Mad about Science: Cyberpunk

By Brenden Bobby
Reader Columnist

I know what you’re thinking: “Why is the science guy writing about science fiction?”

I have an answer for that. Similar to the communicators of Star Trek, the blasters of Star Wars and the flying cars of the Jetsons, science fiction is rapidly becoming science reality. To understand our confusing, overwhelming reality, it’s good to look into the fiction of the past to understand what’s happening with technology today so that we might avoid some of the terrible mistakes our leaders are eager to make.

Cyberpunk is a blended genre that has roots in the style of New Wave science fiction from the 1960s and ’70s. New Wave writers aimed to move away from their pulp roots and explore the psychological and societal effects of technology in ways of which their predecessors never dreamed. Cyberpunk mixed much of the New Wave style with the punk subculture that came to prominence in the 1970s and ’80: anti-authoritarian, rebellious and loaded to the brim with spikes.

Much that is explored in cyberpunk is often a bleak core wrapped in a veneer of technological prowess. Popular imagery is of the grungy underbelly of huge and shiny corporatized cities in which greed and authoritarianism rules, and the struggles of the people who have been cast off by higher society while still utilizing the tools presented to them.

The noir style and detective genre are other core influences of cyberpunk, which is particularly evident in Ridley Scott’s 1982 film Blade Runner. This iconic film was essentially a hard-boiled noir detective film stuffed into a sci-fi wrapper.

The human struggle is at the core of all cyberpunk, be it stemming from substance abuse, loneliness or a feeling of oppression. The technological aspects, though front-and-center as the core aesthetic, are almost exclusively secondary to the true themes and nature of the genre. 

This hits close to home, especially now. 

Functionally, there is little difference between our dependence on smartphones and the “always on” interconnected nature of an invasive “everywhere internet” presented in many works. The same goes for the advancement of artificial intelligence, which pushes into our lives and eliminates jobs while ballooning the bank accounts of corporate monsters — going so far as to literally steal work from creatives, repackage it and claim authority over anything it produces without consent.

Cyberpunk often explores an element of transhumanism — evolving past what it means to be human by augmenting oneself with technology, such as cybernetic limbs. As recently as 15 years ago, this seemed like a wild and impossible fantasy. Now, it’s fully possible to 3-D print replacement parts for prosthetic limbs in just a few hours. 

Advancements in our ability to make computers smaller and more powerful, particularly related to arduino tech and smartphones, have allowed us to place computer components into places they never existed before. If your dog is lost and returned to a shelter, the shelter employees are able to scan a radio frequency identification chip (RFID) and easily look up your information to alert you of your dog’s whereabouts. 

If you’re worried about long-range government tracking of these devices, you shouldn’t be, as they only operate at very close ranges to avoid accidental crossover or intentional abuse.

Another startling technological advancement that’s explored frequently in the cyberpunk genre is brain-machine interfacing (BMI). This involves placing a tiny computer into an organic brain, with the intention of using the electrical signals in your brain to control the computer into performing tasks, such as moving a prosthetic arm. 

This has been popularized by Elon Musk’s company, Neuralink, but the actual study of brain-machine interfaces goes back to at least 1924, with the development of electroencephalography (EEG). You’ve seen EEG in your favorite hospital drama, when someone has a hat with a bunch of diodes placed on their head to read the electrical signals created by the brain during its regular processes.

The benefits of BMI have the potential to completely revolutionize human society — for better or worse. Imagine being able to control a robotic arm as easily as you use your own hands; now imagine this being utilized by a world-class surgeon from thousands of miles away to perform a life-saving operation without needing to expend fuel on transportation. Similarly, imagine being able to signal your home to start prepping your dinner for you while you’re en route from work.

While mind control is highly unlikely, the potential for a bad actor to create something like an electrical surge to incapacitate or even kill a user is present. The long-term goal behind BMI is to be able to directly interface with an AI that could help us be more efficient, happier and potentially even make better decisions. 

Eventually, it is hoped that humans can digitize their consciousness using this technology, creating a “backup” that can be “reloaded” following death.

All things considered, our existence isn’t that far from our favorite works of cyberpunk. Titles such as Blade Runner, Judge Dredd and Westworld all draw inspiration from the human experience, and our consumption of these artworks help influence how we build our future to create a funky media feedback loop.

Personally, I’ve been hoping for some body-hopping hacker shenanigans ever since I first watched the 1995 anime classic Ghost in the Shell. If you have no idea what I’m talking about in this article, it might be a good idea to blow the dust off your library card and stop by your favorite branch.

Stay curious, 7B.