Cyborgs represent the combining of the biological and the
synthetic. They are a complex amalgam of
flesh and metal, and have frequently been viewed in science fiction with
unease. The Borg from the Star Trek universe are a prime example
of this.
The Borg add to their numbers through assimilation. This assimilation process bears a striking
similarity to Colonialism. The invaders,
in this case being the nanoprobes, spread throughout the host’s body, sprouting
implants and erasing the host’s autonomy.
They rid them of emotion. This is
the kind of invasion that frightens us most.
The kind that purges us of our freedom, wiping away that which
distinguishes us. That which makes us
unique. This is reminiscent of the way
invaders have operated in the past, subjugating indigenous peoples and
replacing their cultures with the culture of the conquerors.
In science fiction, we often see technology as that which
destroys our humanity. Is this really
how it will turn out to be? As we devise
implants to regulate bodily functions that have gone awry, to treat conditions
that would otherwise be devastating, or to hook in to technology in more
intimate ways for our own pursuit of pleasure, are we truly sacrificing a piece
of our humanity in the process? As we engage
the world in increasingly technological ways, are we changing what it means to
be human?
