Scientific American has an interesting article on the possibility of limb regeneration in humans, and how the human body reacts during an amputation compared with a salamander, which will regenerate the lost body part.
The gold standard for limb regeneration is the salamander, which can grow perfect replacements for lost body parts throughout its lifetime. Understanding how can provide a road map for human limb regeneration.
The early responses of tissues at an amputation site are not that different in salamanders and in humans, but eventually human tissues form a scar, whereas the salamander’s reactivate an embryonic development program to build a new limb.
Learning to control the human wound environment to trigger salamanderlike healing could make it possible to regenerate large body parts.
One of the most encouraging signs that human limb regeneration is a feasible goal is the fact that our fingertips already have an intrinsic ability to regenerate. This observation was made first in young children more than 30 years ago, but since then similar findings have been reported in teenagers and even adults. Fostering regeneration in a fingertip amputation injury is apparently as simple as cleaning the wound and covering it with a simple dressing.
Looks like a huge hamster exercise ball, but it’s actually a gaming setup that immerses the player in a 3D virtual reality world, and it’s called VirtuSphere.
The players use a motion-tracking headset that provides them with the visuals of the game, and the ball allows them to run, roll, jump or crawl in the virtual world, without the risk of hitting real world obstacles.
The sphere sits on rollers, which allows it to rotate 360 degrees in any direction. According to the manufacturer, which is based in Washington, it can be used either for gaming or for exercises or simulations.
They create these systems according to what the client needs and so far they sold it to the military, law enforcement and entertainment companies.
What do you think? The first step towards Star Trek’s holodecks?
Sci-Fi author Arthur C. Clarke died at age 90, on Wednesday. He wrote more than 100 books in his career.
His most famous book was 2001: A Space Odyssey and three other books followed in this series, with movies being made after them in time.
Clarke, who had battled debilitating post-polio syndrome since the 1960s and sometimes used a wheelchair, died at 1:30 a.m. local time after suffering breathing problems, aide Rohan De Silva told The Associated Press.
His latest novel, "The Last Theorem" has been reviewed by the author and will be published later this year.
After the jump you can see his last appearance on video in December 2007.
Imagine yourself being 101 years old. Now, add to that drinking beer, smoking and staying out late. Would you train for a marathon in these conditions? Well, that’s exactly Buster Martin’s situation, and he’s preparing for the London marathon in April. A few weeks ago he completed a 13 mile half marathon in 5 hours. He would’ve done it a bit faster he said, but he had to stop to buy beer and cigarettes along the way.
A few other things about Buster Martin: he has 17 children, still works 3 days a week cleaning vans and he’s part of a senior rock band called the Zimmers, which apparently had a hit single in the UK last year.
With the great history of innovation that humanity has behind it, it’s to be expected that victims will appear from time to time, when it comes to the more dangerous inventions. Below you can read about 6 of those people that were killed by their own inventions in the past.
Cowper Coles - The Turret Ship
Cowper Coles was the inventor of the turret ship. Born in 1819, he joined the Royal Navy when he was 11 years old, and took part in the Sevastopol siege in the 1850’s. During the war he and other officers built a raft with a rotating protective turret. The turret design was patented by Coles after the war is over.
In 1866, after years of pressing the Navy, he finally received approval to build a turret ship, and so the HMS Captain was built. The HMS Captain capsized in 1870, due to errors in the design (inadequate stability), and it’s creator, Cowper Coles was one of the 500 that died when it sunk. Only 18 of its crew survived.
William Bullock - Rotary Printing Press
William Bullock was the inventor of the web rotary printing press in 1863, which revolutionized the printing industry. With just 3 workers, his printing press could print 10,000 units per hour.
In 1867, Bullock was caught in the gears of his own printing press while he was making adjustments to it. While he was installing the printer for the Philadelphia Public Ledger newspaper, he kicked a driving belt onto a pulley and he caught his leg in the machine, and it was crushed and broken. A few days later gangrene set in and 9 days after the accident Bullock died during the operation done to amputate his leg.
Otto Lilienthal - Hang Glider
Otto Lilienthal was one of the pioneers of human aviation and the first to succeed repeated flights with hang gliders.
Since he started using his own gliders he made over 2000 flights from 1891 to 1896 when he crashed from a height of 17m (56 feet) and eventually died two days later from his injuries.
To invent an airplane is nothing. To build one is something. But to fly is everything.
- Otto Lilienthal
Thomas Midgley, Jr. - Own Design Mechanical Bed
Thomas Midgley was an American inventor born in 1889 that has over one hundred patents registered on his name, including Freon and tetra-ethyl lead (TEL - a gasoline additive).
At age 51, in 1940, he contracted polio, which left him severely disabled. He designed a complicated system of strings and pulley that lifted him up from his bed. This invention eventually led to his death in 1944, when he was accidentally entangled in the ropes and died by strangulation at age 55.
Alexander Bogdanov - Blood Transfusion Gone Wrong
Alexander Bogdanov, of Belarus nationality, was a scientist born in 1873, that had interests varying from the universal systems theory to human rejuvenation through blood transfusion.
He started doing experiments on blood transfusion in 1924, with the hope of achieving partial rejuvenation or eternal youth. After doing 11 blood transfusions on himself, he reported an improvement in eyesight and a suspension in balding, along with other improvements.
After Lenin’s death, he was commissioned to study Lenin’s brain and, if possible, to resuscitate his body. In his letters to the Soviet leaders Joseph Stalin and Bukharin he dreamed of physically rejuvenating the Bolshevik party leadership.
Bogdanov died in 1928, after he did a transfusion on himself with blood from a student that had tuberculosis and malaria.
Franz Reichelt - Overcoat/Parachute
Franz Reichelt, born in Austria in the 1800’s, was a tailor that became well known because of his accidental death.
He designed an overcoat, that was supposed to work as a parachute and bring the wearer gently on the ground or allow him to fly.
He tried to demonstrate his overcoat by jumping from the first deck of the Eiffel Tower, at a height of 60 meters. His parachute didn’t work as intended and Reichelt died on impact. His death was recorded by the cameras present to witness the experiment.
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