Harvard Scientists Create First Cyborg Flesh

[Sensitive Blake Griffin]

Lines between man and machine blur as Harvard bioengineers develop cybernetic tissue.

Well, here we go.

A bioengineering team at Harvard University has created the world's first hybrid of living cells and electronic components. Neurons, muscle cells, and blood vessels (taken from rats) were been spliced with nanowires and transistors that can monitor bioelectric impulses, and researchers predict subtle variations in the technology will let them control cellular behavior.

"It allows one to effectively blur the boundary between electronic, inorganic systems and organic, biological ones," team leader Charles Lieber told NewScientist. While these first cyborg tissues are functionally limited, it could reportedly be applied for drug testing, construction of pacemaker-type implants and prosthetics, or even neural observation and medical nano-robotics.

Now, as a rule of thumb, the crazier a potential application of cyborg tech sounds, the less likely we'll see it implemented in the foreseeable future. But the concept of lab-grown "organs-on-a-chip" - whole cybernetically interwoven human organs to obviate human- and animal-test subjects - apparently isn't too many years away.

Does a cyborg-flooded future sound awesome or terrifying? Sound off in the comments.

 

[2Quik4UHoes]

We're gettin closer.

 

[Apathy]

fukking matrix shyt gonna happen and people are going to be that robots control them.

 

[Mowgli]

We're gettin closer.

To what?

 

[ThatTruth777]

To what?

Skynet

And when we get there I bet a Terminator will whip yo ass!

 

[Brown_Pride]

... i wouldn't mind robotic enhancements...
Better eyes that have monitors on them sorta like that google thing but an actual part of you or even hearing enhancements or memory storage capabilities would be pretty cool.

I'd rather we go the human-cyborg route as opposed to the robot vs human route.

 

[Brown_Pride]

Skynet

And when we get there I bet a Terminator will whip yo ass!

a terminator will have no practical knowledge in BJJ and mowgli would most certainly wipe the floor with any and all robotic beings. His floor game is only rivaled by his stand up and one cannot hope to stop Mowgli, they can only hope to contain him.