03/27/2025
Announcing our next professional speaker, Zachary Danziger! He will be giving a talk titled "Our Neurotechnological Humanity."
"Do we corrupt our humanity by absorbing ever more technology into our lives, and perhaps into our brains and bodies, or is the embrace and exploration of new technologies an essential part of our humanity? Using binoculars or hammers does not make us any less human and is a fundamental aspect of what makes us distinct from the rest of the natural world. Perhaps there is a limit, though, that when crossed, we lose ourselves in the technology. Technologies that interact with our nervous system directly acutely trigger this type of “gone too far” instinct because the brain, and through it, the mind, seems like the seat of our identity and is somehow sacred. But I argue that neural technology, like brain-computer interfaces and nerve stimulation, embraces and enhances our humanity. We can see these new technologies as though on a spectrum, with caffeine on one end and brain-implanted electrodes on the other. Experimental neural interfaces have augmented the minds of research animals and humans, granting new sensing capabilities to rats and new avenues for those living with paralysis to affect their surroundings. The human brain is central in the design of “brain”-computer interfaces. We should embrace an intimate marriage between humanity and technology, especially neurotechnology, because it is an expansion of ourselves rather than a loss or dilution of our identity."
Come see Zachary Danziger and our full lineup of speakers on April 5th in the Cyrpess Theater inside the John Lewis Student Center!
Tickets are FREE and available at https://gatech.universitytickets.com/w/event.aspx?id=2129&p=1
Thank you to for sponsoring this event!