An improved artificial cornea, which could restore the vision of more than 10 million people worldwide who are blind due to diseased corneas, finally is moving toward reality, scientists in California conclude in a new analysis of research on the topic.
Posts Tagged ‘Bio’
New Artificial Cornea Could Restore Vision For Millions Worldwide
In Bionic, Disabled People, Health on May 20, 2008 at 10:37 pmOscar Pistorius and the Future Nature of Olympic, Paralympic and Other Sports
In Ableism, Bionic, Disabled People, nano on May 20, 2008 at 10:31 pmin SCRIPT-ed – A Journal of Law, Technology & Society
Gregor Wolbring, pp.139-160
Oscar Pistorius is a Paralympic bionic leg runner and record holder in the 100, 200, and 400 meters who wants to compete in the Olympics. This paper provides an analysis of a) his case; b) the impact of his case on the Olympics, the Paralympics and other –lympics and the relationships between the –lympics; c) the impact on other international and national sports; d) the applicability of the UN Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities. It situates the evaluation of the Pistorius case within the broader doping discourse and the reality that new and emerging science and technology products increasingly generate internal and external human bodily enhancements that go beyond the species-typical, enabling more and more a culture of increasing demand for, and acceptance of modifications of the human body (structure, function, abilities) beyond its species-typical boundaries and the emergence of new social concepts such as transhumanism and the transhumanisation of ableism.
online open access here
Technorati Tags: Technology, Politics, Sports, Pistorius
Who’s afraid of a synthetic human? If we can enhance our species – make it live longer and resist disease – we should do it
In Ableism, Bionic on May 20, 2008 at 5:13 pmJohn Harris
In the future there will be no more human beings. This is not something we should worry about.
Much of today’s scientific research may enable us eventually to repair the terrible vulnerability to which our present state of evolution has exposed us. It is widely thought inevitable that we will have to face the end of humanity as we know it. We will either have died out altogether, killed off by self-created global warming or disease, or, we may hope, we will have been replaced by our successors.
more here
World First Discovery: Genes From Extinct Tasmanian Tiger Function In A Mouse
In Animal, Genetic on May 20, 2008 at 4:50 pmmore here
Tomorrow’s sports stars: Is talent all in the genes?
In Genetic on May 19, 2008 at 1:35 pmmore here
Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine created
In Health, Stem Cell on May 19, 2008 at 1:30 pmthe Department of Defense announced the creation of the Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine, which will go by the happy acronym AFIRM. According to DOD’s news service, AFIRM will “harness stem cell research and technology … to reconstruct new skin, muscles and tendons, and even ears, noses and fingers.” The government is budgeting $250 million in public and private money for the project’s first five years. NIH and three universities will be on the team.
more here
New paper by me
In Uncategorized on May 15, 2008 at 12:18 amWhy NBIC? Why human performance enhancement?
Innovation: The European Journal of Social Science Research, Volume 21 Issue 1 2008
page 25 – 40
Author: Gregor Wolbring
here
Abstract
A 2001 U.S. workshop with the title “Nanotechnology, Biotechnology, Information Technology and Cognitive Science (NBIC): Converging Technologies for Improving Human Performance” introduced the convergence of various sciences and technologies based on their nanoscale properties. It highlighted BIC as the science and technologies converging on the nanoscale. However many other sciences and technologies with nanoscale components exist, such as chemistry and material sciences. Furthermore the workshop chose human performance enhancement as its case study of application despite various other possible applications that could have been chosen. This paper addresses the questions why the workshop organizers (a) introduced nanoscale as a convergence concept, (b) chose BIC as the convergence examples and (c) chose human performance enhancement as their application. The paper provides some thoughts as to the success and consequences of that strategy.
Three article on Genetics
In Disabled People, Health on May 12, 2008 at 2:43 pmThe Chronicle of Higher Education
Genetic, And Moral, Enhancement
online here
From the issue dated May 16, 2008
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Years of Toil in the Lab Yield a New Field
online here
From the issue dated May 16, 2008
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Medical Genetics Is Not Eugenics
online here
From the issue dated May 16, 2008
Open biohacking kit project
In Stem Cell on February 9, 2008 at 10:52 pmcontains information on important protocols in genetic engineering, stem cell research, microbiology and
other fields of related interest.
more here
Sonic activation of molecularly-targeted nanoparticles accelerates transmembrane lipid delivery to cancer cells through contact-mediated mechanisms: implications for enhanced local drug delivery.
In Health, nano on January 15, 2008 at 2:26 pmmorehere
The prize of biofuel
In Uncategorized on December 29, 2007 at 5:47 pmHuman Fertilisation and Embryology Bill
In Uncategorized on November 30, 2007 at 7:56 pmaa view from the British Deaf Association
The BDA has acted as a respondent agent on behalf of the Deaf community, and a draft letter [PDF] has gone to Professor Marcus Pembrey (Professor of Paediatric Genetics), who is acting as an advisor to the House of Lords on amendments to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill.
See also:
HFEB: Explanatory clause on deaf selection
Parliament: Deaf Embryo selection to be made illegal
Stem Cells without the Embryos
In Uncategorized on November 21, 2007 at 1:22 amAn easy method for reprogramming adult cells may resolve ethical objections. more here
Cloning
In Animal on November 13, 2007 at 2:18 amA technical breakthrough has enabled scientists to create for the first
time dozens of cloned embryos from adult monkeys, raising the prospect
of the same procedure being used to make cloned human embryos.
morehere
Good, Better, Best: The Human Quest for Enhancement
In Disabled People, Health on September 20, 2007 at 1:30 amreport of this now online
Summary Report of an Invitational Workshop
Convened by the Scientific Freedom, Responsibility and Law Program
American Association for the Advancement of Science
June 1-2, 2006
more here
BT Eyes Technology Revolution for the Pharma Industry
In Health, nano on September 20, 2007 at 12:55 amIn a white paper, ‘Pharma Futurology: Joined Up Healthcare, 2016 and beyond’, BT’s pharmaceutical division brings its expertise in connecting people and businesses to create a big-picture outlook for the industry. The research reveals expected technology inspired changes that threaten pharmaceutical companies with isolation from an increasingly patient-centric healthcare community.
morehere
new column of mine is out Bionics
In Disabled People, Health, nano on September 16, 2007 at 1:33 amseehere
Gregor Wolbring and the WolbPack 