Summary: My heart goes out to that cute little monkey with the yellow hat. The science is quite incredible, but I just want to give him a hug.<\/p>\n
No matter how you look at it, animal testing is a troubling ethical subject. Animal testing has advanced modern medicine. On the other hand, there's no doubt that the creatures being used for testing -- even if treated in the most humane ways possible -- are still frightened, uncomfortable, and sometimes in real pain. <\/p>\n
As this Discovery News article notes: <\/p>\n
It is with complete awareness of this ethical paradox that I bring you the following bit of video. The science is, without a doubt, absolutely incredible. The idea that a monkey can control a robotic arm, simply through his thoughts, is something that seemed ripped out of those terrible SciFi channel made-for-TV movies my husband and I like so much. <\/p>\n
On one hand, the potential for easing human suffering (okay, and giving Nintendo a new gimmick for game input) is profound. As the video shows, there's a tetraplegic patient who's able to manipulate a computer interface just by thought. Imagine what that man could do, the freedoms he'd be offered, if he could control his own limbs just by thinking about it. <\/p>\n
It brings back visions of Steve Austin (the Six Million Dollar Man, not the wrestler) and a real, possible future for amazing bionics. <\/p>\n
And yet, on the other hand, my heart goes out to that cute little monkey with the yellow hat. I know that under that hat must be electrodes, that he can't really move in that little box, his head might itch and he can't scratch, and just to get a tiny sip of water, he has to control a giant robotic arm. <\/p>\n
I just want to give him a hug. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
See more here:<\/p>\n
Real-life cyborg-monkey mind-control<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Summary: My heart goes out to that cute little monkey with the yellow hat. The science is quite incredible, but I just want to give him a hug. Continue reading