MICROCHIP IMPLANTS TO BECOME COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE

"BEFORE YOU WATCH" ACTIVITIES PART A: Match the words with the correct definitions buzz (n.) a strong feeling of pleasure, excitement or achievement implantable (adj) describing something that can be put into or attached onto the body encase (v.) surround or cover something completely, especially to protect it. regulator (n) a person or organisation that officially controls an area of business or industry and makes sure that it is operating fairly dystopian (adj.) relating to a very bad or unfair society in which there is a lot of suffering, especially an imaginary future society assorted (adj.) consisting of various types augment (v) increase the value or size of something by adding something to it curtail (v) limit something or make it last for a shorter time Part B: Complete the sentences with the missing words from Part A. You may need to change theform of the word. 1. I found the book I’d been looking for today – it was under my bed, and completely encased in dust!2. In the food industry, the role of the regulator is especially important, as the public need protecting.3. There’s a bit of a buzz around the latest StarWars film, despite the reaction to the last one.4. The government’s plans to increase the number of security cameras around the city were labelled dystopian by the opposition.5. Eating a diet consisting of assorted vegetables is a good way to stay healthy.6. Protestors accused the mayor of curtailing their freedom after he announced plans to ban demonstrations.7. Some companies are releasing special glasses that augment a user’s vision with tiny screens.8. In medicine, the development of implantable technology to regulate a patient’s heartbeat was a major step forward. Listen to the report about the advancements in microchipping. Write what the items relate to. Walletmor2. Wojtek Paprota3. 5004. 40005. 516. 1998 Glossary:Transhumanist movement (also transhumanism) – a theory that science and technology can help human beings develop beyond what is physically and mentally possible at the present time Listening for comprehensionListen to the report again. Answer the questions true, false or not given. The microchip mentioned in the recording is covered in a special type of material known as a biopolymer True False NG Regulators have expressed safety doubts about the microchips True False NG The respondents who were in favour of having a microchip implant only supported the idea based on certain criteria. True False NG The term biohacker is often used by early adopters of microchip implant technology to refer to themselves True False NG Patrick Paumen has had a variety of implants for medical reasons, and has had problems with them. True False NG Microchip implants have been widely available since 1998, although they were very expensive until recently True False NG Some, such as lawmakers, religious groups and civil rights organisations have opposed the technology True False NG Reading: general vocabulary Match the words and phrases with the correct definitions. warehouse (n.) a building where large quantities of goods are stored, especially before they are sent to shops to be sold to be fined make somebody pay money as an official punishment rip out (v.) remove something from something else quickly or violently, often by pulling it electronic tagging the use of a device that is fastened to a person who has committed a crime, so that the police know where that person is compensation (n.) money that is paid to someone in exchange for something that has been lost or damaged, or because of an injury or problem abuse of power the use of something in a way that is wrong or harmful tweak (v.) make slight changes to a machine, system etc. to improve it You are going to read a text about people’s reactions to the concept of human microchip implants.Scan the text quickly and find someone who matches each statement. One statement cannot be matched to any speaker and should be marked ‘Not given’. PRE-READING ACTIVITY: Getting chippedWould you like an implant?Brian, 25A. I used to work in a warehouse for a major international shipment company. You’ve probably heard of them. Two years in, they introduced electronic tagging for employees, which allowed management to keep track on us in and around the work premises. Within a few months, one of my colleagues had been fired for taking a smoke break during working hours. The tag had silently alerted someone higher up as soon as he set foot outside the warehouse. Things went from bad to worse, with some of my co-workers being fined as the tag determined that they hadn’t moved enough during the day. When I quit, I took the tag off and crushed it under my boot in front of my boss. Imagine if we had been microchipped – you can’t exactly rip a chip out of your skin! I hope that implants will never become