While flying cars, jet packs, super human robots and cyber-neural interfaces are still mostly out of reach, some cybernetic (or near cybernetic) enhancement is starting to be possible even on a DIY level. For instance, extending human senses to include magnetism and ferocity.
At this point several people including one of my close friends have experimented with implanting magnets either to add mounting points for hardware to their bodies, or to feel magnetic fields. I opted to follow an article from Mikey Sklar over at Holy Scrap and start wearing a magnetic ring. Since I always have it with me and my brain has adapted to interpret the new input, I still consider this cybernetics even if it doesn’t involve surgery. I can also get a much more powerful magnet this way and remove when I occasionally need to.
What I first started noticing was which things I touched were ferrous (usually this means made mostly of iron) and which weren’t. I am now much more aware of what metal is aluminum and what is steel. Certain electronics emit strong magnetic fields when operating, for instance food processors, and benchtop power supplies.
My ring is also very useful when working with hardware. I can hold on to several extra screws or nuts without effort or remove screws from holes without hunting for another tool. I’ve only found is that when gardening or playing with my daughter in the sand, my ring collects all the iron filings from the environment and some electronics like tablets, laptops and some high end soldering irons, use magnetic switches to turn on and off so my ring confuses them.
