Ep. 21 - Experiments in Human Augmentation with Rich Lee
In this installment of the Future Grind podcast, host Ryan O’Shea speaks with well known biohacker and transhumanist Rich Lee. Rich first came to the public eye in 2013, when he had magnets that served as headphones implanted into his ears - meaning that he could listen to music or receive data wirelessly directly to his head. Rich has also experimented with implanted armor, and is known for his work on the aptly named Lovetron9000. Recently Rich has begun using CRISPR in an effort to modify his genes to promote muscle growth. We discuss sensory substitution, the importance of safety, some potentially horrifying uses of virtual reality and image recognition, and more. This conversation does contain some adult themes - they are nothing too graphic, but we will provide another warning when we’re moving on to those topics.
Once again we remind you that the thoughts of the guests on this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views of Future Grind or Ryan O'Shea. Biohacking is dangerous and things can go wrong. We strongly advise against self-surgery of any kind, and you should consult with a trained medical doctor before moving forward with any type of human augmentation.
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Show Notes
Rich’s implanted headphones [1:55]
Experiments with sensory substitution [7:22]
Failures & working with a Harvard researcher [8:55]
The future of headphone implants [10:03]
How Rich Lee found biohacking & transhumanism [10:37]
Serial entrepreneur & life in Hong Kong [13:08]
Experiments with implanted armor [15:40]
(content warning) Ethics & legalities of sex dolls & VR implications [18:48]
(content warning) The Lovetron9000 [24:01]
The FDA, materials, & safety [27:39]
Rich’s experiments with CRISPR & gene editing [31:41]
Democratized access to human enhancement [38:20]
Rich’s vision for the future [40:48]
Mentioned
Steve Haworth
Kevin Warwick
Lepht Anonym
Tim Cannon
Mark Doerkson
BDYHAX
James Young, BBC Three's Sex Robots & Us
Paul Bloom/Sam Harris Article
- It's Westworld. What's Wrong With Cruelty to Robots?
Westworld
DEF CON
Josiah Zayner, The ODIN
Cronenbergs (Rick & Morty)
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