Royal Institution Christmas Lectures

Rise of the Robots: Bionic Bodies (2000x4)

: 29, 2000

What are cyborgs and what would they look like? Would they resemble Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Terminator or might they be more like The Borg from Star Trek? Are they just science fiction or are they already here? Some of the answers in "Bionic Bodies" might surprise you - cyborgs are not just possible, but a reality! After all, many humans are already being fitted with machines which help them to live normal lives, things like replacement limbs, heart pacemakers, cochlea implants for the deaf, even an electronic "eye" for blind people. These men and women are technically, cyborgs! But what of the rest of us? Would you want to be a cyborg of the future? Well you may well have the chance! Microchips are being developed which can deliver medicine in precise amounts, they can be put onto clothes or jewellery as wearable computers.