Grindfest—A Mesmerizing Glimpse Into The Body-Modification Subculture

“It’s not good enough to talk, you should be taking action. That’s kind of our ethos” says Jeffrey Tibbets, host of Grindfest 2018.

This wonderfully visual report covers this year’s Grindfest—an annual meet-up for biohackers in California. Many biohackers actively modify their bodies with technology—by adding horns, magnetoreception implants or – why not – a glow stick in the forearm. Some inspiring characters are portrayed, including 16-year-old Louis, an aspiring entrepreneur testing out his most recent invention on an enthusiastic volunteer.

While biohacking might still be far off the radar for the wider public, people like Louis are convinced that this will change—especially as global influencers like Elon Musk are increasingly jumping on the train of body-modification. Musks Neuralink venture, which aspires to enable telepathy, is still to prove even the most basic feasibility.

But many biohackers believe that what takes place in their tech-exploring subculture and broader innovation ecosystem undergrowth are indicators of what will be mainstream a few years from now.