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Will Bionic Implants Make Us Super-Human, Or Less Human?
2 min read
Will Bionic Implants Make Us Super-Human, Or Less Human?

A close-up of wearable computer researcher Steve Mann using a "scratchable input" on his hand. Credit: Wikimedia Commons Is Steve Mann a cyborg? The University of Toronto researcher says the term is not an accurate one to describe the wearable computers he uses and researches, but it presents some interesting questions. Mann has been criticized for wearing computers that can record video and perform other functions that we are more used to seeing humans do than other people. And as bionics become more advanced, we are now implanting computers in our bodies instead to supplement or even enhance our native capabilities. Cochlear implants (which are electronic devices) are now regularly used to give the sense of sound to somebody who previously couldn't hear. And a few weeks ago, Minnesota's Allen Zderad received a bionic eye that allowed the 68-year-old, who had a degenerative eye disease for 20 years, to see his wife for the first time in 10 years. So there are definite medical uses for some devices, but how far should we go?

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Could Driverless Cars Make Highways Safer?
2 min read
Could Driverless Cars Make Highways Safer?

A driverless car from Google in tests. Credit: Wikimedia Commons Distracted driving. Tiredness. Bad weather. Poor skills. These are just some of the reasons that accidents occur with a human behind the wheel of a car. We've made cars safer over the years, including features such as airbags and automated parallel parking, to try to reduce accidents. But perhaps a machine could do better. Or could it? Google and many other organizations are creating driverless cars, which are essentially vehicles that could navigate on their own without the need of a person. Instead of needing to get yourself to work every day, you could sit inside of the vehicle and leisurely read the news on your device -- or get a little extra work done -- while your personal vehicle pilots you to your destination. Google has tested the concept already in certain locations in California, and on the two occasions the driverless car was involved in an accident, the organization says that humans were responsible for them and not the car itself. But can cars really be that safe?

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