The EE Times November 2004 supplement has a long detailed article called "Replaceable Eyeball" that discusses
current engineering of artificial sight. This includes new retinal chips, a solar powered silicon artificial retina, and implants
directly installed in the visual cortex. This is not science fiction: these devices are being built and tested with growing results.
Eventually entire new eyes may be grown - but even before then some amazing progress will be made with bioelectronics.
The Dept of Energy's Artificial Retina project is worthy of note, in particular, as six patients "who formerly had no light perception"
could now "differentiate among such objects as a cup, knife, and plate."
The main EE Times magazine reports on a successful experiment to harness a living neural network collection of cells
to be enabled to fly a F-22 flight simulator!
And there's more!
Scientists have now determined that the active factor in caloric restriction's anti-aging effect is the production of the
Sir2 protein. This means that they could develop a life extension drug that doesn't involve starving yourself.
www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=0000129F-71F1-117D-B1F183414B7F0000&sc=I100322
if that doesn't work see Sci Am for Oct 26, 2004
The article is too pessimistic about a potential drug ( resveratrol). This might be established by 'DNA chip' tests.
amazing stuff
metatron