Elon Musk's smartphone implants: anticipated in 1967

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the concept of smartphone implants as proposed by Elon Musk, drawing parallels to fictional representations in media, specifically the 1967 film "The President's Analyst" and Michael Crichton's novel "The Terminal Man." Participants explore the implications of such technology on society and the similarities between current technology and potential future advancements.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants reference "The President's Analyst" as a cautionary tale about technology's influence on society, highlighting the fictional plot of a company using implants for control.
  • Others suggest that Michael Crichton's "The Terminal Man" presents a more relevant warning about the dangers of advanced technology and its impact on individuals.
  • One participant questions the practical differences between current smartphones and potential brain implants, suggesting that society is already close to this reality.
  • Another participant notes that modern neurosurgeons are already implanting electrodes and connecting devices to patients, indicating a progression towards more integrated technology.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of views on the implications of smartphone implants, with some drawing connections to existing technology and others focusing on the fictional narratives. There is no consensus on the potential benefits or risks associated with such advancements.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference fictional works that may not fully encompass the complexities of real-world technology and its societal implications. The discussion reflects a variety of perspectives without resolving the underlying concerns or assumptions about the future of technology.

jtbell
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TL;DR
Elon Musk is working on implants that communicate with smartphones. Did he get the idea from a 1967 movie?
Life imitates art?

Elon Musk is making implants to link the brain with a smartphone (CNN)

This made me think of the movie "The President's Analyst" (1967), in which a global communications conglomerate, The Phone Company (TPC), plots to take over the world by injecting microsocopic Cerebrum Communicators into people:



IIRC, just before this scene, James Coburn (the president's analyst) was abducted by TPC, which used a helicopter to carry away the phone booth in which he was trying to make a call for help.
 
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While I enjoyed the James Coburn movie, and his character in sequels (?), the Musk article reminds me more of Michael Crighton's brilliant novel "The Terminal Man" and subsequent movie staring George Segal as the reluctant implant recipient. Crighton practically made a career after medicine of warning about the dangers of advanced technology on human society, but Terminal Man strikes a chord.
 
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Aren't we 80% of the way there already? How much practical difference is there between an implant and a phone that we carry with us all the time?
 
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And modern neurosurgeons routinely implant electrodes in and connect devices to patients.

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Klystron said:
Terminal Man strikes a chord.
Yes indeed. . .

anorlunda said:
How much practical difference is there between an implant and a phone that we carry with us all the time?
"Connected"

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