• DocumentCode
    3083499
  • Title

    Human Enhancement: Could you become infected with a computer virus?

  • Author

    Gasson, Mark N.

  • Author_Institution
    Sch. of Syst. Eng., Univ. of Reading, Reading, UK
  • fYear
    2010
  • fDate
    7-9 June 2010
  • Firstpage
    61
  • Lastpage
    68
  • Abstract
    Experiments demonstrating human enhancement through the implantation of technology in healthy humans have been performed for over a decade by some academic research groups. More recently, technology enthusiasts have begun to realize the potential of implantable technology such as glass capsule RFID transponders. In this paper it is argued that implantable RFID devices have evolved to the point whereby we should consider the devices themselves as simple computers. Presented here is the infection with a computer virus of an RFID device implanted in a human. Coupled with our developing concept of what constitutes the human body and its boundaries, it is argued that this study has given rise to the world´s first human infected with a computer virus. It has taken the wider academic community some time to agree that meaningful discourse on the topic of implantable technology is of value. As developments in medical technologies point to greater possibilities for enhancement, this shift in thinking is not too soon in coming.
  • Keywords
    biomedical engineering; computer viruses; lab-on-a-chip; prosthetics; radiofrequency identification; transponders; academic research group; computer virus; human enhancement; implantable RFID devices; medical technologiy; technology implantation; Application software; Glass; Humans; Joining processes; RFID tags; Radiofrequency identification; Surgery; Symbiosis; Systems engineering and theory; Transponders;
  • fLanguage
    English
  • Publisher
    ieee
  • Conference_Titel
    Technology and Society (ISTAS), 2010 IEEE International Symposium on
  • Conference_Location
    Wollongong, NSW
  • Print_ISBN
    978-1-4244-7777-7
  • Type

    conf

  • DOI
    10.1109/ISTAS.2010.5514651
  • Filename
    5514651