July 25a, 2011: Ear! Where?

ZenGum · 07-25-2011, 07:42 AM

A second picture today. The interview makes it worthwhile. From new scientist at http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/cu...oundaries.html

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Name: Stelarc.jpg
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Size: 165.2 KB

Quote:

Why do you have an ear on your left arm?
At the moment this is only a relief of an ear. It's partly surgically constructed and partly cell grown. We need to surgically lift the helix to create an ear flap, and then we will grow a soft earlobe using my adult stem cells. When the ear is more of a three dimensional structure we will reinsert the microphone and connect it to a wireless transmitter. Then any Wi-Fi hotspot will internet-enable the ear.

We are replicating a bodily structure, relocating and then rewiring it for additional capabilities.

So you had a microphone in your arm before?

We had a microphone in there for a couple of weeks. At the end of the surgery the sound was picked up and wirelessly transmitted. So the project is plausible. This ear is effectively an internet organ for people in other places to access, a mobile acoustical organ that anyone online could access and hear what the ear is listening to.

What future projects do you have up your sleeve?
One project is to engineer an insect-like microrobot that can climb up my tongue and into my mouth. It will have a webcam and an LED on-board so we will be able to stream the images live on the internet. I will just have to be careful not to swallow the robot. We will have to make multiples just in case that happens.

CaliforniaMama · 07-25-2011, 08:56 AM

Weird. I was hoping they were going to say they were growing the ear for somebody to actually use. Like to replace a damaged or lost ear.

Still, it is cool that they can do stuff like this.

infinite monkey · 07-25-2011, 09:00 AM

It'll totally screw up people trying to pass a joint. They'll be all like 'ere and the other person won't know if they mean for them to take the joint or if they're just showing off their arm ear.

Undertoad · 07-25-2011, 11:17 AM

Or if you're passing to the guy, he'll think you insulted him, it's like that old "would I/hare lip" joke.

SPUCK · 07-26-2011, 05:50 AM

So where's the internet-enabled dick?

Pete Zicato · 07-26-2011, 07:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPUCK

So where's the internet-enabled dick?

You mean [insert your favorite cellar cretin here]?

07-25-2011, 08:56 AM	#2
CaliforniaMama I wonder . . . Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: The Left Coast, a pretty good place to be. Posts: 1,278	Weird. I was hoping they were going to say they were growing the ear for somebody to actually use. Like to replace a damaged or lost ear. Still, it is cool that they can do stuff like this. __________________ Take time for silence. You never know what you might hear.

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07-25-2011, 09:00 AM	#3
infinite monkey Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 13,002	It'll totally screw up people trying to pass a joint. They'll be all like 'ere and the other person won't know if they mean for them to take the joint or if they're just showing off their arm ear.

07-25-2011, 11:17 AM	#4
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	Or if you're passing to the guy, he'll think you insulted him, it's like that old "would I/hare lip" joke.

07-26-2011, 05:50 AM	#5
SPUCK Professor Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 1,911	So where's the internet-enabled dick?

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