I know the parent post asks for labs in the USA, but there are plenty of options overseas - notably the government-funded CSIRO laboratories all around sunny Australia (disclaimer: that's where I work)*. If you are interested in computer science research, you can't go past the ICT Centre (/.). Specifically, if you're interested in cutting-edge robotics research, there's Autonomous Systems (who are frequent newsitems on./), or if medical engineering is more your style, there's the BioMedIA lab. There are, of course, other research labs in Australia, but this is the one I know most about:)
Australia offers a good place to carry out research, with many state governments (notably Victoria and Queensland) pouring millions into funding. Plus the lifestyle and standard of living is pretty hard to beat:D
* The usual oddities that associated with any large organisation (management & HR weirdness) are omnipresent, but these come and go and are par for the course.
Here in aus, m$ is in bed with the govt.; only bad things can happen, and they get away with a lot. Example:
CSIRO, the govt. research organisation, a critical and important group as far as R&D is concerned, is migrating its email systems so that ALL users have to use M$ Outlook.
The result has meant that everyone who has switched over to Outlook shares an addressbook which lists EVERYONE in the organisation (1000's of people).
This means that when the latest worm does the rounds, havoc ensues, as it gets mailed out to 1000's of people at a time.
The bionic ear has been around for many, many years now.
It was pioneered by an aussie company, Cochlear. It works by using an electrode to directly stimulate the receptors inside the cochlear.
A small implant is inserted under the skin behind the ear, the electrode run into the cochlea via a small hole drilled in the skull. There are no wires that leave the body; the device recieves data and power via an unobtrusive induction coil which is simply clipped on to hair near the implant.
New developments in the area include a plan to stimulate auditory receptors on the brainstem directly, and also development of better sound processing algorithms.
Chances are digestible nanobots will go in the mouth and come out the other end along with the meat and veg you ate last night.
Problem is that the complex organisms don't take lightly to having foreign materials inside the body, and anything without a very low bioreactivity (there are very, very few materials with a low bioreactivity) will get attacked by the body's natural defences. Anything as small as a nanobot will likely just get crapped out of the other end (pardon the expression).
As I see it, a more likely option is for the nerves to be accessed via induction from outside of the body; go see here.
Another much more immediate application would be to use the interface to regain control of existing limbs that have had their nerve motor control damaged or severed, such as the case is with paraplegics.
Invasive (ie where you have to cut tissue open) interfaces are bad because it is basically an open wound that is open to infection; also, any foreign materials (wires etc.) inside the body will be attacked by the normal defence mechanisms.
This has been countered somewhat by materials with low bioreactivity (I don't know too much about that) but still there is the problem of the open wound.
One option would be to have the interface under the skin and the information transmitted via a coil (like the bionic ear, pioneered by those cool aussies at cochlear).
Another option is to induce a current directly in nerves without placing anything inside the body at all; I *think* its called functional electrostimulation. Its the kind of thing that is useful for paraplegics of all sorts, and centres around regaining the use of existing limbs that have had their nerve control damaged or broken in some way.
Yes, welcome to the real world.
Imagine having your leg haxx0red by some l33t script kiddie.
hahahaha uyore l3g has b33n haxx0red! (kick self in head)
yay
On http://www.registeredtovoteornot.com , there is a 5 step process. The last step allows you to post comments in the 'guestbook'. Problem is is that the guestbook in fact sticks the comments instantly right on to the main page of the website!
This wouldn't be a problem, but several less-informed people have put up requests to be removed from the database - and included their date of birth, full name, address, Soc. sec. # etc!!
