This Transhumanist Implanted Magnet-Triggered LEDs Under Her Skin

"Because they are sparkly and I’m a magpie."

Modern Cyborgs

The kneecap in transhumanist Winter Mraz's leg isn't the one she was born with — instead, it's a 3D-printed replica doctors created for her following a serious car crash.

Devices designed to address medical problems are the most common kind of cyborg tech.

But a growing number of people, including Mraz herself, are taking it upon themselves to voluntarily enhance their bodies with technology — and sometimes for reasons that are more aesthetic than practical.

Light It Up

BBC Scotland's "The Nine" recently published a fascinating new exploration of modern transhumanism, talking to Mraz and others like her about their decisions to insert various bits of tech into their bodies.

Much of the tech appears to be useful — the radio-frequency-identification chip in Mraz's left hand, for example, unlocks her front door.

But when the BBC asked Mraz why she recently added two magnet-triggered LEDs to her growing collection of implants, the transhumanist admitted that she just liked the look of them. She told the outlet that "they are sparkly and I'm a magpie. I like things that light up."

Body Mods 2.0

Indeed, people have been modifying their bodies for aesthetic reasons for millenia, so it's not surprising that those modifications would evolve to include modern tech. And according to Mraz, we could see more implants — useful and otherwise — in the near future.

"I don't think implants are inevitable but I think they are getting better, longer-lasting, cooler and have more functionality," Mraz told the BBC. "It's going to be one more option people have."

READ MORE: The Transhumanists Who Are 'Upgrading' Their Bodies [BBC]

More on transhumanists: "Mad Scientist" Mom Turns Autistic Son Into a "Cyborg"