What is a cyborg, really?

Over the weekend, I went with two of my girlfriends to visit a body mod artist to get magnets installed into our fingers. Each was successful, and they all seem to be healing well.

Later I asked one of them, "why did you want a magnet?" It was her first (versus my third or fourth, depending how you count). She was still riding the high of the new development, and I wanted to provoke reflection to further appreciation and excitement. She's seen me play with mine (and played with them herself). After some thought, she offered in her own words the usual reasons—lifting, sensing—and added my own favorite "possible kink applications", as well as an endearing "to interact with your magnets".

She then turned the question on me. I thought my own answer was similar, but there was a substantial distinction in my approach that had us both reflecting.

Sure, lifting is mostly a fun gimmick—a party trick. There is an occasional practical application, like picking up a screw or mounting something to hold briefly. The sensing, at a glance also seems like the same—amusing little novelty; sometimes you can feel a live wire. But to me, the sensing is more than that. The profound value is more abstract. A quick story:

In biohacking circles, the word "cyborg" is used rather loosely. One injects an inert glass vial with some clever electronics under their skin, and they're a cyborg. It's cute and fun, and still carries that rush of being on the edge of technology, and pushing the barriers of organic life. Indeed, my first implant (which I myself stretch the language for) was foremost for this reason—the use case is cool, but I did it primarily for the transhumanism.

But that's not how cybernetics works. These little chips don't interface with the body. There's no cycle of feedback, or communication with the organic body at all. It's just a capsule with some nifty circuitry housed in a convenient (and fascinating) location.

How many senses does a human body have? You have your five major ones, and some others like balance. How often does one get to augment, enhance, or add to those senses? A magnet actually impacts how one can interact with the world. It opens up new awareness to one's surroundings; adds a new dimension to experience, gives new ways to feel.

It's a touch ironic, actually, that the microchip with decades of electrical engineering is outclassed in the "cyborg" factor by a funny rock with some weird property to it.