Bionic eye gives sight to the blind in medical breakthrough
106 replies, posted
[IMG]http://blu.stb.s-msn.com/i/7D/7D81633175B1737664D36FBF3A31E.jpg[/IMG]
[QUOTE]They have the technology, and now scientists in the U.K. have given sight to the blind using bionic eyes. Electronic microchips implanted into the eyes of a group of British patients suffering from retinitis pigmentosa, an incurable genetic condition that causes blindness, have partially restored the vision of the formerly sightless so that they're able to view the world as a "grainy black-and-white image." The implant's first British recipient said the bionic eye gives him "some imagery rather than just a black world." Another patient reported suddenly dreaming in "very vivid color for the first time in 25 years" because a part of his brain had been reactivated. Wow, Toto. I don't think we're in Kansas anymore[/QUOTE]
[url]http://now.msn.com/living/0503-bionic-eye-blind.aspx[/url]
My vision is bionic.
Tech is so amazing these days. We are literally in the special date where we're just starting to wake up and see what potential we have, and are getting closer to a technological utopia (which can be insanely bad or insanely good). What's even more amazing about tech like this is that it's not more widely funded than it should be.
If I ever started to go blind and the Doctors told me I would definitely be blind. Then I would sign up for testing of this. Hell, I'd do it for free.
This is such a massive breakthrough if it works completely.
Transhumanism, fuck yeah!
Shame really, I hoped I'd be the first to develop bionic eyes. Oh well, since my only goal in life has been already archieved by someone else, I'll just look forward to a career at McDonald's
Just need to refine it and mass-produce it, and blindness will be a thing of the past.
My vision is augmented.
[QUOTE=Scar;35811957]Transhumanism, fuck yeah!
Shame really, I hoped I'd be the first to develop bionic eyes. Oh well, since my only goal in life has been already archieved by someone else, I'll just look forward to a career at McDonald's[/QUOTE]
Well you could always be the first to make one better than a normal human eye.
I wonder if this technology will work for individuals born blind, wish there was a more specific explanation.
[QUOTE=DeEz;35811977]Just need to refine it and mass-produce it, and blindness will be a thing of the past.[/QUOTE]
One thing though not everyone will want this, my mom was told she was a perfect candidate for surgery to repair her hearing (She is deaf in one ear and wears a hearing aid in the other) and she said no. Many people see their disability as a important part of who they are.
I was hoping for a cure to color blindness, but oh well.
Oh shit, son. We're going places faster than I had thought possible.
[editline]3rd May 2012[/editline]
[QUOTE=Cows Rule;35812071]I was hoping for a cure to color blindness, but oh well.[/QUOTE]
Give it a year and I think they'll have a fix for you for that.
Reminds me of one FPer who went blind. Upchuck Norris, I think.
Poor guy, wonder how he is doing.
OT: Still, I am amazed at the feats humanity is able to accomplish.
Awesome, this looks like a major step towards 'curing' blindness caused by other factors too
[QUOTE=DainBramageStudios;35812028]My vision is augmented.[/QUOTE]
This has to stop
But when it gets 'official' it'll be expensive as fuck
Next, put a human eye in a camera.
[QUOTE=DainBramageStudios;35812028]My vision is augmented.[/QUOTE]
I knew it was a matter of time before somebody posts that.
[img]http://infinitecoolness.com/stuff/amazon/dvd/bionic_six_wall_scroll_poster02.jpg[/img]
20 years and they will have eyes just as good as natural ones.
What if in the near future we could buy remote-control flying eyeballs that feed the images wirelessly back into your brain? That would be cool
I don't think it'll work on all blind people. Some have optic nerves that failed to attach from birth.
[QUOTE=J!NX;35811826]My vision is bionic.
Tech is so amazing these days. We are literally in the special date where we're just starting to wake up and see what potential we have, and are getting closer to a technological utopia (which can be insanely bad or insanely good). What's even more amazing about tech like this is that it's not more widely funded than it should be.[/QUOTE]
Alternatively, we could be reaching the point where the growth of religious fanaticism outstrips the growth of rational thought and we could in fact plunge the human race into a nightmarish Dark Age that would make the Grimdark 40k Imperium of Man look tame by comparison.
[QUOTE=Killuah;35812488]
20 years and they will have eyes just as good as natural ones.[/QUOTE]
More like 5.
10 at worst
Well, if my eyes keep going to shit at the rate they are going, I could be blind in 10-20 years, but I bet they will stop, if not, At least we got this shit.
[QUOTE=Madman_Andre;35812601]Alternatively, we could be reaching the point where the growth of religious fanaticism outstrips the growth of rational thought and we could in fact plunge the human race into a nightmarish Dark Age that would make the Grimdark 40k Imperium of Man look tame by comparison.[/QUOTE]
atheism is getting more and more open though so I doubt that at least.
there's always that, the apocalypse, and DE:HR though, anything could happen. Technology is growing at an insane rate, it's all about how it's used.
[QUOTE=Atlascore;35812696]I'm sorry, but anyone that doesn't want this is an idiot, plain and simple, being able to see and hear is a [B]massive[/B] part of being able to function properly in almost every task.[/QUOTE]
A lot of people are rating me dumb so let me just be clear, I fully support this technology I am just saying that not EVERY person will want it, I am not saying people should not get it but saying anyone who does not want it is stupid is ridiculous.
[QUOTE=imptastick;35812803]Imagine how scary it must be though to imagine changing the way you perceive the world forever, for people who are born blind and have made it through their life without vision it could be terrifying.
At first I could not understand why my mom turned down the surgery then she explained it would be like a large part of her life and a large part of her personality would be destroyed.[/QUOTE]
But she has a hearing aid? So it's not like she's never heard sound in her life before
[QUOTE=Madman_Andre;35812601]Alternatively, we could be reaching the point where the growth of religious fanaticism outstrips the growth of rational thought and we could in fact plunge the human race into a nightmarish Dark Age that would make the Grimdark 40k Imperium of Man look tame by comparison.[/QUOTE]
We just need to colonize Mars before that happens, then the religious fucknuts can rot on Terra while the augmented cool cats venture to the stars.
Scar for Fabricator-General 2030
[QUOTE=imptastick;35812803]Imagine how scary it must be though to imagine changing the way you perceive the world forever, for people who are born blind and have made it through their life without vision it could be terrifying.
At first I could not understand why my mom turned down the surgery then she explained it would be like a large part of her life and a large part of her personality would be destroyed.[/QUOTE]
Wasn't the thing about disabilities etc that they shouldn't define you
[QUOTE=DainBramageStudios;35812028]My vision is augmented.[/QUOTE]
I swear, gods forbid I ever needed to get these, this would be the first thing I said after the surgery.
[QUOTE=imptastick;35812803]Imagine how scary it must be though to imagine changing the way you perceive the world forever, for people who are born blind and have made it through their life without vision it could be terrifying.
At first I could not understand why my mom turned down the surgery then she explained it would be like a large part of her life and a large part of her personality would be destroyed.[/QUOTE]
when your blind for a long time you 'see' through sound, smell, etc, so when you gain sight you suddenly might hear something but not actually see something, or see something and be confused by it because you can't hear it. Something like that, there's a disorder or something like that for people who gain sight.
basically, you get very confused. So really, I don't think gaining a sense would be too terrifying unless you think of the fact that you need to learn how to ride a bike, only this time without using your ears, and you need to relearn words, body language, etcetc.
Also, more on blindness
[video=youtube;vpxEmD0gu0Q]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpxEmD0gu0Q[/video]
blind people are totally awesome.
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