CONFESSIONS OF A BIONIC MAN: “In 2005, I got new software that made music sound brighter and clearer. The software’s improved frequency resolution enabled me to distinguish between tones that had sounded identical before. It was a simple upload; no surgery was necessary. . . . I’ve gotten used to the idea of having a quarter of a million transistors in my head — now it’s just part of my normal life. I boot myself up in the morning, and when my transmitter attaches itself magnetically to my implant, it takes only a second or two for it to begin sending data.”

Just don’t tell the Robophobes among us! It’s best to “pass” whenever you can.