Slashdot Mirror
Artificial Lung in the Works
StudMuffin writes "The University of Michigan Medical Center announced that an artificial lung that uses tiny hollow fibers and the heart's own pumping power to oxygenate blood is showing promise in pre-clinical studies, and may reach clinical trials in about a year for lung failure patients awaiting a lung transplant."
Well, I guess it was just a matter of time. Now we have artificial hearts (pop-up warning), artificial lungs, and artificial kidneys. (I mean that we as a society have them available to us as a technology, not that we as individuals actually have those things inside us, though some of us no doubt do.)
How long before we also have artificial skin to hold our artificial hair? How long before we decide what to put in our artifcial stomachs with our artificial brains?
The human race is about to step aside to make room for the cybernetically enhanced. May God have mercy on our souls. My one request is that none of my organs run anything made by Microsoft. See you in the future.
Karma: Good (despite my invention of the Karma: sig)
....and allow them to stay healthy enough to remain at the top of the transplant list
Is this where it all starts? Seems whoever can pay for the good stuff will get the organs. Oh well, hope my HMO's covers this device, cause with my 3 pack a day habit I will need a new set of lungs in a few decades.
Yes, for 1,000,000 Marborough Miles, you can get your own set of cyber lungs.
Simply insert a pack into the reloadable cartridge and enjoy your Class A cigarretes all day long.
Before I part with'em: two pennies weigh ~4.996+/-0.014g, have a zinc core, and the face of Lincoln. You can keep 'em.
I appreciate your point, and I understand where you are coming from. I too wish that smokers could somehow harm only themselves. I wish that banks never got robbed (burden to us all). I wish that everyone could earn a wage that would pay for their own existence (otherwise they are a burden to us all). I wish that free beer where really free (burden to me). But most of all I wish I could quit... but I can't so I'll ramble for a second.
There has to be a way for me to smoke (or something like it), and enjoy the chemical euphoria without the negative health problems. Problems that hurt you(s) more than me (it only affects me once, my SHS can affect many people).
Now that I think about it, I suspect that Phillip Morris sponsored some of the research into this lung. It could prove to be a very profitable accessory to them. I can see it now... "Get a 'new lung' when you send us 1,000,000,000 miles". I'm somewhat sorry that I affect your airspace, and try to only smoke while I'm driving my 1974 caddie (btw: if someone knows a place in north Texas that doesn't do the emissions test, I need to know where they are...)
Oh yeah, that brings up my other point. While I'm sorry about the whole "I'm f'en up your lungs" thing, can you just give the whole "your killing me" thing a rest? I obviously don't care enough to quit, and while I am genuinely concerned if my cigarettes are going to kill you, I honestly think my car will do the job first.
Pick your battles, don't f with us... we are victims too.
Love you guys... good night... I'll be here all week... unless that next pack gets me first.
Or, at least have a greater need for it!
Do you even lift?
These aren't the 'roids you're looking for.