Biohacking Will Soon Reach A Mainstream Tipping Point

Futurists have longed envisioned a world where human beings are able to pay for goods and services with their fingerprint, iris or other biological means. 

The implications of such technology would be wide-ranging to say the least. 

There would no longer be a need to carry a wallet or purse with cash, credit cards, debit cards, Travelers Checks or other methods of payment. 

Perhaps more importantly, identity theft would be much more of a challenge for would-be wrongdoers. 

This futuristic means of economic exchange might soon become a reality thanks to biohacking.

Embedding Microchip Implants Into the Human Body: Utopia or Dystopia?

Imagine a world in which nearly everyone has a near field communication (NFC) chip implanted in a finger or other part of the body. A quick scan of this chip allows a customer to pay for anything from a cab ride to concert tickets, lunch, groceries and even public transportation fare. 

Such a world might have seemed like a pipe dream a decade ago yet it could become our reality in the near future. Biohackers are spearheading this push for what is being dubbed "transhumanism" or the melding of the human body with contemporary technology. 

Critics argue that biohacking leaves an individual vulnerable to the technology implanted in his body as well as the controllers of that technology. After all, why would anyone want to cede control of their body to a bunch of tech-geeks? 

The answer is efficiency. Biohackers envision the transhumanist movement as a means of spurring an uber-efficient utopia of sorts.

Biohacking is Happening Right Now

The guinea pigs of the earliest biohacking experiments already exist. They have willingly allowed tech companies to install NFC chips in their bodies. 

These tiny chips are shaped like cylinders and have rock-hard textures. Most participants received their chip implants in the back of the thumb. Upon installation, this skin above and around the implant feels quite tender though the sensitivity quickly fades away. 

Think of it as being similar to the diminutive microchips installed in dogs and cats that allow their owners to locate them if they venture out of the house.

The next target for biohacking experiments may be the military as is often the case with the introduction of many new technologies. 

A number of naval officers recently visited the home of an American presidential candidate and "transhumanist" called Zoltan Istvan, who believes human beings should be fitted with technology to boost their brain power or enhance physical attributes.

Istvan said they discussed the possibility of implanting humans with chips fitted with global positioning (GPS) technology. 

"A bunch of navy officers came to my house and one of the main topics was this chip implant strategy," Istvan said.

He told us the Navy is worried that soldiers could enter service with chips already implanted into them and is "struggling to create policy" around this issue.

"You can imagine how challenging that would be if someone had a non-authorized chip implant on a nuclear base, so policy has to be created and created soon.

"I helped the US Navy do some policy work on this issue."

Microchip Implants' Wide-Ranging Potential

The embedding of microchips within the back of the thumb or other part of the human body will have implications that stretch far beyond commerce. These little chips have the potential to change how human beings live. 

As an example, consider how Tim Shank, the President of the TwinCities+ futurist group, uses his microchip implant. 

He no longer needs to carry house keys as he has installed a microchip in his hand that electronically relays information to his front door. 

A mere wave of his hand allows unimpeded entry. His wife also got in on the action with a microchip of her own. Shank has taken biohacking a step further by installing additional NF chips in his hand for a myriad of purposes ranging from unlocking his phone to storing contact information. 

Shank has even used a microchip to store electronic bitcoin currency.

Biohacking Will Soon Reach a Mainstream Tipping Point

The prospect of transmitting biological data to a smartphone or other computer is quite intriguing. Tech company Grindhouse Wetware is on the cutting edge of the movement with its Northstar LED lights. 

Placed just beneath the skin, these star-shaped lights are based on the Circadian on-board lamps that Grindhouse's founder, Tim Cannon, implanted in his body. 

Northstar technology transmits Cannon's body temperature directly to his smartphone. 

The commercial version of Northstar is currently limited to lights that provide customers with a unique bio-luminescense. Yet the possibilities for technologies like Northstar are endless.

 

It probably won't be long until people willingly opt to embed chips beneath their skin in order to transmit vital biological data to smartphones and other devices, essentially Fitbit on 'steroids'.

Commercial applications are sure to follow and what currently seems like a fringe technology will soon become mainstream.