Bioethicists, prosthetists and transhumanists focus on their collective “bionic” assumptions to bundle their fears and hopes. There is even a trend called Transhumanism [link].

But as we know by now, “bionic” hands do not deliver. Not really.

You can wave them around, but even when attending a user workshop and discussing how to change a bike tire, the company product ambassador recommends taking the wheel to a bicycle shop. No one selling “bionic” prosthetic hands advises to use them to reach into a 200 deg C hot oven or to turn grill meat or touch oven trays that are that hot. When I saw a woman seemingly employed by Touch Bionics / Össur hammer some nail using her “bionic” iLimb device, I wondered whether that was legitimate advertising so I mailed the company – turns out that hammer use does not even conform to their product documentation / legalese.

So, not really. Can’t use these devices for such.

This (below) shows the charmingly simple – but functionally enhancing – handling of a hot piece of meat and the hot frying pan using a prosthetic hook.

Absence of recognition of this act as clear proof of human enhancement also proves absence of rational thought in the beholders, to conclude this discussion.

I had already previously figured this part of the “enhancement debate” was mostly myth and fear driven. And we may then focus on how fear disables rational thought.