World’s first official cyborg comes to Bucharest tech event this fall

The 2017 edition of Internet & Mobile World (IMWorld) will bring Neil Harbisson, the world’s first cyborg officially recognized and certified by a government, to Bucharest this fall. The event will take place at Romexpo, in Bucharest, on October 4-5. Contemporary artist and cyborg activist Neil Harbisson was born in the UK with a rare form of color blindness called achromatopsia. He spent his childhood and adolescence in Catalonia, Spain, seeing only in black and white, until he got an antenna implanted in his skull. This antenna helps him perceive colors through synesthesia. More precisely, each color is associated with sound waves depending on color, saturation, intensity, and other factors. The antenna’s Internet connection allows him to receive colors from space as well as images, videos, music or phone calls directly into his head via external devices such as mobile phones or satellites. Because the antenna is not removable but an extension of his body, Neil Harbisson was recognized as a cyborg in documents issued by the United Kingdom. Harbisson also co-founded the Cyborg Foundation in 2010, an international organization that aims to promote cyborgism as a social and artistic movement and supports people who want to become cyborgs. At IMWorld 2017, Neil Harbisson will talk about the rebirth of the human species, the organizers announced. The discussion will explore how one can actively participate in the evolution of species, not by using technology but by transforming it into a part of the body, giving it more senses than those acquired at birth. The event’s program will also include other international speakers. Find out more about the IMWorld 2017 here. Irina Marica, irina.marica@romania-insider.com