Where are we going in this world with so many advanced in technology? How will our homes, communities, cities and world change? Will it be for the better or for the worse? Earlier this week we caught up with Amal Graafstra who is talking at the From Now conference, happening on 7th June here in Vancouver, on biohacking and grinding.
Amal believes that biohacking is the forefront of a new kind of evolution and started in this field over 10 years ago. He is the CEO of dangerousthings.com where they supply safe gear and advocate safe procedures that help talented revolutionaries pushing the envelope of human experience. This guy is pushing the boundaries for how we can augment ourselves as humans. We become the device. We're excited to have him coming to town.
Hi Amal, you're a biohacker and have implants in your hands. What is biohacking to you and what was your initial motivation to get the implants you have and how are they useful to you?
Honestly, the initial motivation was purely practical convenience. When I first implanted an RFID tag into my right hand back in 2005, I really hadn't considered the impact it would have as the maker revolution began to rise again from the disposable polystyrene culture of the 1980s. As other DIYers began to become interested in RFID technology, interest in biohacking began to bridge the gap between the science fiction dreams of people under 40 and their real world aspirations. The idea that one could very well enhance their own biology in a garage or basement became was a proven reality, and this was just the beginning.
Biohacking is yet another line of endeavour, one of countless iterations of the human desire to strive, to explore the unknown, and to constantly evolve our understanding of the world and ourselves. It is a collection of very real, practical, and economical methods by which one can enhance their own experience of the world around them and how they interact with it.
Personally, I find my initial intent has been fulfilled. I can now enter my home, my car, and log into my computer using a tool I’ve integrated into myself, into my own biology. This is fundamentally different from carrying a tool like a cell phone or access card. Integration is so complete that a psychological change occurs in the way one perceives themselves and their own gamut of capabilities. Unlocking my door is as natural feeling for me as reaching for the door knob. I have completely lost all concern for the location of my keys or having to manage the placement and insertion of a key while trying to carry groceries or returning from a long walk. On the surface this seems trivial, but in reality I’ve completely changed the way I consider myself and my natural human capabilities. Humans are tool users by nature. Some of those tools are held, some are carried, but some are learned and some are grown, like a child builds strong leg muscles in order to walk. Now, biohacking companies like Dangerous Things are developing bio-enhancements the general public can access and safely integrate into themselves.
How do you see the application of implanted devices and sensors changing over the next few years?
As sensor networks and flexible circuit substrates become easier to mass manufacture, they become cheaper and more accessible. Advancements in energy harvesting and biopower generation techniques will drive the integration of people and biodata into the “internet of things”. Constant biodata streaming will enable both private and open source big data applications, perhaps revealing new insights on everything from modern medical mysteries to everyday metabolic optimization.
Very cool. Now, you're going to implant me on stage at From Now (gulp). I'm both nervous and excited. What will you actually be implanting, can you explain the process of doing this and what can I expect?
The implant itself will be a small passive RFID transponder. The assembly will consist of a small chip the size of a grain of sand, connected to a small antenna loop coil wrapped around a small ferrite rod. This assembly is encased in a biocompatible glass tube. In total, this ampoule is approximately 2.1mm in diameter by 12mm long. It will look exactly like the kind of implants pets get at the vet office or animal shelter, but the chip and its capabilities will be very different.
The chip used in animal pet tags are 125khz or 134khz tags that just have an ID number which is unique and cannot be changed. The chip inside the xNT contains an NTAG216 which is a 1KB tag with memory blocks that can be programmed and re-programmed at will, wirelessly, even after implantation.
The xNT is also NFC compliant, which means NFC devices like certain NFC capable mobile phones can also read from and write to the xNT. I currently store my personal Facebook page on my xNT implant so I can share it with others.
Implantation is a simple procedure that takes only seconds. There is a small initial pain as the needle breaks the skin, but it’s over and done before you know it. The wound will close and stop bleeding in minutes, heal in days, and the implant will fully heal in place in just weeks.
Can you give us a big prediction that will likely happen from now until 2045 (the reported year where the singularity will be realized)?
The less a man makes declarative statements, the less apt he is to look foolish in retrospect. That said, I think the multiple causes of aging will be identified, and immediately made illegal to leverage.
Underground gene therapy clinics will emerge and the wealth gap will suddenly include immortality. Resource wars will continue to rage, only it will transition from oil and energy to food and land. Private commercial Low Earth Orbit flights will become affordable enough that upper middle class families can save up to take a short space flight in lieu of a family vacation. Off-planet space mining will prove successful, with only a small set of minor impacts on the moon, forever blemishing the face the human species has always fallen asleep to. A multinational space elevator project will begin funding and planning phases, but UN in-fighting and the aforementioned resource wars and risk of terrorist attack will stall development.
Wow, that’s some pretty crazy insights. We look forward to seeing you speak on 7th June and I look forward to gaining a new part of me. I'm not sure what to do with it right now but I think one thing that could be fun is being able to buzz myself into my condo building and up to my floor using the power in my hands. Not really a super human but maybe a transhuman at least.
Nikolas Badminton is a futurist, innovation consultant and the curator of From Now, a not-for-profit conference for people to come together, learn and discuss how technology is integrating into and changing our societies and culture. VIA is a proud media sponsor and we'd love you to join us to see Nora Young from CBC Spark, Toby Barnes from AKQA in Portland, Michael Fergusson from Ayogo, Amal Graafstra and myself. Take a look at the talks and register here.
