rogers.com> wrote:
>
>> My guess is an extension of the cell phone.  Right now full
>> internet
>> access can be had but not a lot of people have it.  That
>> will become
>> common to the point people will think they can't live
>> without it.  And
>> the phone/access device will evolve in the direction of a
>> full neural
>> interface.  My bet is that we are no more than 7 years from
>> implanted
>> phones.
>>
>> Keith
>
> The *technology* for phone implants may well exist in 7 or so years, however, I am less inclined to figure that use of them will be widespread. Aside from body-modification hobbyists, most humans aren't particularly inclined to undergo unnecessary (meaning, non-lifesaving) surgery, and while it would be very nice, somehow I doubt we are going to have the problems of infection and foreign-material rejection solved within 7 years.

These problems were solved clear back in the 1960 with pacemakers.
>
> My guess would be that "super-cellphones" might (rather than being implants) consist of very thin/small devices that adhere somehow to the skin, somewhere on the head/behind the ear, and perhaps take advantage of bone conduction or something like it in order to work.

The skin irritation would be worse than having it under the skin

>As convenient as an implant might be in some respects, I just can't see people being willing to cut themselves open and install something that they can't remove themselves and that would permit their boss to call them at 3 AM!

Consider the metal people stick through various body parts for fashion
accessories . . ..  Kids at least would insist on the surgery to
implant them leaving scars on their heads like the lacing on a
football.

And it certainly would generate problems when someone with an implant
was arrested.  The current police practice is to remove all the metal
sticking out, even if they have to use bolt cutters.  Would they cut
them open to get the cell phone out?  (Can't have prisoners talking
through the jail walls.)  Or woujld the cops just whack them with an
EMP to burn 'em out?

Keith

> - Anne
>
>
>
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