This real-life cyborg has an antenna implanted into his skull

Artist Neil Harbisson was born completely color blind and sees the world in grayscale. But even though Neil can't see color doesn't mean he can't sense it. That's because Neil Harbisson is a cyborg who can hear color.

In 2004, Neil convinced a doctor to implant into his skull an antenna that detects and transposes colors into corresponding tones — allowing him to hear color through bone conduction. He considers it a new body part.

"This is an implant, so it's permanently attached," Neil says. "There's no way of removing it."

As co-founder of the Cyborg Foundation and one of several known cyborgs on this planet, Neil expects humans to be more open to the idea of implanting technology into their bodies in the near future.

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[rowdygoat]

I can see that he's color blind by the way he's dressed up.

[dhwanit]

I'd throw random colours at him in a rapid motion and give him a one hell of a Skrillex beat lol

[johnnymiguel]

Him: sees rainbow
His brain: beep boop intensifies*

[BlxxdLeaf]

That one guy who gets mad for thinking he's filming people, tries to rip it off his head. That'd be a hell of a day!

[BayMacDre]

He didn't talk about the technology or the transducer he used, or the way it stays powered, or the way it transmits the "bone-vibration" signals to the brain, or how he developed the gadget, or how he worked with a doctor to implant this "revolutionary technology", how he funded the project, how he sleeps at night, how he showers, whether or not he has to take antibiotics for the permanent wound he would likely have with such a device, how long he plans to wear it before it needs to be removed, or how he was able to get his hands on the tech 15 years before anybody else (before they had cell phones, apparently). I call BULLSHIT on this video, as an electronics engineer.

[twiggrae]

I would go crazy hearing beeps everyday

[leapingfury]

I actually think this is really dangerous. If he accidentally gets the antenna hooked on something and falls. Or if he gets bullied and into a fistfight. And someone yanks the antenna because they don't know its attached to his brain. There are so many ways he could accidentally die with this thing.

[budgetchrollo]

*puts antenna on head*
... so I'm a cyborg

[coldhnd]

His dress sense makes me wish I was colour blind

[colewilliams]

Well obviously the thing doesn't work properly. I mean, look at his wardrobe!

[jrlungz]

how tf you sleep with that on ya head.

[adamkondracki]

My dad was color blind..I dont think he wouldve opted for this even if they were giving it away..He said it's like seeing 10 different shades of grey..I'll take that over an antenna

[danielsnowi]

1:50 "so i decided to have bluetooth so i can receive colors from other places of the planet"
Welp, heard enough.

[Criiies]

This guy did this for attention. Bone conduction technology doesn't need to be physically attached to your skull, he could've easily got the same results with a wearable device.

[Birbucifer]

What if someone just pulled it out? Would his nerves come out like tree roots?

[kimjongun]

I wonder if you can hack into the antenna

[braselton]

I wonder what TSA thinks when he tries to go through security.

[CameronAnimated]

There's people with functioning bionic arms yet this guy thinks he's some superstar with a vibrating rod sticking out of his head. what does hearing colours even do

EDIT: Fuck me he's colour blind my bad, but they have glasses for that lmao

[GlennLittleford]

I cant believe how much the media has fallen for this. Go speak to any doc or engineer and you soon realise its a piece of art, and not functional.

[lupinnoney]

I wound't say he's a cyborg. There's an antennae drilled onto his skull that vibrates it and allows him to hear sounds. It's more like a *slight* enhancement.