Visual Studies
MEDIATED REALITY AND MIND-MACHINE INTERFACES: A CASE FOR COGNITGIVE EXTENTION
As modern interfaces become increasingly intrinsic to our daily function, so too does the need for a reconceptualization of what constitutes cognition increase. Brain-computer interfaces are leaving the realm of science fiction, with recent developments inmixed reality techniques suggesting a long-term viability in both industrial and private settings. At this time, popular philosophical frameworks and theories of mind are unable to account for the progressively complex relationships we have with the technological devices in our environment. In this paper I attempt to develop a framework that appropriately addresses cases of cognitive coupling between device and agent, and to subsequently utilize that framework in the analysis of several case studies. The case studies are as follows: (1) The recent demonstration of memory enhancement using closed loop functional stimulation of the temporal cortex, (2) Neil Harbisson’s Cyborg Antenna, and (3) Steve Mann’s EyeTap device.