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

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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

 Gadgets  

Human-computer interfaces, in the form of wearable tech and assistance for the disabled especially, are already improving everyday life. Here are a few examples.

Mankind has dreamed of the fusion of man and machine since as early as the 19th Century, with Edgar Allan Poe’s short story "The Man That Was Used Up" detailing a cyborg-like individual relying on mechanical prostheses. Speculative fiction has long discussed the possibilities of human-machine interface taking the form of a single entity, one which can achieve more than either component would on its own, for the benefit of human life. While we’re not quite at the point where nanobot-controlled organs and telepathic internet access are available to us, humanity is currently using several extant technologies to improve everyday life.

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Assistance for the Disabled

One of the best side-effects of mobile tech development has been the application of these commercial devices to assisting the blind and visually-impaired. Smartphones and other wearables (notably, smartwatches) are being used to sense depth via stereovision. This works by the wearing of two camera-equipped mobile devices, with both cameras pointed in the same direction, and having them send depth information to the user. This can be a viable technological alternative to traditional assistance tools, like canes and guide dogs.

Researchers are looking into further assistive uses for mobile technology in everything from guide robots for the visually impaired and remote-controlled camera feeds that allow the wheelchair-bound to experience more of the world than would otherwise be possible.

Industrial Applications

Industrial work is also benefiting from human-machine interface developments. Touch panels, like those offered by Coast Automation, provide their users with fast and simple computer access. Visual panels, used in production, offer machine operators to interact with the machine in a visual and user-friendly way. This can not only improves the efficiency of the operator but also the quality of the work produced.

Wearable Communication

There are few who would argue that mobile technology hasn’t revolutionized communications. Wearable devices take this innovation a step, further, enabling hands-free communication to take place almost anywhere. The experience of live, face-to-face conversation is preserved—if somewhat imperfectly, at present—by wearable technology. Current wearable devices, like Google Glass and different variations on the SmartWatch, have already become quite popular with consumers.

Ensuring one’s own physical safety has also been made easier with the rise of wearable tech in the form of jewelry. Some of these fashionable pieces can be programmed to alert a predetermined emergency contact at the push of a discreet button. For those who deal with the threat of physical harm on a regular basis, this technology may prove to be a literal lifesaver.

By Emma Sturgis

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Author Bio - Emma is a freelance writer currently living in Boston, MA. She writes most often on education and technology. When not writing, she enjoys watching old movies and indoor rock climbing.

 Science Fiction  

When his cybernetic pet project is put in jeopardy, the handyman of a decaying apartment building is forced to take a stand, blurring the lines between human and machine.

The short film sci-fi film Flesh Computer from writer/director Ethan Shaftel, explores the nature of consciousness by jumping between the perspectives of an eclectic group of characters including a young girl, a vicious bully, and a tiny housefly.

Flesh Computer examines consciousness from the seemingly insignificant act of killing an the housefly. "The huge difference in scale between myself and a fly means this is not a particularly upsetting or meaningful occurrence for me, though it is very significant for the fly: the end of its existence and its awareness, however limited it may be, of the universe," says Shaftel.

"The huge difference in scale between myself and a fly means this is not a particularly upsetting or meaningful occurrence for me, though it is very significant for the fly: the end of its existence and its awareness, however limited it may be, of the universe."

Shaftel is a director, editor, and game designer based in Los Angeles. In addition to his feature film debut Suspension released by Warner Brothers, Ethan has directed award-winning short films, a line of games for Hasbro, and screen content for musicians ranging from Tiesto, to Jane's Addiction and Foster the People.

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Noted philosopher David Chalmers appears in the film and raises some fundamental questions on consciousness in counterpoint to the action.  The actions of the film reflect the possibility of panpsychism, the theory that every particle in the universe may have a degree of consciousness.

The full interview with Chalmers used in the film is below.

Flesh Computer also stars Rob Kerkovich (NCIS: New Orleans), Anthony Guerino, and introducing Elle Gabriel.

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 Cyborg Insects  

Researchers have developed methods for remotely controlling the flight of moths and for monitoring the electrical signals moths use to control those muscles. The work opens the door to the development “biobots,” for use in emergency response and other applications.

North Carolina State University researchers have developed methods for electronically manipulating the flight muscles of moths and for monitoring the electrical signals moths use to control those muscles. The work opens the door to the development of remotely-controlled moths, or “biobots,” for use in emergency response.

The paper, “Early Metamorphic Insertion Technology for Insect Flight Behavior Monitoring,” is published online in the Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE). JoVE publications have two parts, a written component and a video describing the work.

