A Biohacker Implanted 50 Chips in Their Body to Become …

A transhumanist has spent the last 14 years implanting over 50 chips, antennae, and magnets into their body to become a cyborg.

Lepht Anonym has carried out these operations with no anesthetic and no guarantee of safety.

"I'd like to say I did it because I follow a grand tradition of self-experimenters in science, or that it was because practical transhumanism is more than a philosophy to me (it's my life), but at least partly, I did it for kicks. I just wanted more senses; still do," Anonym wrote in their blog, Sapiens Anonymous.

"Lepht Anonym is a faceless, genderless British biohacker. It lacks both gods and money, and likes people, science, and practical transhumanism," they also wrote.

Some will label them a cyborg, but to transhumanists, they're "posthuman."

For now, Anonym prefers another term a "grinder," meaning a hybrid of both human and machine.

Transhumanism is a movement that aims to transform the human condition by developing technologies that enhance physical, psychological, and intellectual capabilities a posthuman is someone who is able to achieve this transformation.

The roots of transhumanism can be found in cyberpunk literature.

If you're not familiar with novels from this genre, you may be familiar with its movies or video games, like "Blade Runner" or "Cyberpunk 2077."

On Anonym's blog, they mention "Neuromancer" as the first book they loved, a science fiction novel by William Gibson. It portrays a future in which technology has had an impact, often negative, on the social and/or cultural paradigm.

The movement has its own jargon, which you may have seen already in this article. For example, Lepht considers themself a biohacker, a biohacker being someone who modifies their body using tech in order to make it function differently.

Anonym describes themself as a practical transhumanist. Some transhumanists prefer to stick to the theoretical side of the movement, but Anonym uses chips, antennae, and other devices to actually "hack" their biological systems.

On their blog, Lepht keeps a record of their surgical implants. The first was in 2007 when, with the help of a friend, they inserted a chip into their hand so they could use their palm to pay instead of a credit card.

The operations are extremely painful, and since doctors won't help, they can't use anesthetic. Anonym doesn't mind the pain, however.

All their operations have had two goals to find out what devices can help humans go beyond their physical and mental limits and to improve themself if possible.

Anonym wanted to acquire an extra sense. To achieve this, they went through several operations to insert magnets into their fingers. These are activated by small coils of wire connected to external sensors such as infrared detectors, and allow the biohacker to sense the distance between their hands and objects.

They're not the only biohacker with special powers. As CNN reported, artist Moon Ribas implanted seismic sensors in her feet to record earthquakes as they happen around the world. Ribas is a choreographer and a dancer, and she feels her body is more connected to the Earth thanks to technology.

Practical transhumanism has its critics. Some feel that modifying the body in this way, especially considering the pain involved, is just madness.

Anonym doesn't expect anyone to follow in their footsteps they said that the blog is there simply to leave a record of their successes and failures and that they understand the effects these operations can have on their body.

Not being a doctor has certainly posed some problems.

In 2019, at an event for biohackers in the United States called GrinderFest, Anonym presented an experimental device: a "pirate box" with a chip, USB storage, and WiFi antenna.

"Users just connect to it via their phone or PC and they can download/upload files, anonymously chat," they wrote in their blog.

With the help of colleagues and volunteers, the device was placed in their upper right arm. It hurt more than they expected.

Months later, in January 2020, Anonym declared that the experiment had failed. They knocked the implant against a cab door, and their arm became so swollen they had to go to the emergency room.

Anonym said: the doctors "clearly thought this was an utterly bizarre thing to have done, and immediately admitted me for removal. They insisted it be removed and at this point a hole had opened up over one corner of the device, through which a lot of nasty goo was issuing, so I went with their opinion and let them take it out."

Anonym had nerve damage from the procedure, which resulted in them losing strength in their right hand.

"So, cautionary tale. don't put enormous devices in your arms, folks," advised Anonym.

There have been mixed responses to Lepht's posts, with some people finding inspiration in them.

By 2016, their blog had surpassed 600,000 visitors and had become a key reference for aspiring biohackers and transhumanists.

Anonym has also inspired works of fiction, like the cyberpunk graphic novel "Metal Made Flesh."

They aren't interested in fame, however, and they were clear that their goal is to make life easier for other biohackers in the future.

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A Biohacker Implanted 50 Chips in Their Body to Become ...