The body electric

An anatomy of the new bionic senses
Marie, a 63-year old Belgian woman, has been totally blind since the age of 57. But now, thanks to electrodes implanted around her right optic nerve, she can see lights, shapes and colours again. A motorcycle accident in 1993 left Brian Holgersen paralysed from the neck down. But he can now hold a cup, lift a fork and grasp a pen thanks to advanced electronics embedded in his right arm and hand. Marie and Brian are two of a handful of people around the world who have had computer chips implanted in their bodies to extend, enhance or repair their senses. This remarkable convergence of biology and technology is being brought about by melding advanced computers with the human nervous system. This same technology might also one day provide us with bionic senses, such as the ability to see infrared radiation or feel objects at a distance.Drawing on fields as diverse as artificial intelligence and biology, this title provides a synthesis of the people and technology making this convergence possible, while addressing the psychological, social and philosophical implications of these developments. Are you any less "you" after a bionic implant? If all our senses are electronically enhanced, how will we tell the difference between virtual reality and the actual world?