Man, Machine, or Something In Between?

hu·man noun /ˈ(h)yo͞omən/ – A human being, esp. a person as distinguished from an animal or (in science fiction) an alien
Synonyms – man, person, human being, individual, soul, mortal
(Google Dictionary) 

ma·chine noun /məˈSHēn/ – An apparatus using or applying mechanical power and having several parts, each with a definite function and together performing a particular task
(Google Dictionary) 

This post is in response to the video “We, Robot” that was shown on our first day of class and the discussion that followed.

The video that was shown raised many questions about how technology and robots affect our everyday lives.  The boundaries between man and machine are indeed slipping.
This may not seem like such an obvious answer though.
But think about it.  Could you go even a day or more without using your cell/smart phone, computer, car? Probably not.  We rely on these devices in our everyday lives and now think it unimaginable to function without these machines.  Much of our knowledge is stored on these devices as well.  How many times a day do you “Google” something or look at a digital calendar on a phone or other piece of technology? Probably at least once.
In this way the boundaries between humans and machines are indeed blurring.

This idea that humans have become so attached to machines was recently parodied in a Saturday Night Live sketch:

http://www.nbc.com/assets/video/widget/widget.html?vid=1379121

We have become so involved with our machines as to be oblivious to the “real world” around us.  Is an app like this an actual possibility in the future?  Does this indeed make us apart of our machines?

Another theme that was very prominent in the video is the relation of humans to robots and other similar machines.  The video brings up the text
“Master and Commander,”
“Robots start as tools,”
“Then they become something else,” and
“History”
This is very true.  We have begun to create machines that are “smart.”  They can function on their own, do certain tasks, and respond when stimulated.  But how far can this really go?  Machines are essentially are slaves.  We control them.  We tell them what to do and how to respond.  They solely exist for the purpose of serving us.  All of this made me think of an example in the genre of science fiction.  What would happen if our machines became too “smart” and rebelled, as slaves have rebelled in history?  In Battlestar Galactica robots are programmed to be slaves for the humans.  But then the slaves rebel and a war is started.
The robots become so advanced as to look like humans.

At this point in time it is hard to say what the stopping point of our advancing boundary between man and machine will be.  It could stop at some point, merge seamlessly, or go too far as in the fictional Battlestar Gallactica.  But it is always interesting to refer to science fiction, it is certainly a possible future.

So are you human? Are you a machine? Are you somewhere in between these two categories?

I would like to categorize myself as human.  But as technology progresses that answer may not be so certain.