The future is now. Biohackers are augmenting themselves by putting implants under their skin
and even changing their own DNA. These types of upgrades may become the norm,
and perhaps the next step in human evolution is to become a cyborg.
Are you ready to have a microchip implanted under your skin and live forever?
Biohacking is the term used for a wide range of experiments done in a DIY fashion. There
are two types of biohacking. The first has to do with modifying another living thing,
such as changing the genes of a plant to make it glow in the dark.
The second is modifying the human body to manipulate the systems within it.
This may be done to extend someone’s life, heal an ailment, or just make life easier.
A main component of biohacking is that it is done outside of the traditional science lab.
Oftentimes, biohacking experiments can be conducted at home or in a private facility
unaffiliated with universities or scientific organizations. This allows biohackers to conduct
experiments on themselves that may be considered unethical under normal scientific circumstances.
Whether removing these restrictions to advance our knowledge of biology is right or wrong can be
debated. What can’t be debated is that biohackers are doing some incredibly interesting things.
As we discuss biohacking, keep in mind that with the modification of biological structures
there can also come serious dangers and consequences.
There is perhaps no better representation of how biohacking could influence the future
than what Neil Harbisson has done to his body. He is considered by many to be the world’s first
cyborg. Harbisson was born with achromatopsia, meaning he is completely colorblind and sees the
world in greyscale. This wasn’t necessarily a problem for Harbisson, but he wanted to
experience more. So, he hacked his own biology and implanted an antenna-like structure onto his head.
The antenna gives Harbisson the ability to sense light waves by having the device
vibrate his skull at different frequencies based on what type of wavelengths the antenna
is picking up. These vibrations are then converted to sound by his brain,
which allows him to actually hear the different colors of light.
Harbisson says that there is no separation between the antenna and his body.
By biohacking his senses, he is now one entity made of both flesh and technology.
The first iteration of the antenna was created to allow Harbisson to hear the visible spectrum,
but like with many things in biohacking, he wanted to take it a step further.
So he modified the antenna to pick up and transmit the information to his brain for
wavelengths outside of human perception such as ultraviolet and infrared light.
One benefit of this is that Harbisson knows when the sun’s UV rays are at their most intense,
so he can apply more sunscreen or seek shade. This is just one of the many advantages the
antenna provides him. Biohacking will allow him to modify his hardware in the future,
so who knows what his next ambitious step will be.
But Harbisson is not the only person who has modified their own body using biohacking.
The movement first took off in Silicon Valley, where people
have a lot of money and the curiosity to conduct their own biology experiments.
It is pretty common that biohackers will implant devices into their bodies. This
can be something as simple as an LED light that has no real purpose but to illuminate the skin.
Others use a device that looks like a temporary tattoo called a Biostamp,
which monitors the vital signs of their body. These Biostamps then relay the information
collected to a computer so the biohacker can have a clear picture of their health.
The Biostamps collect data such as temperature, pulse rates, hydration levels,
and the amount of strain the body is under. The data can then be analyzed to help the biohacker
create a healthier routine or seek further medical advice if needed. Some biohackers believe that
things like Biostamps are the future as they could theoretically send information directly to
doctors about their patients’ health. It could even save someone’s life if they have a stroke
or heart attack and the Biostamp is programmed to inform emergency services that something is wrong.
But collecting data about the body is not the only thing these devices are being used for.
One group of biohackers called grinders have embedded microchips under their skin
that allows them to control devices in their homes. They can unlock their
front door or turn on the oven just by scanning the microchip in their arm.
This implant has made things like keys obsolete for these people.
The microchip doesn’t only unlock their smart homes but also doubles
up as a bio scanner as well. For many grinders, there is no distinguishing
between their body and the technology. And that’s kind of the idea with biohacking.
Technology has become so intertwined with their life that biohackers are now one
with the machines and computers they put inside of themselves.
Some biohackers have taken things a step further and are not just implanting technology into
their bodies but are changing their actual DNA. Using genetic engineering tools like
CRISPR it’s possible to modify any section of DNA in an organism’s genome, including humans.
Experiments have already been conducted around
genetic modification using this technology with incredible results.
However, genetic engineering can be dangerous as it is not always clear what altering a single
gene will do to the rest of the body. In some studies, scientists have been
able to remove genes that have led to the elimination of certain diseases in a host.
For example, a Chinese biophysicist named He Jiankui modified the DNA of twins before they were
born to make them resistant to HIV using CRISPR. This was done without notifying the government or
any other science organizations, putting Jiankui’s experiment into the realm of biohacking.
The availability of CRISPR and how relatively easy it is to use means that many biohackers
can get their hands on it. And some such as Josiah Zayner have even injected themselves
with CRISPR to modify their own DNA without fully understanding the ramifications. Zayner
put the gene modifier into his body at a biotech conference and live-streamed it.
