By Or Harel, elvy.ai Co-Founder & CMO
Last week I visited Berlin. I enjoy traveling very much, and Berlin is always one of my favorite destinations. Usually when I’m on a trip or vacation, I dedicate an extra effort to my self-development journey, on top of the refreshment one can get from a vacation. Each one of us has their own journey, and for me, these moments of thinking, learning and biohacking give rise to new insights. This is why I especially like paying a visit to museums and exploring various exhibitions. I always read the first one or two sentences of the description for every exhibit, watch the gallery videos and take a moment to digest and conclude my experience. The examination of my own experience allows me the personal exploration of the concepts, thinking habits, learning processes and content which I would like to take into account on my journey from now on.
Last week the stars aligned for me, as there was an extra-relevant exhibition in Berlin, just in time for my trip. The exhibition focused on the interface between people and technology, questioning and challenging the intersection between human culture, social development and technology. From my perspective, an important inquiry arises: does technology consistently advance us, considering all variables? Moreover, where does technology generate blind spots, and how can humanity address the resultant repercussions?
As biohackers, I find the interaction between the human race, technology and progression as an issue that should be constantly observed and questioned. On one hand, this is the very basic foundation of biohacking - experience-based tools and products we developed to enable our body and mind to reach full potential, and achieve better health and happiness. On the other hand, many of the matters we have to take under consideration are those that were created by technological progression. Let’s examine the most closed-to-our-hearts subject - EMF. Transmission technology, mobile phones and their stormy demanding entrance into our lives are the primary reason for the need for solutions. If not for them, the problem would’ve never appeared on anyone’s agenda.
Naturally, I do not claim we would be better without mobile phones and the social patterns that arrived with them, but I wish to illuminate the idea that every step forwards comes with prices and side effects, which we should consider and manage properly. These prices don’t necessarily overshadow the benefits, yet I believe a thoughtful approach should be present. In some situations the price might be higher than we can accept, in some cases it can be just fair, but this question must be asked - is this feature really taking us to the next level, or just creates the illusion of moving forward when actually creating a brand new problem?
During my stroll, especially when I examined the timeline, I found myself wondering about these turning points in which we take a leap ahead and those when we create new problems that would require a solution sooner or later. Honestly, recognizing the difference between the two and distinguishing between the time to continue and the time to stop are complicated tasks. On top of the answer being very individual, following progression has become one of our basic social and technological patterns. While some of us adopt progression sooner and some later, still we are not the ones to set the tone. On the contrary, as a biohacking startupist, I do have the privilege of setting the tone, choosing the next step, selecting the next technological step, deciding about the methodology - all of which the users will be wondering about in the next level.
Reflecting on my recent trip and this thought-provoking exhibition I visited, I’m thankful for the opportunity to dedicate some thought into this interplay between humanity and technology. As biohackers, we have a unique opportunity to navigate this issue while being aware of its complexity and enhancing our lives while mitigating the potential drawbacks. I hope to get better at practicing this approach of being mindful to my own journey and wish more people will create their own journey with an open heart and a thinking mind.
Cover photo:
Poetics of Encryption, KW Institute for Contemporary Art