"This information will help us develop technologies to remotely control the movements of moths in flight. That’s essential to the overarching goal of creating biobots that can be part of a cyberphysical sensor network."

“In the big picture, we want to know whether we can control the movement of moths for use in applications such as search and rescue operations,” says Dr. Alper Bozkurt, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at NC State and co-author of a paper on the work. “The idea would be to attach sensors to moths in order to create a flexible, aerial sensor network that can identify survivors or public health hazards in the wake of a disaster.”

The paper presents a technique Bozkurt developed for attaching electrodes to a moth during its pupal stage, when the caterpillar is in a cocoon undergoing metamorphosis into its winged adult stage. This aspect of the work was done in conjunction with Dr. Amit Lal of Cornell University.

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But the new findings in the paper involve methods developed by Bozkurt’s research team for improving our understanding of precisely how a moth coordinates its muscles during flight.

By attaching electrodes to the muscle groups responsible for a moth’s flight, Bozkurt’s team is able to monitor electromyographic signals – the electric signals the moth uses during flight to tell those muscles what to do.

The moth is connected to a wireless platform that collects the electromyographic data as the moth moves its wings. To give the moth freedom to turn left and right, the entire platform levitates, suspended in mid-air by electromagnets. A short video describing the work is available at .

“By watching how the moth uses its wings to steer while in flight, and matching those movements with their corresponding electromyographic signals, we’re getting a much better understanding of how moths maneuver through the air,” Bozkurt says.

“We’re optimistic that this information will help us develop technologies to remotely control the movements of moths in flight,” Bozkurt says. “That’s essential to the overarching goal of creating biobots that can be part of a cyberphysical sensor network.”

But Bozkurt stresses that there’s a lot of work yet to be done to make cyborg insects a viable tool.

“We now have a platform for collecting data about flight coordination,” Bozkurt says. “Next steps include developing an automated system to explore and fine-tune parameters for controlling moth flight, further miniaturizing the technology, and testing the technology in free-flying moths.”




SOURCE  NC State University

By 33rd Square

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 Ethics  

Medical implants, complex interfaces between brain and machine or remotely controlled insects  —recent developments combining machines and organisms have great potentials, but also give rise to major ethical concerns.

They are known from science fiction novels and films – technically modified organisms with extraordinary skills, so-called cyborgs. This name originates from the English term “cybernetic organism”. In fact, cyborgs that combine technical systems with living organisms are already reality.

As Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) researchers Professor Christof M. Niemeyer and Dr. Stefan Giselbrecht of the Institute for Biological Interfaces 1 (IBG 1) and Dr. Bastian E. Rapp, Institute of Microstructure Technology (IMT), point out that this especially applies to medical implants.

In their review entitled "The Chemistry of Cyborgs -- Interfacing Technical Devices with Organisms," KIT scientists discuss the state of the art of research, opportunities, and risks. The review is published now by the renowned journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition.

In recent years, medical implants based on smart materials that automatically react to changing conditions, computer-supported design and fabrication based on magnetic resonance tomography datasets or surface modifications for improved tissue integration allowed major progress to be achieved. For successful tissue integration and the prevention of inflammation reactions, special surface coatings were developed also by the KIT under e.g. the multidisciplinary Helmholtz program “BioInterfaces”.

Progress in microelectronics and semiconductor technology has been the basis of electronic implants controlling, restoring or improving the functions of the human body, such as cardiac pacemakers, retina implants, hearing implants, or implants for deep brain stimulation in pain or Parkinson therapies. Currently, bioelectronic developments are being combined with robotics systems to design highly complex neuroprostheses.

Cathy Hutchinson has been unable to move her own arms or legs for 15 years. But using the most advanced brain-machine interface ever developed, she can steer a robotic arm towards a bottle, pick it up, and drink her morning coffee.

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Scientists are working on brain-machine interfaces (BMI) for the direct physical contacting of the brain. BMI are used among others to control prostheses and complex movements, such as gripping. Moreover, they are important tools in neurosciences, as they provide insight into the functioning of the brain. Apart from electric signals, substances released by implanted micro- and nanofluidic systems in a spatially or temporarily controlled manner can be used for communication between technical devices and organisms.

BMI are often considered data suppliers. However, they can also be used to feed signals into the brain, which is a highly controversial issue from the ethical point of view. “Implanted BMI that feed signals into nerves, muscles or directly into the brain are already used on a routine basis, e.g. in cardiac pacemakers or implants for deep brain stimulation,” Professor Christof M. Niemeyer, KIT, explains. “But these signals are neither planned to be used nor suited to control the entire organism – brains of most living organisms are far too complex.”

