VIDEO

VIDEO

Amber Case

Amber Case

The work of Amber Case, a cyborg anthropologist, focuses on the interface of culture and technology. She discusses how she merged her studies in sociology, anthropology, and engineering with her passion for making technology more efficient and user-friendly, allowing people to connect and better understand one another.

Grades

4 - 12+

Subjects

Anthropology

Program
Mysteries of the Unseen World (logo height 65 pix)

Amber Case is a National Geographic Emerging Explorer and the director of the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) Research and Development Center in Portland, Oregon. As the daughter of two broadcast engineers, Case learned early how to engage her curiosity for science, mathematics, and engineering. While attending Lewis & Clark College, she combined her engineering experience with studies in sociology and anthropology. This merger developed into a passion for understanding the symbiotic nature of humans and technology, which launched her career in cyborg anthropology.

As a cyborg anthropologist, Case explores the interface between humans and technology and how those interactions impact people and culture over time. A cyborg is an organism that has had external components added to it so that it can better adapt to changing conditions. According to Case, human interactions with technology, especially interactive devices like computers, tablets, and cell phones, make us all cyborgs. Anthropology is the science of the origin, development, and culture of human beings. Cultures are formed, in large part, by the tools and technologies they create. Throughout human history, tools have been important extensions of the physical self, and now, anthropologists like Case believe tools are extensions of the mental self as well.

The result is that humans are able to connect more easily and more quickly than ever before. Social networks, online gaming, and virtual interfaces are just a few examples of tools being used to extend the mental self. Case believes these human-technology interactions amplify humanness because they allow people to overcome the geographic and social barriers that would otherwise prevent them from connecting with one another. One practical application of Case’s work in cyborg anthropology is Geoloqi, the location-sharing company she co-founded. The Geoloqi system works to better integrate technology with real life by providing location-based information in real time.

Through her ongoing research, Case continues to support the philosophy of computer pioneer Mark Weiser, who said, "The best technology should be invisible, get out of your way, and let you live your life."

Media Credits

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Writer
Angela M. Cowan, Education Specialist and Curriculum Designer
Editor
Julie Brown, National Geographic Society
Copyeditor
Jeannie Evers, Emdash Editing, Emdash Editing
Producer
Elaine Larson, National Geographic Society
other
Last Updated

October 19, 2023

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Related Resources

Funder
National Science Foundation Mysteries of the Unseen World
Made Possible in Part By
Lockheed Martin
Partner
National Geographic Entertainment