Body hacking is the application of the hacker ethic (often in combination with a high risk tolerance) in pursuit of enhancement or change to the body's functions through technological means, such as do-it-yourselfcybernetic devices or by introducing biochemicals.
Grinders are a self-identified community of body hackers. Many grinders identify with the
biopunk
Biopunk (a portmanteau of "biotechnology" or "biology" and " punk") is a subgenre of science fiction that focuses on biotechnology. It is derived from cyberpunk, but focuses on the implications of biotechnology rather than mechanical cyberware ...
movement, open-source
transhumanism
Transhumanism is a philosophical and intellectual movement that advocates the human enhancement, enhancement of the human condition by developing and making widely available new and future technologies that can greatly enhance longevity, cogni ...
, and
techno-progressivism
Techno-progressivism, or tech-progressivism, is a stance of active support for the wikt:convergence, convergence of technological change and social change. Techno-progressives argue that technological developments can be profoundly empowerment ...
. The Grinder movement is strongly associated with the
body modification
Body modification (or body alteration) is the deliberate altering of the human anatomy or human physical appearance. In its broadest definition it includes skin tattooing, socially acceptable decoration (''e.g.'', common earring, ear piercing in ...
movement and practices actual implantation of cybernetic devices in organic bodies as a method of working towards transhumanism. This includes designing and installing do-it-yourself body enhancements, such as magnetic implants. Biohacking emerged in a growing trend of non-institutional science and technology development.
"Biohacking" can also refer to managing one's own biology using a combination of medical, nutritional, and electronic techniques. This may include the use of nootropics, nontoxic substances, and/or cybernetic devices for recording
biometric
Biometrics are body measurements and calculations related to human characteristics and features. Biometric authentication (or realistic authentication) is used in computer science as a form of identification and access control. It is also used t ...
transhumanist
Transhumanism is a philosophical and intellectual movement that advocates the human enhancement, enhancement of the human condition by developing and making widely available new and future technologies that can greatly enhance longevity, cogni ...
and
biopunk
Biopunk (a portmanteau of "biotechnology" or "biology" and " punk") is a subgenre of science fiction that focuses on biotechnology. It is derived from cyberpunk, but focuses on the implications of biotechnology rather than mechanical cyberware ...
ideologies.
Transhumanism
Transhumanism is a philosophical and intellectual movement that advocates the human enhancement, enhancement of the human condition by developing and making widely available new and future technologies that can greatly enhance longevity, cogni ...
is the belief that it is both possible and desirable to so fundamentally alter the human condition through the use of technologies so as to inaugurate a superior post-human being. Kara Platoni categorizes such technological modifications as "hard" biohacking, noting the desire to expand the boundaries of human perception and even create "new senses".
Biopunk is a techno-progressive cultural and intellectual movement that advocates
open access
Open access (OA) is a set of principles and a range of practices through which nominally copyrightable publications are delivered to readers free of access charges or other barriers. With open access strictly defined (according to the 2001 de ...
to
genetic information
A nucleic acid sequence is a succession of Nucleobase, bases within the nucleotides forming alleles within a DNA (using GACT) or RNA (GACU) molecule. This succession is denoted by a series of a set of five different letters that indicate the orde ...
and espouses the liberating potential of truly democratic technological development. Like other punk movements, biopunk encourages the DIY ethic. "Grinders" adhere to an anarchist strain of biopunk that emphasizes non-hierarchical science and DIY.
Cyborg
A cyborg (, a portmanteau of ''cybernetics, cybernetic'' and ''organism'') is a being with both Organic matter, organic and biomechatronic body parts. The term was coined in 1960 by Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline.cyborg theory strongly influence techno-progressivism and transhumanism and are thus influential to both the DIY-bio movement and grinder movement in general. Some biohackers, such as grinders and the British professor of cybernetics Kevin Warwick, actively design and implement technologies that are integrated directly into the organic body. Examples of this include DIY magnetic fingertip implants or Warwick's "Project Cyborg". Cyborg theory was kickstarted in 1985 with the publication of Donna Haraway's influential "Cyborg Manifesto" but can be traced back all the way to Manfred Clynes and Nathan Klines' article "Cyborgs and Space". This body of theory criticizes the rigidity of
ontological
Ontology is the philosophical study of being. It is traditionally understood as the subdiscipline of metaphysics focused on the most general features of reality. As one of the most fundamental concepts, being encompasses all of reality and every ...
boundaries and attempts to denaturalize artificial dichotomies.
