Two interesting articles on work to replace and upgrade human vision.  To begin, Gizmodo covers research to replace the retina with a micro-camera.  The mission being to replace lost vision with a chip that would record and stimulate the natural optical nerves with a chip. 

The second article, from medGadget, reports on an attempt to embed a visual feed into something as basic as a contact lens.  This would allow for a wide range of use from tourism to combat assistance to gaming, as the feed, if combined with GPS and directional awareness, could be overlayed on what the viewer can see in the moment. This could also have influence on education and psychology by adding/removing visual influences which might cause stress or distraction.

Naturally, once somone’s retina is replaced, it should be simple to include this type of visual overlay.

Snorting a Brain Chemical Could Replace Sleep

Development of a nasal spray containing a natural hormone orexin A, as an effort to offset a variety of situations through which individuals suffer from sleep deprivation.  According to the article, the first application would be for individuals suffering from sleep apnea, but would be tested for soldiers/pilots to allow longer time on duty and could become a popular drug for individuals who work/study for loonger hours.  I can only imagine there would be an immediate consideration for ER doctors and support specialists working after natural disasters, though there is no comment on how this might effect fatigue.

They mention coffee users, who self-medicate as an effort to overcome the effects of poor sleep habits, and this reminds me of the introduction of caffeinated water and reports of how people began to make coffee using this extra source of caffeine.  As such, how soon might orexin A begin to appear in coffee chains, sports drinks and as a “shot” in our smoothie?  But, the combination of orexin A and caffeine may benefit those who require mental and physical lifts, as there is much concern over the use of caffeine in professional/collegiate sports to gain an edge. 

Project Aiko

A project to build an android is taking place in Canada.  Designed to mimic the human ability to feel pain, partially as an effort build limbs to help amputees replace lost tactile function (specifically mentions pain, which is an interested starting point).

Quote from the site “It is my dream to have Aiko be as human-like as possible. I’m not sure
if it is possible, but there is no way to find out unless I try.”

Meets a few of my categories:

Body Alteration: Ability to replace lost body parts.

Intimacy/Recreation: Tactile function at a distance?  Will take teledildonics to new levels.  Bots which are capable of sex, but offer a more human level of interaction, may allow for more fulfilling relationships.

Healing/Psychology: We can only assume prosthetics with the ability to replicate nerve function would allow for more complete recovery for amputees (and possibly to discover methods for individuals with irreversible nerve damage) over time.

Interface: Would this allow us to use robotics to “feel” items at a distance?  Certainly a step up for surgeons operating from a distance and engineers manufacturing technology by hand.

Two articles by MSNBC and the Times Online about a movement to define the ethics of how robots will be treated and the beginning of a code of ethics to define individuals who are involved in robot R&D.  Statements in the article include a belief that robots will be used for sex and eventually seen as marriageable individuals by 2050.   Both are excellent articles, which cover the same material from two different angles.  Worth reading in combination.

I reacall a shooting, in NYC I believe, that made national news.  Soon after, morning shows were reporting on a trend of how bulletproof materials were being used to replace traditional fabrics in common items.  Bullet proof or energy dampening materials were in T-shirts, briefcases and umbrellas and were popular on Wall Street (I’ll be they are VERY popular considering the current economic crisis), according to my memory of the reports.

Dial forward several years and we see this trickling into children’s clothing and backpacks.  Stab proof uniforms are suddenly popular in Britain while bullet proof backpacks are of interest in America, clearly as a response to VA Tech and Columbine.  A sad transition into a violent future. 

Japanese Robot Cat Provides Companionship, Nightmares

Cats today…dragons and qi-rin tomorrow.  Interesting idea, and much more realistic than the Aibo.  Could be an excellent invention for those who would benefit from access to a pet but are limited by immune defficiencies or allergies or an inability to care for a living pet.

