Biohacking is an exciting development with potential to improve both human health and performance, yet to ensure this new field of technology continues to develop responsibly it requires effective oversight mechanisms.
Biohacking community members often utilize various supplements to alter their body chemistry or enhance cognitive functions, and wearable devices to track health metrics and track progress over time.
Brainwave Entrainment
Your brain is constantly sending electrical impulses from neuron to neuron. These electric signals are measured in frequency terms – cycles per second (Hz). Brainwave frequencies can be divided into five distinct categories, typically delta waves (0-4Hz) for deep sleep; Theta waves (4-8Hz) for meditation and dreaming; Alpha (8-13Hz): Relaxed focus and creativity; Beta (12-30Hz): Active thinking/problem-solving and Gamma (30+Hz).
When exposed to repetitive stimuli such as music or flickering lights, our brain tends to adjust its frequency-following response in response. Brainwave entrainment technologies such as binaural beats and isochronic tones take advantage of this natural phenomenon to help achieve your desired state of mind.
All it takes to see results is listening to an appropriate audio file for several sessions – similar to hitting the gym for your brain: as you regularly practice, those muscles strengthen and your cognitive game transforms over time.
Brainwave entrainment doesn’t aim to change how quickly or clearly you think – rather, its goal is simply to train your mind into getting into the appropriate state, such as mental clarity or stress relief. Yet its effects can be profound; simply be consistent with your sessions and experiment with various frequencies until you find one that suits you well – ultimately this kind of consciousness hacking could completely alter the way you approach life – try out our free 14-day BrainTap audio trial for yourself to experience these benefits for yourself!
Wearables and Monitoring Devices
Biohackers often turn to wearable technologies like fitness trackers and smartwatches in their search for improvement in health and wellness, collecting data that reveals aspects of an individual’s wellbeing that they can then use to make adjustments for improved outcomes.
Biohackers have taken an interest in mood-enhancing apps and other mental well-being tools like MOODMETRIC that use biofeedback technology to monitor changes in blood pressure and skin conductance to provide real-time feedback on stress levels.
Genetics is another area of interest among biohackers, with CRISPR gene editing becoming an effective means for scientists to address genetic disorders or create enhanced traits in plants, animals, or humans. But having such power over DNA raises ethical and societal considerations.
As biohacking evolves, so will its supporting technologies. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning technologies have taken biohacking to new heights by helping biohackers analyze large datasets more quickly; this allows them to detect patterns and correlations that could help improve both health and performance.
Biohacking refers to DIY Biology (Do-it-Yourself Biology or DIY Bio), which refers to individuals conducting scientific experiments on themselves outside traditional research environments. While some experiments can have harmless outcomes, others can have serious ramifications and lead to injury or even death – as was seen with Aaron Traywick who died after experimenting with drugs and devices at home. Biohacking should only be attempted by people who possess both the knowledge and skills to do it safely – as the industry develops it is important that everyone understands risks before trying new techniques at home.
Bioprinting
Bioprinting, which involves using a 3D printer to create cell-laden structures that resemble human tissues and organs, has quickly gained in popularity as an invaluable resource for medical researchers. Bioprinting enables them to develop drugs more quickly and precisely without testing on animals; saving both costs and ethical concerns while guaranteeing effectiveness for humans.
Scientists are exploring bioprinting as a means of replacing damaged body parts, like bone replacements. To accomplish this feat, scientists use 3D printing technology to first build an exact replica of the area they need to replace with scaffolds that match, then coat this scaffold with stem cells capable of growing into any tissue type imaginable and print the cells onto this substrate with polylactic acid and alginate mixture designed to match that found within human bones as closely as possible.
Once inside a special environment, this piece of technology promotes the formation of tiny blood vessels called capillaries that connect between themselves to deliver nutrients directly to cells in time. Scientists are currently testing this technology with hopes of printing eyes and kidneys using this approach – should its success prove itself, it could replace transplantation altogether!
There are currently thousands of people waiting on organ transplant lists, and having an easy way to print new organs would be a huge relief for everyone involved. Scientists hope that in the future we may be able to print organs directly from a patient’s own cells – thus eliminating donor searches altogether and providing doctors with quick treatment solutions they need in order to keep patients alive as soon as possible.
Artificial Intelligence
Integrating AI and ML into ethical hacking can dramatically speed up and enhance cyber threat identification, enabling organizations to quickly identify, mitigate, and respond to potential cyber risks more quickly and efficiently. Furthermore, using resources more efficiently leads to increased productivity while decreasing costs.
However, AI technology can be compromised by malicious actors. Many cybersecurity experts have predicted that AI systems could soon be used to automate and speed up cyber attacks; and studies have recently shown that some large language models such as GPT-4 produce malicious scripts designed to exploit known vulnerabilities.
These systems can be used to gain access to sensitive systems and cause real-world harm, for instance by targeting medical patients by stealing their records or hacking into government systems using social engineering techniques. Furthermore, these cyber weapons could target businesses by attacking their supply chains at critical moments causing critical components to go unused at critical moments.
As such, 62% of cybersecurity professionals attending the 2017 Black Hat USA conference believed that criminals will increasingly employ artificial intelligence-powered attacks. Although some AI systems may be more complicated than others, hackers can quickly find vulnerabilities to exploit any system.
Therefore, organizations should remain proactive against cyberthreats by adopting and integrating new technologies as soon as they become available into their existing cybersecurity infrastructure. In addition, best practices should be put in place and remain vigilant as AI integration increases in biometric authentication systems.
