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It is possible to explore the emergence of technology and the simultaneous death of the organic by way of examining the pervasive nature of science, technology, and medicine within the collective ontology. For instance, the infusion of the organic due to modern medicine has allowed for the emergence of individuals whose existence, or ease of living, depends on technology, e.g. prosthetic limbs, reconstructed joints, pacemakers, transplanted organs (although organic, technology has allowed for human transplants). Through technology, individuals have disregarded the organic due to the "pleasure" modern medicine provides, in the sense that modern medicine has the capabilities to sustain and prolong life due to technological advances. Thus, as stated by Diane Greco, "as technological reconstructions of the body become more commonplace, it is necessary to confront technology's political dimension, as a power to shape individuals - to shape the body politic" (1). Greco's statement represents the influence of technology in regards to the manner in which the body, i.e. organic matter, is constructed.
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Related Links:
Cyborgs: Definitions, Descriptions, and Exemplications
http://landow.stg.brown.edu/
cpace/cyborg/definition.html
Cyborgs and Postmodern Bodies
http://www.island.net/~chrisbo/
cyborg.htm
Cyborg Existences ...
http://tatooine.fortunecity.com/
replicant/399/index.html
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The emergence of bodily constructions that synthesize organic "man" with technology allows for the pervasive integration of technology into the realm of routine living. Thus, the synthesis of organic with technology is able to culminate in the cyborg, as stated by Olalquiaga, "cyborgs are the 'natural' extension of the boundary erosion carried out by the domain of technological imagery" (Megalopolis 13). As illustrated by Olalquiaga's interpretation and utilization of the "Crystal Palace" as a metaphor, the incorporation of technology within everyday life has culminated in a form of pleasure, due to the utilitarian possibilities that technology provides. In addition, the "Crystal Palace" symbolizes an enchantment with the possibilities that technology, or modernization is able to provide. As stated by Olalquiaga, the "Crystal Palace" was regarded as "an unprecedented opportunity for business competition and expansion - [it] became a meeting place for friends and lovers, an escape for middle-class women and a didactic outing for families, easily merging industrial affluence and leisure time" (Artificial Kingdom 36). In comparison, the modernity of the "Crystal Palace" served a utilitarian purpose for social and business interaction, thus allowing for the association of "pleasure" with modernity and technology. The grandeur of the "Crystal Palace," as provided by the steel and glass mediums, afforded the patrons an unprecedented experience thus allowing for a reaction of fascination and subsequently, "enchantment," with the progressive possibilities afforded by technology.
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