Notable people
* Kevin Warwick is a British scientist and professor of cybernetics who has been instrumental in advancing and popularizing cyborg technology and biohacking through his self-experiments.
* Steve Mann is a professor of electrical and computer engineering who has dedicated his career to inventing, implementing, and researching cyborg technologies, in particular, wearable computing technologies.
* Amal Graafstra is known for implanting an
RFID
Radio-frequency identification (RFID) uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track tags attached to objects. An RFID system consists of a tiny radio transponder called a tag, a radio receiver, and a transmitter. When tri ...
chip in 2005 and developing human-friendly chips, including the first-ever implantable NFC chip. In 2013, he founded the biotech startup company Dangerous Things. He is also the author of ''RFID Toys'' and speaker on biohacking topics, including a TEDx talk. He has also built a smartgun that is activated by his implants. He has created an implantable cryptographic processor called VivoKey for personal identity and cryptography applications.
* Lepht Anonym is a biohacker and transhumanist known for self-surgeries and material implementation of transhumanist ideologies.
* Winslow Strong is a mathematician and physicist.
* Tim Cannon is a software developer, entrepreneur, and co-founder of biotech startup company Grindhouse Wetware.
* Jeffrey Tibbetts is the organiser of the Grindfest events at his lab in California. He is the founder of Symbiont Labs, a custom implant fabrication facility and implantation clinic. His work has been featured in a number of sources, such as ''
Gizmodo
''Gizmodo'' () is a design, technology, science, and science fiction website. It was originally launched as part of the Gawker Media network run by Nick Denton. ''Gizmodo'' also includes the sub-blogs ''io9'' and ''Earther'', which focus on pop ...
''.
* Alex Smith is a biohacker known for his work developing new implants, such as the Firefly implants. He has spoken at various conferences, including DEFCON, and been featured in a number of news articles.
* Rich Lee is known for implanting headphones in his tragi in 2013, as well as for his work on a vibrating pelvic implant called the Lovetron9000. His biohacking activities were used as a justification to remove his parental custody rights in 2016.
* Brian Hanley is an American
microbiologist
A microbiologist (from Greek ) is a scientist who studies microscopic life forms and processes. This includes study of the growth, interactions and characteristics of microscopic organisms such as bacteria, algae, fungi, and some types of par ...
who became known for being one of the first biohackers to engineer their own DNA using
gene therapy
Gene therapy is Health technology, medical technology that aims to produce a therapeutic effect through the manipulation of gene expression or through altering the biological properties of living cells.
The first attempt at modifying human DNA ...
life extension
Life extension is the concept of extending the human lifespan, either modestly through improvements in medicine or dramatically by increasing the maximum lifespan beyond its generally-settled biological limit of around 125 years. Several resea ...
.
* Meow-Ludo Disco Gamma Meow-Meow implanted a microchip used for the Opal card in
Sydney
Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
, Australia, though he was subsequently fined $220 for failing to comply with existing transit laws. He also ran against Barnaby Joyce in the
Division of New England
The Division of New England is an Divisions of the Australian House of Representatives, Australian electoral division in the states and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales.
History
The division was proclaimed in 1900, and was o ...
.
* Jo Zayner attempted a full fecal microbiota transplant on herself in February 2016. She is also the founder of the ODIN, a company that delivers DIY-biology and genetic modification kits to consumers.
* Kai Castledine – Founder of UK-based KSEC, one of the largest international distributors of biohacking implants including Dangerous Things and VivoKey. He also helped establish a global network of professional implant providers via the KSEC Cyborg Centers.
* Biohacker Hannes Sjöblad has been experimenting with NFC chip implants since 2015. In his talk at Echappée Voléé 2016 in Paris, Sjöblad said that he has also implanted himself with a chip between his forefinger and thumb and uses it to unlock doors, make payments, unlock his phone, and essentially replace anything that is in his pockets. He has also hosted several "implant parties", where interested parties can get chips implanted.
* Artem Vasilev is a Russian biohacker. In 2018, he opened his own biohacking laboratory, spending more than $2 million, together with partners. Vasilev has a decade of experience optimizing health and performance for executives and professional athletes, including Olympic medalists.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...
* KSEC Solutions, worldwide distributor and consultancy based in the United Kingdom
* BioViva, gene therapy research and development company based in Bainbridge Island, Washington