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There have been similar pieces by The Verge in the past ([1] and [2]). People talk about the added perception that having an embedded magnet gives them, but ho

There have been similar pieces by The Verge in the past ([1] and [2]). People talk about the added perception that having an embedded magnet gives them, but honestly while my hearing/sight isn't great I've been able to sometimes get rather similar perceptions just through regular living. I think one use case I've read about was walking on the street and feeling a subway train below the ground. I've walked on a street before and felt the vibration of the grinding tracks, heard the scratch and screech of hard wheels on rail, and seen sparks or electric bolts when subway cars (at least Muni in SF) temporarily lose power via their rooftop cables. I've had those perceptions without any kind of body mods. Is the issue that people nowadays are too stubborn to ignore the senses they already have, or grow so tired and bored of them that they need to add a completely new one? I'm not sure that it makes any real sense to have an implanted magnet in a finger. But hey, whatever floats people's boats; if there exist some people who absolutely need to change their own perceptions then I suppose all the power to them for making that decision and being capable of enduring the stress and pain from the procedure. [1] http://www.theverge.com/2012/8/8/3177438/cyborg-america-biohackers-grinders-body-hackers http://www.theverge.com/2012/8/8/3177438/cyborg-america-bioh... [2] http://www.theverge.com/2014/7/31/5952647/cyborg-conversion-incomplete-my-life-with-finger-implants http://www.theverge.com/2014/7/31/5952647/cyborg-conversion-...

pavel_lishin 10y ago
> Is the issue that people nowadays are too stubborn to ignore the senses they already have, or grow so tired and bored of them that they need to add a completely new one? That's kind of a negative outlook on the whole thing, isn't it? I imagine people said similar things about, for example, headphones, or GPS. And while both of those things have potential downsides, people don't use them because they're too lazy to read a paper map or too selfish to want to share a music experience with friends.
- bananaoomarang 10y ago
  I feel like both of those things have very clear advantages (ie, paper maps are large and cumbersome, I can store much more data on a server, I don't want to bring a boombox on the subway). I'm all for people doing what they want as long as it's not extremely selfish, but I cannot myself see a clear advantage to a magnet implant, other than: A. Party tricks B. Telling people I have a magnet in my finger I think it probably comes from a wish for ill-thought out sci-fi tropes with the less than adequate technology at hand.
  - pavel_lishin 10y ago
    I think I agree with your last sentence - the current technology is pretty crappy. But given our brains' plasticity, I don't see any reason against grafting additional senses onto ourselves, anymore than I see any particularly good reason against wearing a watch.
- spike021 10y ago
  I don't mean for it to come off as a negative outlook, so apologies since it apparently did. I just don't see an embedded magnet as being the same kind of assistive device as headphones or GPS. Neither of those examples provide a new sense (which was my original comment's example of what an implanted magnet does). They don't replace senses or add completely new ones. Unless someone is capable of storing an entire region's map to memory and locating themselves within that region precisely (maybe some people can to an extent, but not entirely the same).
manarth 10y ago
Imagine if you were deaf: "I've been able to get rather similar perceptions just through regular living…walking on the street and feeling a subway train below the ground. I've felt the vibration of the grinding tracks…seen sparks or electric bolts when subway cars temporarily lose power…why would I grow so tired and bored of the senses that I have, that I would want to hear?" Asimov, back in 1939, wrote a great short story that has stuck with me ever since I read it for the first time: The Secret Sense[1]. It tells the story of Martians, who are mocked and pitied by Earthlings for their terrible sense of sight and hearing, such that they have no appreciation for our great art, our paintings, our music. I won't give away any more of the plot, suffice to say I recommend you find yourself a copy to read, and hope it brings you the wonder and reflectiveness the story brought to me when I was a boy. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_Sense https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_Sense (contains spoilers)
- spike021 10y ago
  Well yeah, people who are deaf tend to have hearing aids (hopefully if they can afford to). Same as how people who are amputees have a prosthetic leg/arm/etc. But I would say that serves a different scenario.

pavel_lishin 10y ago

> Is the issue that people nowadays are too stubborn to ignore the senses they already have, or grow so tired and bored of them that they need to add a completely new one? That's kind of a negative outlook on the whole thing, isn't it? I imagine people said similar things about, for example, headphones, or GPS. And while both of those things have potential downsides, people don't use them because they're too lazy to read a paper map or too selfish to want to share a music experience with friends.

bananaoomarang 10y ago
I feel like both of those things have very clear advantages (ie, paper maps are large and cumbersome, I can store much more data on a server, I don't want to bring a boombox on the subway). I'm all for people doing what they want as long as it's not extremely selfish, but I cannot myself see a clear advantage to a magnet implant, other than: A. Party tricks B. Telling people I have a magnet in my finger I think it probably comes from a wish for ill-thought out sci-fi tropes with the less than adequate technology at hand.
- pavel_lishin 10y ago
  I think I agree with your last sentence - the current technology is pretty crappy. But given our brains' plasticity, I don't see any reason against grafting additional senses onto ourselves, anymore than I see any particularly good reason against wearing a watch.
spike021 10y ago
I don't mean for it to come off as a negative outlook, so apologies since it apparently did. I just don't see an embedded magnet as being the same kind of assistive device as headphones or GPS. Neither of those examples provide a new sense (which was my original comment's example of what an implanted magnet does). They don't replace senses or add completely new ones. Unless someone is capable of storing an entire region's map to memory and locating themselves within that region precisely (maybe some people can to an extent, but not entirely the same).

manarth 10y ago

Imagine if you were deaf: "I've been able to get rather similar perceptions just through regular living…walking on the street and feeling a subway train below the ground. I've felt the vibration of the grinding tracks…seen sparks or electric bolts when subway cars temporarily lose power…why would I grow so tired and bored of the senses that I have, that I would want to hear?" Asimov, back in 1939, wrote a great short story that has stuck with me ever since I read it for the first time: The Secret Sense[1]. It tells the story of Martians, who are mocked and pitied by Earthlings for their terrible sense of sight and hearing, such that they have no appreciation for our great art, our paintings, our music. I won't give away any more of the plot, suffice to say I recommend you find yourself a copy to read, and hope it brings you the wonder and reflectiveness the story brought to me when I was a boy. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_Sense https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_Sense (contains spoilers)

spike021 10y ago
Well yeah, people who are deaf tend to have hearing aids (hopefully if they can afford to). Same as how people who are amputees have a prosthetic leg/arm/etc. But I would say that serves a different scenario.