We Humans are remarkable creatures, when we want to be that is. There’s no limits to the possibilities of what we can accomplish. Take for example the below embedded documentary. Neil Harbisson is color blind (total color blindness). He can’t see in color. Everything he see’s is in shades of black, and white.
Hearing Colors.
Neil Harbisson convinced doctors to implant a self-made device into the back of his skull. He’s now a self proclaimed, and a government recognized cyborg, who is able to use this device to hear colors. In 2010, he co-founded the Cyborg Foundation , an international organization that helps humans become cyborgs. The organization promotes ‘cyborgism’ as an art movement. I repeat, Neil Harbisson may not be able to see colors, but he can hear them, and is probably the first cyborg.
The device functions much like an antenna, in fact it is an antenna that produces sound waves based on the frequency of colors. It has a color sensor, it picks up the light frequencies to a chip implanted in the back of his head. The chip then converts these frequencies to sound waves. He hears color through bone conduction. I am awed by the ingenuity behind the whole idea.
If you have 5 minutes to spare today, watch the video embedded below. I promise you it will blow your mind!
From Greg Brunkalla. Part of The Connected Series by Samsung.
I know another person, just like him. The said person’s color blindness is not as acute as Neil Harbisson’s. He is a designer, and one of the very few I’ve had the pleasure of knowing. His designs are a work of art. He paints too, and most of his paintings are bloody beautiful.
It’s so inspirational, and motivating to see people like them. Who don’t stop because of their limitations. They take those same limitations, and turn them over into something so creatively genius that you can’t ignore their impetus.
