

Prosthetic retina restores sight in mice after brain's visual code is cracked  - ananyob
http://www.nature.com/news/prosthetic-retina-helps-to-restore-sight-in-mice-1.11164

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ananyob
Citation and link to abstract for those interested in such things (also in
source). Nirenberg, S. & Pandarinath, C. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA
<http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1207035109> (2012).

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metatronscube
This is wonderful, I'm excited we are entering an age where its now becoming
normal to use technology to augment or repair the human body. Rather than our
old approach of letting medical science bodge a repair or remove faulty body
parts, we are turning to Scientists and Engineers to design prosthesis and
build replacements. Given a few years, would it be possible to design a better
retina?

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sp332
_old approach of letting medical science bodge a repair_

This is not even close to how medical science works. You really think
surgeons, technicians, physical therapists etc. aren't scientists and
engineers?

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metatronscube
Well, considering my recent dealing with doctors and surgeons on this very
subject of retina surgery...yes. I had torn retinas and the surgeon (who was
very intelligent, and super nice) said that he is nothing more than a
'mechanic' since all they can really do at this stage is to 'tack' the torn
parts of the retina back onto the back of the eye like a 'welder'. Their
words, not mine. Surgeons generally defer to research scientist and engineers
to carry out the research and cutting edge techniques, they practice those
techniques on patients. Not belittling their work, but its research that comes
up with this kind of stuff, not practicing doctors and surgeons.

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Someone
On the one hand, I agree with that observation. On the other hand, it makes me
think of the old (half a century or so) argument "but that is not AI, it is
just X. It would have to do Y to be real AI", where this year's Y will, in 5
years time, be solved by a new X.

Yes, those surgeons in some sense are just mechanics/craftsmen, but what they
do was research five years ago and they know they must stay up to date, so
that they can do that Y by the time that new X has sufficiently developed.
Also, many of them work on getting those new Xs to market, if only by helping
in trials.

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gtani
Parallel procedure described in this book, reattaching optic nerve to intact
retina, if I remember correctly.

[http://www.amazon.com/Crashing-Through-Story-Adventure-
Dared...](http://www.amazon.com/Crashing-Through-Story-Adventure-
Dared/dp/1400063353)

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sanxiyn
Wake?! <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wake_(Robert_J._Sawyer_novel)>

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Eyght
I want my laser robot eyes. I might also need your clothes, your boots and
your motorcycle, for later.

