Neil Harbisson is a cyborg. The colorblind artist underwent a groundbreaking procedure in 2003, having an antenna implanted into his head allowing him to perceive vibrations and translate them into audible colors, including infrared and ultraviolet.

Since the British government allowed him to wear the antenna in his passport photo, the Irish-Catalan artist has been officially recognized as the world's first acknowledged cyborg. His WiFi antenna also allows him to receive signals and data from satellites. At the Domain pulse 2024 in Vienna, he spoke about the challenges of color blindness, dangerous situations, and the most beautiful colors.

Why did you choose to implant the antenna?
I was born with achromatopsia, complete color blindness. I only perceive grayscale and black and white. This poses great challenges in everyday life. For example, the flags of France, Ireland, and Italy all look the same to me: three vertical bars in black-white-black. Describing people is also often difficult. If someone says to me, "Did you see the man dressed in pink with red hair and blue eyes?" Then from that sentence, I can only extract: The man has eyes, hair, and is not naked. During a lecture at university on cybernetics, the thought came to me: Could technology be used to extend my senses to perceive colors? Thus, the idea for the antenna, which converts colors into sounds, was born. I didn't want to wear an extended sense, I wanted to have it. After all, I don't wear a nose. I have a nose. Implementing an antenna in the head is a 360-degree sensory organ. I can see the color behind me without turning my head.

Was the operation complicated?
The operation had never been performed before, so I had to find a doctor willing to perform it. Not everything went smoothly, and it took longer than expected.

You attract attention in public with your appearance. A man just wanted to know how you can sleep with an antenna. How does your environment generally react to your extended sense?
For the most part, people are interested and have a lot of questions. I sleep very well, by the way - the antenna is flexible! However, the interpretation of what the antenna could be has changed over time. In the mid-2000s, everyone thought it was a reading light. In 2009, many asked if it was a GoPro camera. In 2015, for some, it was a selfie stick. And later, people started shouting "Pokémon" at me. Children constantly want to touch the antenna; they find it fascinating.

Are there also negative reactions?
There have been negative reactions from time to time, but only once did it get really serious. During a demonstration in 2011, I was attacked by police officers who thought I was filming them. I said I wasn't, but they didn't believe me and demanded that I remove the camera from my head, which of course I couldn't.

What are the advantages of sensory enhancement?
Merging with technology brings one closer to nature, not closer to machines. It adds new layers of perception. I feel closely connected to nature and various animal species. For example, I understand why bees fly to a particular flower because I perceive the ultraviolet color of that flower. We should all have the freedom to design ourselves. It enables people to add new realities to their lives. Expanding our senses can lead to more empathy and understanding for the planet and other species living on it.

You are also a co-founder of the Cyborg Foundation, an international foundation that aims to help people become cyborgs. How is the community developing?
Hopefully, it will grow in the future. Most people involved in cybernetics do so for medical reasons. In the coming years, we will see more people voluntarily merging with technology. This will be a great change in our society, something new. The new senses offer so many possibilities. Eventually, people won't first ask, "What is that antenna on your head?" They will naturally ask, "What sense do you perceive?"

What do you find is the most beautiful color?
My favorite color is infrared. It's a very interesting color, with a profound sound. And what I also like about it is the fact that the color is not visible to other people. I now understand why cats seemingly stare at walls for no reason: they are observing infrared signals.

What other extended senses are there?
Besides Neil Harbisson, there are several artists worldwide who have adopted various senses.

Picture (c) Anna Rauchenberger