Make Me a Cyborg

Discovery

BBC

Science, Technology

4.3 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 27 February 2017

⏱️ 27 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Frank Swain can hear Wi-Fi.

Diagnosed with early deafness aged 25, Frank decided to turn his misfortune to his advantage by modifying his hearing aids to create a new sense. He documented the start of his journey three years ago on Radio 4 in 'Hack My Hearing'.

Since then, Frank has worked with sound artist Daniel Jones to detect and sonify Wi-Fi connections around him. He joins a community around the world who are extending their experience beyond human limitations.

In 'Meet the Cyborgs' Frank sets out to meet other people who are hacking their bodies. Neil Harbisson and Moon Rebus run The Cyborg Foundation in Barcelona, which welcomes like-minded body hackers from around the world. Their goal is not just to use or wear technology, but to re-engineer their bodies.

Frank meets the creators of Cyborg Nest, a company promising to make anyone a cyborg. They have recently launched their first product - The North Sense - a computer chip anchored to body piercings in the chest, which vibrates when it faces north.

But it’s not only new senses that are being developed. Other people are focusing on modifying lifesaving medical devices. Dana Lewis from Seattle has created her own 'artificial pancreas' to help manage her Type 1 diabetes and released the code online.

Frank asks - should limits be placed on self-experimentation? And will cybernetic implants eventually become as ubiquitous as smart phones?

Features music composed for The North Sense by Andy Dragazis.

Presenter: Frank Swain Producer: Michelle Martin.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Thank you for downloading from the BBC.
0:03.0	The details of our complete range of podcasts and our terms of use,
0:07.0	go to BBCworldservice.com slash podcasts.
0:11.0	My name is Frank Swain. broadcasts.
0:15.0	My name is Frank Swain. I am 34 years old and I can hear Wi-Fi.
0:19.0	You can listen in on my world in just a minute.
0:22.0	But first, back to the beginning. It all
0:27.4	started when I was diagnosed with early onset hearing loss when I was just
0:31.2	25 years old. The audiologist told me that they didn't normally see
0:36.2	this level of hearing loss in people under 40. So it was a huge shock. During my appointment, I asked if there was anything I could do to save my hearing.
0:47.0	To be honest with you, there isn't. Obviously if you're exposed to loud sounds, it will
0:50.9	aggravate your hearing loss even more. Yeah other than
0:53.6	monitoring your hearing it's not much you can do. However what they could do was fit me
0:59.6	with a hearing aid and I made a documentary for BBC Discovery three years ago exploring that experience of getting
1:06.8	wired up for the first time.
1:09.2	So we're going to set these hearing aids up, and that should begin in the next couple of seconds all right.
1:15.0	Lissle did I know how this moment would change my life forever.
1:20.0	The moment they were turned on, everything sounded like I was inside a giant tin can,
1:29.0	and everyday scenarios took on a whole new life.
1:34.0	So I'm outside now and yeah, the world's a bit of a different place, I think.
1:40.0	The taxi that is idling over by the pavement I probably wouldn't have
1:43.4	heard so I wouldn't have bothered me so much and I think I can hear some people
	...

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