He was fine after injecting himself but realized he had made a mistake and that not everyone might
be so lucky. However, since Zayner’s company Odin sells CRISPR kits to whoever wants them,
he doesn’t seem to care too much about the ramifications of the technology.
People who modify their DNA and radically alter their bodies are only a small
part of the biohacker community. Many people are just curious about nature and
want to conduct experiments for the sake of learning more or improving the planet.
For example, some biohackers are working on ways to biodegrade plastics quicker to help remove
them from the environment. Others are working on a biofuel that could be made sustainably and
create no pollution. All of these biohackers are conducting experiments outside of academia and
research institutions. They don’t want to get tenure or be published in academic journals;
they just want to carry out their own experiments to further their knowledge and help the world.
One biohacker has even found a way to use preserved DNA from extinct flowers
and use it to bring back the smells they would have created. This has allowed her,
and others, to experience smells that should have been lost forever.
But other biohackers have taken a slightly weirder approach to their hobby.
In London, biohackers have made cheese from the bacteria collected from celebrities.
Using swabs from areas like the armpits, toes, and bellybuttons of famous people,
biohackers have been growing cheese, not for consumption, but to show that it can be done.
But who knows what the future will hold? Perhaps at some point the cheese at the local grocery
store will be separated by who’s bacteria made it rather than the regions of the world it came from.
All of this biohacking should come with a warning. Since there is no peer review
process, and many biohackers are not experts in the fields of biology or genetic engineering,
there is a lot of misinformation. Sometimes this can be used to manipulate people into
spending large sums of money on products that have no evidence to support that they work.
There are biohacking treatments that people spend thousands and thousands of dollars on which claim
to improve health or extend life. However, none of the treatments are backed by science. The
peer-review process can be long and tedious, which does not appeal to the fast-paced DIY biohacking
ideology, but it is what allows for ideas to be vetted by experts. Not having a peer-review
process for biohacking isn’t necessarily a problem for people who are doing it for the
sake of exploring things for themselves. However, when biohacking products or procedures are sold
to others as a means to cure diseases there should be some kind of evidence to support that it works.
Some biohackers make massive amounts of money by selling things like cryotherapy,
methods to regulate brain waves or escape electromagnetic transmissions,
and virtual float tanks. All of these different biohacks cost money,
but none have any solid evidence that shows they work. This is where biohacking can become
dangerous if done by the wrong people. It can be used to make profits by taking advantage
of people who are hurting or sick. It can also cause more harm than good in some instances and
may dissuade people from seeking out help from actual medical professionals when they need it.
One crazy example of extreme biohacking is with young blood transfusions.
Some people claim there are many health benefits to removing someone’s old blood
and replacing it with the blood of a young, healthy individual. There is NO concrete
scientific evidence to support that this is actually true. And in the Silicon Valley area,
people will pay $8,000 or more for each session even though there may be no health benefit at all.
And if you don’t believe us, the Food and Drug Administration has even released a statement
warning people against using these types of blood transfusions. In it, the FDA says: “We’re
concerned that some patients are being preyed upon by unscrupulous actors touting treatments
of plasma from young donors as cures and remedies. Such treatments have no proven clinical benefits
for the uses for which these clinics are advertising them and are potentially harmful.”
It is important to note that biohackers looking to take advantage of others is not the norm.
Most biohackers only want to modify their own body and life,
or are just in it to learn more about the world around them.
The majority of the biohacking community believes they are on the right path though. By marrying
technology, biology, and ingenuity, many think that the future of the human species will be
grounded in biohacking. Using different tools and technology to monitor and improve your health,
life expectancy can be greatly increased. In fact,
some biohackers believe that with the technology coming out of the community right now
the average life expectancy could rise to be close to 100 years old.
Others are even more optimistic and believe biohacking will allow people to live much longer.
One gerontologist, the name given to someone who has an advanced degree in the studies of aging,
Aubrey de Grey, has even suggested that the first person who will live to be 1,000 years
old may have already been born. Perhaps even you will live for several more centuries.
It is important to remember that biohacking doesn’t always need to be something crazy.
Intermittent fasting came out of the biohacking movement as a way to lose weight
and help the body metabolize food better. Changes in lifestyle and being more aware
of how the body is doing are considered by many to be the foundation of the biohacking movement.
Of course, there are really exciting ideas coming out of the biohacking community,
such as contacts that will give you the ability to see 360 degrees around you,
or a touchscreen embedded into your arm so you can always have access to The Infographic Show’s
videos. But biohacking also includes research around creating more sustainable food sources,
healthier lifestyles, and making life easier.
Now watch “Why It Would Suck To Live Through The End Of The Universe.”
Or check out “How Do Royals Live So Long.”