Nikki's E-learning and Digital Cultures site » machine http://edc13.education.ed.ac.uk/nikkib Nikki's E-Learning and Digital Cultures site - part of the MSc in E-learning at the University of Edinburgh Thu, 30 May 2013 09:29:15 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 21st Century Cyborg? http://edc13.education.ed.ac.uk/nikkib/2013/03/20/21st-century-cyborg/ http://edc13.education.ed.ac.uk/nikkib/2013/03/20/21st-century-cyborg/#comments Wed, 20 Mar 2013 11:49:54 +0000 Nikki Bourke http://edc13.education.ed.ac.uk/nikkib/?p=418

The marriage of machine to man may create a form that exhibits characteristics beyond those capable of man. Science fiction holds examples of these in abundance, from James Cameron’s Terminator [The Terminator, 1984] to Ridley Scotts’ Deckard [Bladerunner, 2007 [final cut]].

How does a transference of such fusion sit outside of the fiction arena?

Is the ‘fusion’ itself enough in terms of a valid definition of cyborg? Perhaps even the term ‘fusion’  is subjective. Who decides to what extent the machine enfolds into the man and vica versa?

Is ‘use of’ the machine sufficient?  Or in the realisation of a cyborg definition do we tiptoe down the eXistenZ route of becoming the machine and the machine becoming us?

Reflecting more on this…

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