Monday, February 19, 2007

The Hi-Tech Body of Tomorrow

By SS Verma
Source: Central Chronicle

Science and technology is progressing with a great pace and thus revolutionising medical science in particular. We are entering a century in which medical science will go beyond treating disease to create enhancements that will make us "better than well".

The advances in medical science like brain chips that enable us to control machines with our thoughts; design the child of your dreams, kidneys and lungs built to order in the lab; pills to make you smarter and more creative and an implant that gives you a tan and protects against skin cancer may well lead to more-than-human abilities.

Genetics, materials science, tissue engineering and nanotechnology are already yielding products to help the sick and injured, including a Band-Aid-like heart patch and the C-leg prosthesis for amputees.

All these innovations are in development; some are already being tested on human subjects. The next technological frontier will be our own bodies. Following this trend far enough, and we reach the augmented human.

Here are highlighted the breakthroughs that will make it possible to manipulate the body in novel (and sometimes disturbing) ways.

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