I suppose this is happening in the workplace more and more in places with high security....but at a disco in Mexico ?

((It was Spain. after all, a very short clip, on the subject, which, led me to be unsure))

I am just watching Naked Science and was a little surprised to see that people are acceptimg microchips, as identifying markers to be used for things such as going to the local disco, named Baja...I believe. There are others who are having them embedded for security purposes in the workplace. I found this interesting. I thought I would ask in here for your feedback. Ah ...technology!

What are all the pros and cons of this potential technology on the life of a person ?

tikay: Well, since you asked... From the Christian perspective, I would offer the following.

"And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, but he spake as a dragon.
And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six."(Revelation 13:11-18)

There's alot contained in that portion of scripture, but I'll quickly just point out a thing or two. First of all, a "beast" is representative of a kingdom(there are several passages that clearly point this out...I'll list them if anyone is interested). Additionally, "horns" are representative of kings(also passages that point this out). This two-horned or two-kinged beast or kingdom will ultimately cause that everyone receive a mark in their right hand or in their foreheads. Could this be speaking about microchip implants? Personally, I believe so, for many reasons. These two "horns" or "kings" that look "like a lamb"(they claim to be "Christian" nations...sounds like Great Britian and the USA to me) actually "speak as a dragon"(Satanically influenced). They "make fire come down from heaven"(war) and seek to implement a society in which everyone is "marked". Just a quick reading of the newspapers will tell you that both Tony Blair and George Bush are constantly pushing for the implementation of national ID cards. These cards, in my opinion, will start out as "smart cards" that have a microchip embedded on them. Due to the loss of such cards or theft of such cards, in my opinion, the microchips will ultimately be removed from "smart cards" and just embedded under the skin of humans(biometrics). I believe that the chips will go in either the hand or forehead because, in many instances(picture a businessman in suit and tie), the hand and head are the only parts of the body that are not covered by clothing. Microchips have been implanted in animals for years. Humans are next(some already have chips). These embedded chips will also allow for the government to track our every move via the Global Positioning System(GPS). They are already able to track people by their cellphones. I believe that the "pros" will be preached(able to track lost/abducted children, no one can steal your money, finding hostages, tracking fugitives, etc., etc., etc.) and that the public will ultimately embrace such a system. That's all for now. Gotta run...

I sure hope Bush is removed from power soon. What a sad day it would be if microchips where inbedded in people. Then after that there would be brain washing, and after that the general population will become slaves....however I think there are enough people who believe in freedoms that would fight this. Security is one thing, but I think that could be done much more effectively using something like an eye scanner, or a fingerprint reader. Like you said newguy, the public might be sold on it by the idea of finding kidnapped children, but the implications of this lose of freedom is truly scary!

Steveo: Microchips already are imbedded in people. My work schedule is extremely hectic right now, but, when I have the time, I will offer you some proof of this. Until then...

I have no microchips inbedded in me....unless that one time.... hehe. No, I don't have any in me and the fact that I work in making 'microchips' at the moment....I don't think any functional microchips that could be unnoticed to humans have been made. Anyways, I may be wrong, so if you have it, please offer me this evidence.

Steveo: I've got to go out for a few hours, but I'll try to get you that info sometime tonight.

Bible - newguy


Hey, Six hundred threescore AND 6?
Doesn't that mean 600 600 600 6... sounds like a telephone number. (errie music implying everything is directly related to everything else)

But I digress, I don't agree with the chip-human application. Who wants a lump of metal in their arm? "oh oh! Me ME!"

The best thing is that when you go in for an MRI the chip will be ripped away from the squishy material of your arm. Or even better, your forehead!

Mexicans can go nuts over those chips.

Steveo: Here is one instance...


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/1981026.stm

Saturday, 11 May, 2002, 01:02 GMT 02:02 UK
US family gets health implants



The procedure takes less than 10 seconds

US doctors have implanted chips into the arms of a Florida family containing their medical histories in a controversial new programme that doctors hope may one day become standard practice.



The Jacobs' son - Derek - heard about the VeriChip from a television programme


The Jacobs family - Jeffrey, 48-years-old, Leslie, 46-years-old, and Derek their 14-year-old son - had the devices, about the same size as a grain of rice, implanted in a procedure that took only 10 seconds in a clinic in Boca Raton, Florida.

