Just thought I’d quickly post something a little more uplifting than the usual dystopian gloom (forgive the irritating lack of embedding):
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-14374855
Matthew Green – having suffered heart failure and awaiting a transplant – is said to be the first person in the UK able to leave hospital thanks to this plastic heart (below); apparently the technology has already been used in the US and other places around the world but this surely marks a significant step towards making it a readily available solution to those who need it most.
It’s been plastered all over the news today and while I couldn’t ignore the general relevance, it also presents a refreshingly optimistic instance of technology bettering – rather than blighting – humankind. With my comic’s main theme being focused upon how we humanize this technology rather than how technology dehumanizes us, it’s good to see support of the idea in reality.
It’s far from self-sufficient given the external apparatus and is clearly intended as a short-term measure, but there’s no denying that this man’s quality of life has been drastically improved or even saved altogether by this remarkable prosthetic.
It is indeed nice and refreshing to hear that kind of news about technology. Things that can really make us move forward. Instead of a war on who makes/has the most complex toy and why you should spend your next pays on it.
@demontales: Indeed, one can but hope we see more of this and less of that in generations to come. With untold millions spent on weaponry, it would be nice to see a fraction of that spent on development of medicine and prosthetics :(