What is “life?” Through discussions with members on last Thursday, several important elements were identified. Autopoiesis, variability, mutation, propagation, membranes, metabolism, autonomous movement (external and internal)… Three basic principles of living organisms were generally mentioned.
However, just as there is debate over whether viruses are biological or inanimate, the emergence of semi-life forms such as artificial life and semi-living materials has been actively developing in the past 50 years. When talking about life, the environment and nature are discussed in relation to interrelated systems, such as internal systems (such as metabolism) and external systems (ecosystems). Life is a phenomenon with time, but it can be thought of as a physical entity with a vertical axis of temporal transition and a horizontal axis of areal expansion. At this stage, we have a certain definition of “life,” but this definition may be expanded in the future. In the future, there may be a difference between the biological definition and the cultural and social definition.
Not only in biohacking, but “hacking” methods become more familiar with the something like technology, and the understanding and clarification of how it works will enable us to respond to the difficulties we face in the research field and the daily life. It is one way to open up a new culture. It liberates closed, technologies and methods. One might say that a more informed knowledge and a meta-technical, meta-media vision will develop a hack culture. Through hacking methods, we learn more about our own situation and understand more about the inner workings, which in turn opens our vision to the broader context of the situation, e.g., cultural and social. And I believe that this can lead to more exciting insights that can be shared and discussed with others.
One reason is that I (as a human being) am itself a “bio” being, which is (I believe) an unshakable fact. When “I” think about “I,” I cannot ignore my own biological nature and human beings as creatures outside of rational thinking such as consciousness and judgment. This is connected to the sense of biophilia and biophobia.
In addition, the existence of the creative field of bio-art is a particular trigger for my interest in DIY bioculture. Some Art has always opened up new visions for us to see and think. While “bio” has been a particularly hot topic in the past few decades, the expression of “life” has remained an important topic for art for a long time. It is also connected to new methods of design and expression, such as speculative design and artistic research.