#biological technology

[rupertbbare]

Weapons by Guillem Ferrer

[man-and-atom]

How the controversial 'Steroid Olympics' seeks to rewrite what it means to be an athlete | CBC Sports

Two decorated Canadian athletes are among those competing at this weekend's inaugural Enhanced Games — which is either the future of sport o

Under the conditions of the present day, the training regimens for champion athletes would kill or cripple most people. Indeed, it may be said that what makes a champion athlete these days is some physiological quirk which allows a person to survive that kind of training. Thousands break down under the strain, for every one who reaches the highest level of competition.

Things were different a century or so ago, before the “three–minute mile” and the “Fosbury flop”. But today, given that what are termed “performance–enhancing drugs” do not diminish, but rather increase the strain on the organism, there is room for doubt that the highest performance achievable with drugs is much different from that without. The main thing that the drugs can do is make the training go faster, making it even more debilitating.

What would be far more interesting is an entirely hypothetical class of truly performance–enhancing drugs, which would allow the body to do the same work it does now, but with less damage. These would be roughly equivalent to anti–aging drugs, whereas sports doping today typically makes the user old before his time.

[theblindmachine]

Listen: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5h2s0gzdy3WMt23aGW86f9 "**Title: The Evolution of Intelligence: A Journey Through Symbiosis and Technology** Blaise Agüera y Arcas has taken us on a thought-provoking voyage that challenges our very understanding of intelligence. His recent talk, “What is Intelligence?”, boldly connects the evolutionary threads that weave together life, computation, and symbiogenesis. In a world where boundaries blur and the lines between roles dissolve, Agüera y Arcas invites us to reconsider our place in the vast tapestry of existence. In our every interaction, we witness a symbiotic relationship where the merging of elements births something greater than the sum of its parts. We often perceive humanity as distinct individuals, completely separate from the technologies we create. Yet Agüera y Arcas argues this separation is illusory. We are deeply intertwined with our creations; every innovation and every algorithm we develop is inextricably linked to our existence. As we engineer tools that reshape our realities, those tools, in turn, are shaping us. His perspective cuts through the fog of essentialist dogma that too often restricts our understanding. Instead, he offers a functionalist view that positions biological computing—not as a mere anomaly, but as the essence of life itself. The computation occurring through DNA, RNA, and proteins is a fundamental aspect of being, underscoring the idea that life and technology are not disparate entities but parts of a singular continuum. Agüera y Arcas' credentials are as impressive as his insights. As a VP and Fellow at Google, he serves as the CTO of Technology & Society and is the founder of Paradigms of Intelligence (Pi), an organization that pushes the boundaries of research in artificial intelligence and related fields. His work is pioneering and directly addresses the foundational elements of neural computing, active inference, sociality, evolution, and the burgeoning field of artificial life. During his tenure at Google, Agüera y Arcas has made significant strides in artificial intelligence. From innovating on-device machine learning for Android and Pixel devices to inventing Federated Learning—a groundbreaking method that enables decentralized model training while protecting user privacy—his contributions continue to pave the way for a harmonious co-evolution of technology and human society. Moreover, through initiatives like the Artists + Machine Intelligence program, he has shown that collaboration between technology and creativity is not just feasible but essential. The crux of Agüera y Arcas’ argument resonates with profound implications: in the unfolding story of humanity and technology, our identities are not standalone narratives but chapters of a grander saga. As symbiotic beings, we are not merely creators of technology; we are co-creators, forever impacted by the technologies we develop. Each advancement invites us to reflect on who we are and challenges us to embrace our roles as both architects and products of an increasingly interconnected world. In conclusion, Agüera y Arcas compels us to look at intelligence through a lens of unity rather than division. As we venture into the future, let us remember that every step we take in technological advancement is a step into a deeper understanding of ourselves. Welcome to a world of symbiotic intelligence, where the boundaries of creation and creator blur and illuminate the path forward."

[butwhatisreality]

CIRCUMVENTIVE ORGAN by Agatha Haines

" With the introduction of bioprinting, the possibility of creating new organs may become a reality. The ability to replicate and print the cells that make up complex structures might possibly mean that different cells with various functions could be put together in new ways. This could hypothetically create new organs that would otherwise take humans millions of years to evolve naturally. Frankenstein-esque hybrid organs could be put together using cells from different body parts or even different species. Circumventive Organs is a series of speculative designs that imagine which parts of various animals could be used in combination with human tissue to solve common health problems.

The first concept, Electrostabilis Cardium, is a defibrillating organ using parts from an electric eel that can discharge an electric current to the heart when it recognises it going into fibrillation or cardiac arrest, returning the heart to its normal rhythm. The second, Tremomucosa Expulsum, is an organ that uses the strength and vibrations of rattlesnake muscles to release mucus from the respiratory system of a person who suffers from cystic fibrosis and dispels it through the stomach and into the body’s digestive system. The third, Cerebrothromba Dilutus, contains cells from the saliva gland of a leech and releases an anticoagulant when it feels the pressure of a potential blood clot in the brain, as a way of avoiding a stroke."

Artist's Statement

" This project, like GROW YOUR OWN…, aims to open questions to the public about the future of designing biology and the ethics and choices behind new biological technologies. The project intends to make people consider the motives of the companies funding this sort of research, and the potential outcomes. What might this research then be used for? People can also consider the potential benefits and drawbacks of such procedures or technologies. Would they decide to have such an operation if it meant it might extend or better their life? Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a kind of paradigm for the issues discussed in this project, along with lots of the current arguments about the future of biological technology. They point the way to the excitement of what humans can achieve and, at the same time, constitute a dire warning of the dangers of transgressing the natural."

https://dublin.sciencegallery.com/growyourown/circumventiveorgans

http://www.dezeen.com/2013/11/14/circumventive-organs-by-agatha-haines/