Implanting a Magnet in Fingertip Adds Sixth Sense

Here is the link to the story.

About some people (and the person writing the story evidently had it done as well) that implant a small magnet into their finger. The result is a kind of "magnet sense" -- people who've had the implant report that they can tell when a wire is live and when they're going through a magnet security-scanner at a store, even when their laptops' hard drives are spinning up, as well as (of course) when something is magnetic just by passing your hand over it.

This is the kind of stuff transhumanists dream of. (maybe not this specifically, but this kind of stuff)

Interesting article, LF! [thumb]

Not quite the same thing, but I've often wondered what it would be like to be able to sense magnetic fields the way migrating birds do to find their way around.

BTW, like your new avatar.

Haha, the first thing I thought of when I saw the article was "Magneto!".

Thanks on the avatar, the Aubrey one was confusing some people into thinking I was him I think. (although that is not a bad thing for me, but might be for him, lol)

When I read the 3/4 of the article, I wanted one. When they got to the part about the magnets leaking, etc., I decided, hmm, I'll wait til they've got it worked out a little better... The breast implant industry has figured out by and large (no pun) how to avoid leaks, the magnet implant industry will get there as well...

I wonder what would hapen when you implanted two of them in each ear lobe and were able to sense direction...

Yea, unfortunately since it is not done by a doctor, it is just a guy that does piercings and stuff, I guess. This is why modifications, transhuman additions, etc. need to be regulated and allowed to be performed by physicians, so that they can have better methods, oversight, etc. I would think the use of ice as an anesthetic might hurt as well. (as it sounded like it did)

When do we get the version where we can say,

"You Homo sapiens and your guns!"

AA, that link's dead, dude...

doesn't work for me either

I wonder if it really lead to an additional sense. Did the brain began to understand the device enough to realize the touch input received from the nerves around the device was more important that the average touch input. Was the person aware of magnetic fields without first having to consciously think about the odd sensation in their finger? I am not sure what it would take to consider this a real additional sense in the same way that say proprioception is another sense.

Well, I don't really remember, but I am betting that babies have to learn that the sensation they are getting from their mouth is taste, or the sensation that they are getting from their nose is smell, etc.

True, this doesn't provide as much information as the other senses do, but I am willing to classify it into another sense, especially if it was not localized to one finger (if you were able to sense magnetic fields all over your body)

Edited by Live Forever, 13 July 2007 - 08:28 AM.

Hey, just found this thread, oddly enough I had read about it earlier on a much different site:

http://www.bmezine.c...g/20040226.html (Original story)
http://www.bmezine.c...g/20060115.html (Six month retrospective)
http://www.bmezine.c...g/20060401.html (Removal - warning: contains a lil' surgery)

Shows the strong link between the body modification community and transhumanist sympathizers The articles are bit psuedoscientific, but whatever.

Same here. I really like the idea of being offered a new glimpse into the world around us. Certainly one could go with a magnet on a ring, or make a blinking led readout, but I have to agree that it wouldn't feel anywhere near as real. I'm assuming it's only a matter of time and volunteer luring publicity until the safety point is reached.



For what it's worth, I've heard some of the people into body modification speak of him with something approaching awe. Apparently he's also designed a fair amount of medical equipment which has made its way into common use among surgeons. Which may or may not mean very much. What impresses a BM person with no medical background and what impresses an actual surgeon might be quite different in a lot of situations. I heard the introduction of autoclaves into the scene credited to him, for example. Which was spoken of with a cheering and amazed tone. To me though, it just sounds like a common sense precaution that anyone should think of if setting up a situation that involved repeated slicing of flesh. I'm hoping it does bear some significance though, just for the fact that I'm so intrigued by the concept. Depending on how well it worked, I could see so much room for the inventive spirit to take off into a lot of wild new directions.

I wonder if you could feel the north with this :D

Imagine the possibilities for data corruption...