A Human Anti-Aging Pill in Ten Years

Sterling makes some interesting comments leading to this article.  I do believe science will crack the aging process and it will be done ASAP.  In a conversation with friends on the subject, where they claimed it would be wonderful for people and horrible for the planet, I had my own argument on how this will impact humanity.  While it would be wonderful for people to control their lifespans, this will be a controlled substance by government limit if not highly taxed/expensive for the same reason.  We can only support so many people on this planet.  I believe this will lead to a horrible question along the lines of “We can always use 100 year old doctors, but why would we want 100 year old janitors?” As populations increase, there will be a horrible moment where humanity must make a choice between the equal value of everyone and assigning value based on expertise and affluence.

This is one medication which will lead to many instances of social bottlenecks.

Honey Doll Has Touch Sensors, Maons, Has Fake Orgasms

NSFW

There is no doubt the sex ‘bots are coming (no pun intended) and the land of the Rising Sun is leading the R&D.  Honey Dolls (http://www.honeydolls.jp/) offers pose able robots purely for sex.  Looking over their (creepy) site, it shows that the mouth is designed to maximize oral stimulation of the male, is water washable, contains sensors built into the breasts which trigger a “vocal” (mp3-based) response, and “Softness comparable to a real girl.”

Overall, there is nothing surprising from this and these might even be the ‘bots used in Lars and the Real Girl.  May be best to watch the movie to get an impression of the social impact on humans as these become more prevalent.

The scary part of this is yet another method in which “beautiful” women are commoditized for sexual use.  Our media has done an excellent job of extracting “personality” from attractive women and now average women will need to compete with the male fantasies based on real-world interaction with an attractive, perfectly proportioned, forever young and vocally responsive “female”.

One final point:  Kazi, Aki and the new “teen body” appear very young and, based on the marketing on the site, for a purpose.

World’s First Bionic Hand Makes It to Market

Touch Bionics is currently marketing a prosthesis with five individual fingers, each able to act independently.  If I am reading this correctly, the device is picking up the natural impulses and correctly interfacing with the device.  Amazing technology, though I do wonder how it is powered and how long the batteries last.

MIT Finds Cure for Fear

Fascinating article about work on a drug treatment designed to help individuals overcome persistent fear.  Summed up best in these paragraphs (quoted from the site):

In the current research, genetically engineered mice received mild
foot shocks in a certain environment and were re-exposed to the same
environment without the foot shock.

The team found that mice with increased levels of Cdk5 activity had
more trouble letting go of the memory of the foot shock and continued
to freeze in fear.

The reverse was also true: in mice whose Cdk5 activity was
inhibited, the bad memory of the shocks disappeared when the mice
learned that they no longer needed to fear the environment where the
foot shocks had once occurred.

While learning how best to manage this blog, I am slowly learning how to categorize posts.  This article was a challenge and I believe it ranges across many.  I’ll break it down by the categories I selected (and wonder if this might be a good idea going forward):

Body alteration: Could individuals choose to have a permanent body modification which would render them fearless?  Is there a benefit to this?  If so, what are the possible psychological ramifications?  Is fear a necessary part of our mental balance, to the point that a loss of it might effect along the lines of sleep deprivation?

Conflict: Fearless soldiers?  I can imagine Saddam Hussein would have been more than happy to inhibit fear from his soldiers as U.S. troops approached.  It certainly would have hardened their resistance and kept so many from fleeing.  Though, there would have to be a fine balance.  Too much inhibition and the the fight or flight response fails.  Troops no longer suffer the adrenal edge (though there are plenty of chemicals to replace it) and may even lose a natural, and beneficial, intuition to flee, thus stacking up extra casualties.

Faith: I believe one of the greatest benefits of faith is the support needed to overcome fear and anxiety.  If the doctors can use a chemical “seance” to remove the Devil, what need is there for God?

Healing: Is it possible that AIDS and cancer patient, or any person suffering from a possible terminal disease, immune systems suffer from the ongoing fear of death?  Having never suffered from such illness, I can only imagine there is a massive amount of stress inflicted upon the mind and body.  Is it possible a suppression of fear might allow a greater chance of success in overcoming any disease?

Psychology: I think the article speaks to this directly.

Rest and sleep: Linked in with Healing, might a relief from fear allow certain individuals a better ability to recover or just to sleep?