Brains of lower organisms, such as insects, are less complex. As soon as a signal is coupled in, a certain movement program, such as running or flying, is started. So-called biobots, i.e. large insects with implanted electronic and microfluidic control units, are used in a new generation of tools, such as small flying objects for monitoring and rescue missions. In addition, they are applied as model systems in neurosciences in order to understand basic relationships.

Electrically active medical implants that are used for longer terms depend on reliable power supply. Presently, scientists are working on methods to use the patient body’s own thermal, kinetic, electric or chemical energy.

In their review the KIT researchers sum up that developments combining technical devices with organisms have a fascinating potential. They may considerably improve the quality of life of many people in the medical sector in particular. However, ethical and social aspects always have to be taken into account.


SOURCE  KIT

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 Cyborg Tissue Engineering  

Researchers at Harvard University have created the first examples of cyborg tissue: Neurons, heart cells, muscle, and blood vessels that are interwoven by nanowires and transistors.

Bioengineers at Harvard University have created the first examples of cyborg tissue: neurons, heart cells, muscle, and blood vessels that are interwoven by nanowires and transistors.

As described in a paper published in Nature Materials, a multi-institutional research team led by Charles M. Lieber, the Mark Hyman, Jr. Professor of Chemistry at Harvard and Daniel Kohane, a Harvard Medical School professor in the Department of Anesthesia at Children's Hospital Boston developed a system for creating nanoscale "scaffolds" which could be seeded with cells which later grew into tissue.

"The current methods we have for monitoring or interacting with living systems are limited," said Lieber. "We can use electrodes to measure activity in cells or tissue, but that damages them. With this technology, for the first time, we can work at the same scale as the unit of biological system without interrupting it. Ultimately, this is about merging tissue with electronics in a way that it becomes difficult to determine where the tissue ends and the electronics begin."

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The research addresses a concern that has long been associated with work on bio-engineered tissue -- how to create systems capable of sensing chemical or electrical changes in the tissue after it has been grown and implanted. The system might also represent a solution to researchers' struggles in developing methods to directly stimulate engineered tissues and measure cellular reactions.

"In the body, the autonomic nervous system keeps track of pH, chemistry, oxygen and other factors, and triggers responses as needed," Kohane explained. "We need to be able to mimic the kind of intrinsic feedback loops the body has evolved in order to maintain fine control at the cellular and tissue level."

Using the autonomic nervous system as inspiration, the researchers built mesh-like networks of nanoscale silicon wires -- about 30 -- 80 nm in diameter -- shaped like flat planes or in a reticular conformation.

The process of building the networks, Lieber said, is similar to that used to etch microchips.

Beginning with a two-dimensional substrate, researchers laid out a mesh of organic polymer around nanoscale wires, which serve as the critical nanoscale sensing elements. Nanoscale electrodes, which connect the nanowire elements, were then built within the mesh to enable nanowire transistors to measure the activity in cells without damaging them. Once complete, the substrate was dissolved, leaving researchers with a net-like sponge or a mesh that can be folded or rolled into a host of three dimensional shapes.

Once complete, the networks were porous enough to allow the team to seed them with cells and encourage those cells to grow in 3D cultures.

"Previous efforts to create bioengineered sensing networks have focused on two-dimensional layouts, where culture cells grow on top of electronic components, or on conformal layouts where probes are placed on tissue surfaces," said Tian. "It is desirable to have an accurate picture of cellular behavior within the 3D structure of a tissue, and it is also important to have nanoscale probes to avoid disruption of either cellular or tissue architecture."

Using heart and nerve cells, the team successfully engineered tissues containing embedded nanoscale networks without affecting the cells' viability or activity. Using the embedded devices, they were able to detect electrical signals generated by cells deep within the tissue, and to measure changes in those signals in response to cardio- or neuro-stimulating drugs.

Researchers were also able to construct bioengineered blood vessels, and used the embedded technology to measure pH changes -- as would be seen in response to inflammation, ischemia and other biochemical or cellular environments -- both inside and outside the vessels.

Though a number of potential applications exist for the technology, the most near-term use, Lieber said, may come from the pharmaceutical industry, where researchers could use the technology to more precisely study how newly-developed drugs act in three dimensional tissues, rather than thin layers of cultured cells. The system might also one day be used to monitor changes inside the body and react accordingly, whether through electrical stimulation or the release of a drug.


SOURCE  Harvard Gazette

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