Just reload the page every couple of minutes and you can see it happening in real time.. good if you want to do some identity stealing, not so good for the unwitting people who post the comments:/
Slashdot Mirror
I know the parent post asks for labs in the USA, but there are plenty of options overseas - notably the government-funded CSIRO laboratories all around sunny Australia (disclaimer: that's where I work)*. If you are interested in computer science research, you can't go past the ICT Centre (/.). Specifically, if you're interested in cutting-edge robotics research, there's Autonomous Systems (who are frequent news items on ./), or if medical engineering is more your style, there's the BioMedIA lab. There are, of course, other research labs in Australia, but this is the one I know most about :)
:D
Australia offers a good place to carry out research, with many state governments (notably Victoria and Queensland) pouring millions into funding. Plus the lifestyle and standard of living is pretty hard to beat
* The usual oddities that associated with any large organisation (management & HR weirdness) are omnipresent, but these come and go and are par for the course.
Relive your quake glory days with quake papercraft :) Make your own shambler or player model ;)
Dilbert has a lot to say about the general topic here
w&g clothing has been availible in the UK and Australia for years and years already; I have a couple of t-shirts and a w&g beanie :)
Here in aus, m$ is in bed with the govt.; only bad things can happen, and they get away with a lot. Example:
CSIRO, the govt. research organisation, a critical and important group as far as R&D is concerned, is migrating its email systems so that ALL users have to use M$ Outlook.
The result has meant that everyone who has switched over to Outlook shares an addressbook which lists EVERYONE in the organisation (1000's of people).
This means that when the latest worm does the rounds, havoc ensues, as it gets mailed out to 1000's of people at a time.
I'm scared. R u?
Just recently, m$ got fined A$300 per X-Box logo they sprayed on the streets of various Australian state capitals.
Full story here.
Its a 'cheap' marketing technique thats turning out to be qute expensive
Vegemite is a traditional aussie sandwich spread extracted from the yeasty remains left over from making beer.
some people love it, some people hate it.
The bionic ear has been around for many, many years now.
It was pioneered by an aussie company, Cochlear. It works by using an electrode to directly stimulate the receptors inside the cochlear.
A small implant is inserted under the skin behind the ear, the electrode run into the cochlea via a small hole drilled in the skull. There are no wires that leave the body; the device recieves data and power via an unobtrusive induction coil which is simply clipped on to hair near the implant.
New developments in the area include a plan to stimulate auditory receptors on the brainstem directly, and also development of better sound processing algorithms.
Errrrrrrrr... no.
Chances are digestible nanobots will go in the mouth and come out the other end along with the meat and veg you ate last night.
Problem is that the complex organisms don't take lightly to having foreign materials inside the body, and anything without a very low bioreactivity (there are very, very few materials with a low bioreactivity) will get attacked by the body's natural defences. Anything as small as a nanobot will likely just get crapped out of the other end (pardon the expression).
As I see it, a more likely option is for the nerves to be accessed via induction from outside of the body; go see here.
Another much more immediate application would be to use the interface to regain control of existing limbs that have had their nerve motor control damaged or severed, such as the case is with paraplegics.
Invasive (ie where you have to cut tissue open) interfaces are bad because it is basically an open wound that is open to infection; also, any foreign materials (wires etc.) inside the body will be attacked by the normal defence mechanisms.
This has been countered somewhat by materials with low bioreactivity (I don't know too much about that) but still there is the problem of the open wound.
One option would be to have the interface under the skin and the information transmitted via a coil (like the bionic ear, pioneered by those cool aussies at cochlear).
Another option is to induce a current directly in nerves without placing anything inside the body at all; I *think* its called functional electrostimulation. Its the kind of thing that is useful for paraplegics of all sorts, and centres around regaining the use of existing limbs that have had their nerve control damaged or broken in some way.
Yes, welcome to the real world.
Imagine having your leg haxx0red by some l33t script kiddie.
hahahaha uyore l3g has b33n haxx0red! (kick self in head)
yay
On http://www.registeredtovoteornot.com , there is a 5 step process. The last step allows you to post comments in the 'guestbook'. Problem is is that the guestbook in fact sticks the comments instantly right on to the main page of the website! This wouldn't be a problem, but several less-informed people have put up requests to be removed from the database - and included their date of birth, full name, address, Soc. sec. # etc!! Just reload the page every couple of minutes and you can see it happening in real time.. good if you want to do some identity stealing, not so good for the unwitting people who post the comments :/