Will the fictional character of Motoko Kusanagi, created by Masamune Shirow in his 1990's manga, come to be real thanks to scientists like Kevin Warwick? For those who don't know the manga (and derivated series and movies) Ghost in the Shell, the story belongs the cyberpunk genre and features a world where, according to the introduction itself, the digital networks have spum around the planet and connect people together. Motoko Kusanagi is a full cyborg, leading the "section 9", a special and highly secret police force dealing with international cybercriminality and depending directly from the government. She can connect herself directly to the Internet and can contact her pals without having to use email, phones or any other traditional communicating device, simply contacting their brain through their prosthetic boosting device. She of course has a body that displays superhuman physical powers (strength, agility, and resistance). What animates her is her "ghost", a term defining what serves as a sort of digital soul to cyborgs of this fictional universe, in which you can actually "dive" using computer interfaces. However, this poses her many problem, not least that of her identity, the reality of her existence. And her super-boosted body simply doesn't belong to her, but to the government, meaning that if she wants to resign from her job, she won't be left with much but a few organic neurone, the only remnants of her past "humanity".

It was interesting to hear Kevin Warwick predict that in thirty years we will all have chips implanted in our brains and will be able to communicate by thought.

We think digital marketing is exciting now, but what’s it going to be like when we can send ideas and thoughts directly into people’s minds?

Having listened to showman scientist Kevin Warwick I was just struck by the thought that it isn't language - written or spoken - that we should try to replace by new forms of wetware communication.

Rather I'd suggest we combine the wifi-enabled Nabaztag rabbit with Kevin's research, and perhaps implant rabbit ears as well as colored lights, to be able to receive (and send out) the sort of background information and data that the Nabaztag rabbit is supposed to - email alerts, RSS-feeds, weather forecasts, stockmarket movements, etc.

It would also add to the fun if he wasn't working with Terminator-looking tech gauntlets but rabbit ears and blinking lights :-)

It is my third LIFT conference and I feel like a little kid! All the people, all the ideas, unfortunately also the bloody fondue! Now back to life...

The Creativity Utopia Workshop is something that has me all excited at this late hour. However due to my own inaccessibility - not answering phone, out of skype or ignoring IM - for the past couple of weeks and Henriette's quite exciting OpenStage talk, she will let me do the whole thing by myself. I will miss her bubbles and enthusiasm in the workshop, and am looking forward to exploding tabus, exploring utopia and getting real about finding access to that wonderful chimera of one's butterfly's dream.

Transhumanism and Calvin did not make it as a program discussion, and that in itself is interesting to me. I was cryptic about what I was trying to get at... but then there will be Kevin Warwick as a live cyborg, and we are in Geneva anyhow and ready to give Calvin's heresy a good go.

Anticipation is a wonderful elixir, and when it comes to this conference, it is part of the crack that makes the whole so damn exciting. I could never predict how these things go, but then I could not ever predict much.

There are many ideas floating around and I am writing and reading a lot. There are the central issues of identity, public and private, evolving media, and humanity's relationship to both technology and psychology... and all of this I am writing about.

Like last year, we will profile LIFT08 speakers on the conference blog to allow you to know them in advance, and make decisions regarding the presentations you want to attend.

Kevin Warwick: Cyborg and Professor of Cybernetics at Reading University in the UK

Why we invited Kevin
Kevin's research and achievements have been widely recognised and awarded. Last year Daniela Cerqui (Anthropologist) spoke at LIFT about her research and experience at his laboratory in Reading. She has been exploring from an anthropological perspective what has led Kevin to having chips implanted into his body. So this year we invited Kevin to present us with his perspective.

What will he talk about?
Apart from sharing his insights with us from the point of view of a Cyborg and a professor of Cybernetics, Kevin will also talk about how his work is breaking physical, ethical and philosophical boundaries. For more info on Kevin and his activities, check out his biography.

Official Biography
Kevin Warwick is Professor of Cybernetics and carries out research in artificial intelligence, control, robotics and biomedical engineering. He is also Director of the University Knowledge Transfer Centre, which links the University with Small to Medium Enterprises and raises well over £2Million each year in research income for the University or Reading.
See Kevin's LIFT Profile to learn more about this groundbreaking researcher.