Augmented Bodies

Better. Stronger. Internet-enabled

Humans have long augmented our bodies with eyeglasses, clothing and prosthetics. Thanks to recent scientific advancements, we are now on the cusp of a second wave of body-modification. Nanotechnology may give us contact lens cameras and robots small enough to patrol our bloodstreams. Genetic modification could tweak us to be smarter, smaller and more eco-friendly, while neural interfaces might allow us to plug our brains directly into the web. Nature made us. Next Nature made us better.

Staff Picks

Corpus 2.1

Corpus 2.0

USB Finger

Humanthesizer

Wearing Technology Under the Skin

Photoshop for real

‘Hacking into these devices could enable patients to “self-prescribe” elevated moods or pain relief’

Swallowable Perfume

Lucy McRae’s speculative, digestible capsule of perfume gives perspiration a delightful scent. Your skin will excrete a unique odor depending on temperature, stress, exercise or arousal.

Excuse me, is Your Tooth Ringing?

2006-06-16

The 'tooth phone' consists of a tiny vibrator and a radio wave receiver implanted into a tooth during routine dental...

Creating a Second Skin to Look Younger

2016-05-16

Staying young has been a human desire for as long as we can remember. Cleopatra used to take milk baths to...