It is hoped the procedure could eventually replace medical alert bracelets and give medical personnel invaluable details into their patients' medical problems.

However the chips could also be used to contain personal information and even a global positioning device which could track a person's whereabouts, leading to fears the chip could be used for more sinister purposes.

Potential lifesaver?

Called the VeriChip, the technology is the creation of a Florida-based company called Applied Digital Solutions (ADS).

Each chip contains a unique number and emits a radio frequency signal that transmits a brief medical message - for example a possible allergy or medical problem - and the unique number.

Using a handheld device, medical personnel can then feed the number into a web-based database that is maintained by ABS and contains more detailed information about any possible problems the implanted patient may have.

In the case of the Jacobs', the information would include Jeffrey's various medical problems, including a fused spine, a history of cancer and other serious medical problems, Reuters news agency reported.

'Great technology'

The family volunteered for the implant after Derek Jacobs heard about the chips on a television programme, the Associated Press news agency reported.



Critics are concerned the chip may be used to track individuals and violate human rights

"I thought it was great technology and something that had the potential to save my father's life," he said.

"We hope it will become an emergency room protocol," his mother said later.

If they don't know your medical history, your drug allergies, they can do a lot of damage."

However at present no hospitals or medical establishments in the region carry the equipment that enables personnel to scan such implants.

ADS said that 13 out of 14 local hospitals approached have offered verbal agreements, although there has not yet been a formal hospital approval.

Ethical questions

The scheme has also attracted controversy as the chips can also be used to track individuals.

MedicAlert, an emergency medical identification company based in California, described the procedure as raising "serious medical, ethical and infrastructure questions".

"It simply is unnecessary to implant a device into a person's body when non-invasive, less expensive methods of protection exist," the company said in a statement.

However the Jacobs said that the scheme had enabled them to obtain peace of mind.

"Once my dad went to the emergency room was in so much pain he couldn't talk. My mum and I didn't know his whole medical history or even what medicines he was taking," Derek Jacobs said.

Steveo: And another instance...

http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/06/09/spain.club/

Technology gets under clubbers' skin
By Chetna Purohit
Wednesday, June 9, 2004 Posted: 1324 GMT (2124 HKT)



Club director Conrad Chase is implanted with a chip.

(CNN) -- Queuing to get into one nightclub in Spain could soon be a thing of the past for regular customers thanks to a tiny computer chip implanted under their skin.

The technology, known as a VeriChip, also means nightclubbers can leave their cash and cards at home and buy drinks using a scanner. The bill can then be paid later.

The system is also designed to curb identity theft and prevent fraudulent access to credit card accounts that is increasingly common in crowded restaurants and clubs.

Clubbers who want to join the scheme at Baja Beach Club in Barcelona pay 125 euros for the VeriChip -- about the size of a grain of rice -- to be implanted in their body.

Then when they pass through a scanner the chip is activated and it emits a signal containing the individual's number, which is then transmitted to a secure data storage site.

The club's director, Conrad Chase, said he began using the VeriChip, made by Applied Digital Solutions, in March 2004 because he needed something similar to a VIP card and wanted to provide his customers with better service.

"I believe we should use new technology to provide our customers with the best service and entertainment," Chase told CNN.

He said 10 of the club's regular customers, including himself, have been implanted with the chip, and predicted more would follow.

"I know many people who want to be implanted," said Chase. "Almost everybody now has a piercing, tattoos or silicone. Why not get the chip and be original?"

In the wake of the Madrid train bombings that killed 190 people in March, Chase said VeriChip could also boost security by speeding up checks at airports, for example.

He denied the scheme had any drawbacks. The VeriChip is an in-house debit card and contains no personal information. It is made of glass so poses no health risk, Chase said.

But Dr. Arun Patel, a general physician in Los Angeles, warned that placing an electronic device inside the body could be problematic.

"From a medical standpoint, obviously you worry about radiation with any electronic device," Patel said.

If you follow the link that I listed above this article, then you will find that a "Quick Vote" poll was taken to see what percentage of people would allow a microchip to be implanted under their skin. 24% said that they would...

Steveo: And another instance...

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/loca...pimplant01.htmM

Man grips future with microchip implants in hands

By Kristi Heim
Seattle Times business reporter



Amal Graafstra simulates how he opens a door using an RFID chip implanted in his hand. He has a microchip in each hand, between the thumb and index finger.

