Years ago, a cardiologist insisted I have a loop recorder installed in my chest. The purpose was to monitor my heart. Little did they know, they created an android. This piece meditates on the history of Black bodies as vessels of experimentation, and how the melding of tech and self has a longer history than one might imagine.

The piece is titled PMHx, a medical acronym for Patient Medical History. It originally aired on BBC Radio 4’s Shortcuts.

A special thanks to C’ne Rohlsen, Axel Kacoutié, C.C. Paschal, Cher Vincent, Zakiya Gibbons, and Veralyn Williams for editorial and artistic guidance.