

Harvard creates cyborg flesh that’s half man, half machine - doc4t
http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/135207-harvard-creates-cyborg-flesh-thats-half-man-half-machine

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knowtheory
This is interesting research but I winced at the off the cuff analysis at the
end.

Cory Doctorow wrote _0wnz0red_ back in 2002
(<http://www.salon.com/2002/08/28/0wnz0red/> ) which revolves around literally
hacking biology (and is a great read).

Falling in line with Doctorow's piece of fiction, the author of this article
seems to be under the impression that once you integrate circuits with cells,
you can treat biological systems as if they were software or hardware systems.

We may get to that point some day, but biology is complicated, and cells
signal each other in so many interesting chemical ways that it's going to be a
long time and a lot of work between us and being able to do anything
resembling the sorts of I/O we do with computers.

So please, when you read articles like this, think sensor networks, not
programmable biology.

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nacker
When I read articles like this, I dream of Wetware:

[http://manybooks.net/titles/ruckerrother10rucker_ware_tetral...](http://manybooks.net/titles/ruckerrother10rucker_ware_tetralogy_cc2010.html)

[http://www.amazon.com/Wetware-Computer-Every-Living-
Cell/dp/...](http://www.amazon.com/Wetware-Computer-Every-Living-
Cell/dp/0300167849/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1346250394&sr=8-1&keywords=wetware)

Why do so much work if you don't have a dream?

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cs702
When I read things like this, I can't help but conclude that ultimately we
will become _one_ with our machines: "as far as the cells are concerned,
they’re just normal cells that behave normally — but the electronic side
actually acts as a sensor network, allowing a computer to interface directly
with the cells."

~~~
ryusage
If you think about it, that's actually a pretty easy conclusion to come to,
even before stories like this. Every new technology we make is meant to
enhance our abilities, and they're always getting smaller and easier to use.
What's smaller and easier to use than to have it built right into your body as
if it were just there naturally?

~~~
alttab
"It was us who blackened the skies."

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uncoder0
My bet is the goal of this research is to repair spinal cords. I'm sure much
more will come from it but, I bet that is why it was undertaken. This is a
perfect fit for spinal reconstruction.

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stephengillie
_[T]hese cyborg tissues could be used to create very accurate organs-on-a-chip
— lab-grown human organs that are encased within computer chips and then used
to test drugs or substance toxicity, without harming a single bunny or
bonobo._

That's the real story here - making a better OoaC. Organ on a Chip leads to
faster testing.

~~~
Evbn
How do you get an organ (besides skin) on a chip? Do they mean tissue?

~~~
sp332
For testing, you just need a tiny piece, but there are multiple tissues to
simulate organs. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organ-on-a-chip#Organs>

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whalesalad
I can't help but think of the movie Virus[1], which _scared the living shit_
out of my 10-year-old self.

\---

[1] <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120458/>

~~~
jesskah
I immediately thought Robocop.

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chmelynski
What would be really great would be the ability to penetrate existing tissue
with nanowire sensors.

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wyclif
It's only a matter of time until one of these things kills a person.

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gee_totes
It's only a matter of time until another person kills a person.

~~~
Apocryphon
It's only a thing that matters until a person kills time.

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ktizo
_If you need a quick jolt of adrenaline, you would simply tap a button on your
smartphone_

If you can have cyborg flesh implants, I don't think you would bother with a
smartphone.

~~~
FrojoS
Also, I would imagine that you can have that electronically triggered jolt of
adrenalin today, too.

