🦺 Michael Faraday 🤝🏻 Apple Vision

This week we unravel the threads that link the world’s hottest gadget to a discovery in 1831 and surmise where Faraday’s insights may lead us next. At the bottom, a bit of safety news, and a fascinating research paper exploring transhumanism.

The Apple Vision Pro is being received with a confusing mix of excitement, apprehension, wonder, and ho-hum. Some people view it as a revolutionary new computing platform, others as a less nerdy-looking Google Glass.

Its invention began with a fundamental finding made more than a century ago: the discovery of electromagnetism by Michael Faraday. Faraday's pioneering research laid the base for the rise of electrical engineering, making it impossible to envisage today's advanced electronics and communication technologies integral to products like the Apple Vision.

The Basis of Electromagnetism: Faraday's discovery in the early 19th century was a revolutionary progress in understanding the natural world, revealing that electricity, magnetism, and light are all varieties of the same force. This scientific breakthrough marked the epoch of electrical engineering, leading to technologies integral to our daily lives, including those in our now everyday mobile, computing and wireless products.

Fast forward to the 21st century, the Apple Vision embodies decades of electronics, software, and user interface design development, all rooted in Faraday's discovery. The device's advanced circuitry, wireless communication, and magnetic induction charging are direct applications of electromagnetism, making Faraday's work essential for the technological ecosystem that supports the Apple Vision.

Reception of Electromagnetism: Faraday's discovery was met with awe and skepticism, sparking research in the scientific community but not immediately recognized for its potential. Safety concerns did not really surface until the practical application phase, like with electrical grids and the telegraph. In contrast, the public quickly embraced the Apple Vision, praised for its design and functionality but scrutinized for privacy, data security, and health impacts. Safety concerns, especially regarding electromagnetic radiation, reflect a more informed consumer base, and a less ‘revolutionary’ invention.

Safety Concerns: The safety concerns related to Faraday's electromagnetism and the Apple Vision highlight an evolving public health and safety awareness. While Faraday's era had little conception of electrical safety, today's concerns about the Apple Vision involve EMF exposure, eye strain, and mental health impacts.

The Future of Transhumanism and Electromagnetism: Faraday's legacy could be pivotal for transhumanist technologies that enhance human capabilities. Innovations like neural interfaces and electromagnetic exoskeletons are on the horizon, with quantum computing potentially enabling breakthroughs in human cognition, physical capabilities, and lifespan extension, all rooted in Faraday's principles of electromagnetism.

Faraday's discovery of electromagnetism has set the basis for technologies like the Apple Vision, illustrating the profound impact of scientific discoveries on future innovations. While reactions to both Faraday's work and the Apple Vision have varied, reflecting the concerns of their times, they have pushed the boundaries of the conceivable. Electromagnetism and Faraday's work will continue influencing transhumanism, furthering our quest to transcend human limitations. Next stop cyborgs?

In Safety News

• Boeing is likely to have more problems based on new reports about its safety culture. There is a long road ahead to get anywhere near Japan Airlines level of safety awareness. And the severity of the problem is being laid bare by internal whistleblowers.

• Japan’s transport ministry is implementing emergency measures to prevent additional accidents

• While railway safety is being used as a political hot potato in the U.S., Europe has just approved new AI-safety technology for its railways.

• Want to see what’s inside the Apple Vision Pro yourself? Here is a great teardown.

Interested in digging into the transhumanism, post human and bioconservatism debate? Here’s a recent interesting paper arguing that we have already fundamentally altered what it means to be human in the digital age.

We’ll be back in your inbox next week exploring AC waveforms in history and science fiction. Stay safe.