a thing, but with the way the world is heading, I wouldn’t be surprised.Celia, 32B. I love shopping, but I hate touching money – I have a bit of a phobia of germs. Obviously, this got worse when the pandemic started, but on the other hand it became much more normal to pay with contactless cards or smartphones. I think that, if I could have a microchip under my skin that I used to pay for things it’d be an even better option. I know some people complain about physical money becoming obsolete, but I think they should really get with the times. The trend is towards a more remote society, and I wouldn’t be surprised if human contact becomes a thing of the past in the not-so-distant future. We’ll all be living online anyway by then, with robots to do all the manual jobs we don’t want to do anymore.Katrina, 28C. The apprehension towards microchipping has little to do with current technology. Most people aren’t worried about the idea of being able to buy things without carrying a credit card around. We’re concerned with what will happen next. Already, we’ve seen surveillance tech being employed by corporations in order to keep tabs on workers. We’ve seen cases like that of Myrna Arias, who claimed she was fired after uninstalling a tracking app that allowed her employer to monitor movements twenty-four hours a day. In 2015, a federal jury awarded compensation to a pair of warehouse employees who had their DNA illegally tested by their boss. As a professor of civil rights, I’ve studied some of the worst moments of recent human history. If microchipping progresses to the next step and becomes widespread, we can expect to see far more abuses of power.Stefan, 47D. Most of my fellow biohackers are quite a bit younger than me. I think they find it amusing that I’m so eager to get modded. I see my body as a machine – my mind, that’s the real me. Sometimes machines need fixing, which is where medicine comes in. Sometimes they need tweaking to improve performance. Thanks to my microchip, I can call my girlfriend just by touching my phone. I set up a program which interacts with my chip. The code could be altered to perform a variety of functions, and as the technology improves, I’m expecting it to drastically improve our lives for the better. For example, some researchers are looking into ways to use implanted chips to help people with disabilities. Just by touching a door, it could unlock or open for them. That could be life-changing – a far cry from the dystopia we’ve been sold by the paranoid.Sources: The Guardian, BBC, New York Times, Independent 1. someone who enjoys modifying their body Brian Celia Katrina Stefan NG 2. someone who works at a university: Brian Celia Katrina Stefan NG 3. someone who had a bad experience with microchips Brian Celia Stefan Katrina NG 4. someone who had an employer that abused his power Brian Celia Stefan Katerina NG 5. someone who is scared of becoming ill: Brian Stefan Celia Katerina NG PART A: Read the article again. Match statements with the correct speakers. Some statements can be matched to more than one speaker. One of the statements cannot be matched to any of the speakers and should be marked ‘Not given’. 1. They have conducted research into human rights abuses. Katrina Brian Celia Stefan NG 2. They feel generally positive about microchip implants. Brian Celia Katrina Stefan NG 3. They feel a sense of apprehension about the idea of microchip implants. Brian Katrina Celia Stefan NG 4. They think that microchip implants will never become popular. Brian Celia Stefan Katrina NG 5. They believe implants could help people who have difficulties. Brian Katrina Celia Stefan NG Part B: For each question, choose the answer you believe best suits the speaker. 1. Which statement best describes Brian’s emotional state when he quit his job? He was so angry that he destroyed the electronic tag in front of his boss. He was fed up with being treated worse than his co-workers. He was relieved to be leaving his job for a better paid job. 2. Which statement best describes Celia’s attitude towards people who prefer to pay with cash? She understands why they want to keep using cash instead of contactless payments. She thinks that they should keep up with modern trends. She thinks that they are being paranoid. 3. Why does Katrina think that most people are worried about microchip implants? She believes people are concerned with the safety aspect of being microchipped. She thinks people are worried about the cost of being microchipped. She thinks people are worried about how the technology could be used in the future. 4. Why might Stefan be unconcerned with the idea of modifying his body? He thinks that it’s as safe and trivial as getting a tattoo. He believes that the body is similar to a machine, and that the mind is the ‘real’ him. He points out that humans have been modifying their bodies for centuries, so it’s nothing new.