These prosthetics break the mold with third thumbs, spikes and superhero skins
Traditionally, prosthetics designers have looked to the human body for inspiration. Prostheses were seen as substitutes for missing body parts; hyper-realistic bionic arms and legs were the holy grail.
But now we’re witnessing a movement of alternative prosthetics, a form of assistive technology that defies convention by making no attempt to blend in. Instead of making devices that mimic the look of a “normal” arm or leg, a new wave of designers are creating fantastic prosthetics that can move like a tentacle, light up, or even shoot glitter. Read the whole story.
—Joanna Thompson
Joanna’s story is from the latest print issue of MIT Technology Review, which is about design. Sign up for a subscription to read the full story when it comes out later this month.
We don’t have to panic about a bird flu pandemic just yet
How worried should we be about bird flu? Some have warned that bird flu will be the next deadly pandemic. Others have said the risk is no different than it was a few years ago.
There is no denying that outbreaks of the virus have had a major impact on birds in recent months and that the current outbreak is significantly worse than what we have seen in the past. But while we’ve seen a small number of cases in people, there’s no evidence to suggest it poses a greater threat to humans now than in the past. Read the whole story.
