Worried that the coming advances in technological implants will bring on a post-human era? Read “Rebuilt: How Becoming Part Computer Made Me More Human”, Michael Chorost‘s story of his adjustment to a cochlear (inner ear) implant. The first chapter, graciously available for download (PDF), has completely sucked me in, and now I must go and get the rest of the book.
In the “no change without ripples” department, pediatric use of the implants started out as a wildfire issue in the Deaf community, which is still working through the discussion. Children born wholly or mostly deaf have an opportunity to ‘mainstream’ as a hearing person– but only if the implants are made available at an early age so that the auditory nerves can develop normally. Hearing parents usually regard avoiding learning Sign Language as a feature, and are not aware of the benefits of being a participant in Deaf Culture.
Relentless Inquiry 
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