Bellingham entrepreneur Amal Graafstra has given a new meaning to hands-on technology.



In each hand, between his thumb and index finger, is a microchip implant, which he can use to open doors to his apartment and car and sign on to his computer.

The one in his left hand was designed for tracking wildlife, among other things.

He ordered both chips for less than $5 each on the Internet.

"I saw pets getting these things for years, and then I heard about people getting the chip implant," he said. "I wanted to use that technology so I don't have to carry any keys."

Graafstra, 29, is one of a small but growing number of people experimenting with RFID chips in their bodies. He plans to talk about his project at 7 p.m. today at an event called Dorkbot at Seattle's Center on Contemporary Art. At the event, a local cosmetic doctor will implant the chip in a Canadian robotics enthusiast.

RFID, or radio frequency identification, transmits information wirelessly from a tiny chip or tag to a reader device. Its applications are broad, from tracking merchandise in warehouses and controlling access to buildings, to identifying pets if they're lost.

In 2004, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first human implantable chip, made by VeriChip of Delray Beach, Fla. Since then, about 85 people in the United States have had the VeriChip implanted, primarily to give doctors speedy access to their medical records, said company spokesman John Procter.

Graafstra has engineered the chips in his hands to serve the same purpose as the code that opens his apartment door or the key fob that unlocks his silver 2004 Volkswagen Golf. He keeps no data on the chips, just a 10-character code.

He waves his hand within a few inches of a sensor on the windshield, and that performs the same function as pressing a button on his remote control, unlocking the car door.

The chip was implanted by Dr. Virginia Stevens of Woodinville, who will do the same procedure tonight.

"It's not that huge a deal for the body," Graafstra said. "It was really kind of a fun experiment.

"I got the implant in my hand and I was writing the software with the bandage on," he said. "Within a couple of hours, I had the front-door access working."

Stevens, a cosmetic doctor at Hypatia Clinic in Woodinville, has performed about eight RFID chip implants since Graafstra's first in March 2005.

"My first reaction was here we go toward the end of the world," she said. "All your whole life history on a little chip."

Medically, she called the implant process "extremely simple."

She numbed the area, made a small incision with a scalpel, inserted the 13-millimeter chip and sealed the opening with skin glue.

Last July, Graafstra had his second chip inserted "in two seconds" with a special needle by his family doctor. He hasn't started using that chip yet, but is trying to figure out how to implement features for it.

The technology raises eyebrows — and the ire of privacy advocates — for its social implications.

"We think it's a very bad idea," said Liz McIntyre, co-author of the book "Spychips: How Major Corporations and Government Plan to Track Your Every Move with RFID."

Making chip implants seem like a cool experiment sends the wrong message to young people, she said.

"They're equating this with just another piercing," she said. "What they're doing is actually breaking down the mental barriers to the unique numbering of humans."

Because information on the tiny chips can be read surreptitiously from a distance, privacy watchdogs worry that the prevalence of RFID could allow secret monitoring and tracking by government or companies.

Graafstra acknowledges that any technology has potential for abuse. But many of the fears stem from misunderstanding, he contends.

"Basically people are learning about the technology, which could never be a bad thing," he said. "If it ever became oppressive, it's the people learning about it now who would be equipped to fight it."

He hopes his hands-on experiment can help dispel some myths. "Take charge of the technology," he says, "don't run from it."

One advantage to the do-it-yourself approach is that his system works only with his property, unlike corporate systems with many users linked to one database. With those systems, hackers could stage random attacks on anyone in the database.

Reading his chip would be like "finding a house key on the ground," Graafstra said. "It only works on my house, and you don't know where I live.

"The information can't be used in a way that would compromise my money or my medical data or anything like that," he said.

Graafstra has written a book, "RFID Toys," with step-by-step instructions for rigging doors and computers to respond to RFID tags. He's also converted his girlfriend. She has a chip implanted in her hand that lets her into his apartment and car.

Another convert is Phillip Beynon, a robotics enthusiast and college student from British Columbia who plans to have the chip implanted in his right hand tonight. He has projects planned, including using RFID to lock his computer, drawers and suitcase.

One challenge may be finding a willing doctor.

"A lot of doctors would have a moral problem with it," Stevens said. "If the person understands exactly what its potential capabilities are, and the way they use it is clearly defined, they are adults and can make their own decisions."

As for herself, Stevens said, "I would just scrounge around for my keys."