Exponential Technology
Lately there have been many exciting advancements in human enhancement technology. Here are four with incredible potential.
Technology is improving exponentially, affecting almost every aspect of our daily lives. Over the next few decades, many believe we'll move in a new direction as technical innovations are applied to our own bodies. There is always a demand for new medical procedures, but human advancement is now technological advancement. Here are four developments to follow.
BCI
Brain-computer interfaces appeared in 2008, utilizing head-gear that detects EKG patterns and translates them to electrical signals which can be used to affect devices. Today, there are a number of BCI products on the market. Admittedly, most of them are toys and hard to use consistently, but this is a science in its infancy, and soon we may be able to operate wheelchairs, prosthetic limbs, and virtually any apparatus directed by thought alone.
Prosthetics
Engineers have begun producing artificial limbs able to articulate human movement. These are normally powered by batteries and rely on pressure-sensitive switches to react. But the University of North Carolina and others are working to perfect limbs that respond to electrical signals in the wearer's muscles. Vanderbilt University has worked out a system for powering artificial limbs with small rocket motors. As mechanical engineering, BCI, and fuel systems merge and improve, artificial limbs may perform as well as or better than the organic version.Vision
Advances in eye treatment and lenses may soon bring about a generation that has never worn glasses. For now, though, advancements in eyesight correction allow the nearsighted and farsighted among us to see with ease. According to a specialist from Identity Optical, the Israel-based company Shamir has introduced high-tech lenses utilizing their own patented software for simulating movements of the human eye. The appearance of custom-engineered lenses means practically anyone can sustain excellent vision throughout their lives.
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In 1995, researchers shocked the world by growing a human ear on the back of a lab rat. By 2012, a Boston hospital grew the first fully human ear, by covering a frame with collagen and using a bit of the patient's own cartilage to "seed" the new ear and grow an exact duplicate. While the procedure remains hung up in red tape, it's hoped by many that it will be approved and become common for replacing damaged body parts. As geneticists perfect splicing DNA, growing virtually anything we require may be just a few generations ahead.These technological developments are all paving the way for human enhancement’s future. For now, though, prosthetic technology and innovations in vision correction are improving human lives every day. While we never know what tomorrow will bring, these technologies suggest a bright future for those interested in human enhancement.
| By Emma Sturgis | Embed |
About the Author: Emma is a freelance writer from Boston, MA. Information related to the legality of carrying controlled substances without a prescription was provided by a possession of an illegal substance lawyer in Austin, TX. Questions? Say hi on Twitter @EmmaSturgis2
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