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Bionic Eyes
DNAhelix writes: "From NASA: Bionic Eyes - Using space technology, scientists have developed extraordinary ceramic photocells that could repair malfunctioning human eyes."
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I think that a large portion of the /. community falls under the "malfunctioning eye" category.
Looks to me like a brilliant joint venture between biology and technology. This first step is to see if we can provide some vision to blind people, or to enhance the vision of almost-blind people.
If we can get such things to work, we could be close to getting good night-vision enhancements for people with normal sight as well.
And the best thing... I dont really see how this technology could be abused. Many other implants and biotech research projects are accused of being too much sci-fi (stem cell research, organ transplants, organ growth etc). Some communities are having a hard time accepting those, because they see the risks that follows (ethical questions about life). But this seems to be more like improved glasses, and even the Pope are using those =)
Probable impossibilities are to be preferred to improbable possibilities.
Aristotele
"We are conducting preliminary tests on the ceramic detectors for biocompatibility, and they appear to be totally stable"
Hmmm... As a lifelong glasses/contacts wearer, I don't like the sound of the words 'preliminary' and 'appear' in this article. By the time they're actually ready, I bet I'll be long gone. A shame.
Long term testing needs to be done too; since the eyes deteriorate with age (which can adversely affect the results of current corrective surgery, such as LASIK where if you get it done too soon, you'll need glasses again by the time you're 35-40) I'd love to know what will happen to this technology.
Don't get me wrong; it's way cool. But these are my eyes, dammit!
Umm, I'm going to classify it as pretty funny.
About your sister; her viewpoint does not strike me as particularly healthy. For 20+ years I've been told that science would cure my macular degeneration, and my mother was told the same thing about HER eyes for 20+ years before me. Living life waiting for a cure is unhealthy, as it can lead to depression when that cure doesn't arrive, and unproductive for obvious reasons.
I read articles like this and take them with a grain of salt. They're neat little curiosities, but they get shoved in the same mental pile as all of the stories about terahertz processors, holographic memory, and privatized spaceflight that we'll have "some day Real Soon Now." So don't hold your breath.
A bit of advice (which I'm sure she's heard a hundred times before) for your sister; don't wait for a cure. Assume that it's never going to happen, and get on with your life. It's a whole lot easier than you think.
-- Minds are like parachutes... they work best when open.